Philosophy: Dangerous Passion For Wisdom Poem by Margaret Alice

In a frenzy of karmic demarcation, Motoyama*
dramatically decries everything we feel passion
for as possible sources of karma; Even in the
quest for knowledge, insight and wisdom

he cites religions’ scions and science’s savants
as too emotionally attached to their own theories,
rejecting contrary evidence. Fixation on knowledge he
says creates karma for them and their descendants –

BUT he misses the point: a true quest for wisdom
should protect against taking pleasure in false evidence;
karma arises when derailed by emotional attachment
to falsehoods and fixation on truth is lost.

In an upsurge of karmic fervour Motoyama even
warns against a passion for music; attachment to joy,
laughter and fun can also bring the wrath of karma –
he sees unemotional reason as the saviour of man,

relegating emotions to a dangerous subconscious realm.
BUT emotions are necessary for interaction between
world and body enabling us to set priorities to survive
our lives. As said by Damasio in “Descartes’ Error”,

what should have been proposed was: “I think and
feel, therefore I am”; because damage to the frontal
cortex destroys our emotional centre and deprives
us of emotional feedback, takes our decision-making

ability away so we can’t use our reason… If we took
Motoyama’s claims at face value, his book should be
put down immediately as we’re inviting a dangerous
passion for wisdom and information – incurring karmic
effects by reading his book on reincarnation!

*Dr Hiroshi Motoyama “Karma and Reincarnation”, translated by Rande Brown Ouchi,1992
I