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Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Resist the Ambition to Climb the Moral Mountain


Moral Mountain II
The problems with staking your tent
On a moral high ground
Are the altitude sickness, frostbites,
Frequent avalanches
And the likelihood
That a sudden gust would
Propel you, your tent,
And your precious morals
Over the precipice.


(No.128 from 'the Dam.SunSun.Ana')


Not my best friend would say I am a particularly moral person. Indeed, some may even suggest that my reluctance to draw a clear line between black and white, good and evil makes me rather unscrupulous. I hedge my bets, they say, right to the cliff edge of morality.

Despite this however, I am prone to subconsciously judge people. Outside, I may spout liberal and tolerant views, inside however, my mind is going tsk, tsk, tsk, shame, shame, shame. Years ago, when my brother got divorced, I staked my claim on the highest moral ground. Reminding myself that in my faith, divorce is described as the worst permissable act you can do. The very pillars of heaven are said to shake when the husband recites the proscribed words divorcing his mate. From this moral mountain, I looked down and passed judgement on these feeble human failings...

Well, so much for my morality. In 2007, I found myself in front of the Qadi (Judge) of the Shariah Court in Kuala Lumpur, testifying the solemn words to breach the marriage vows which I had readily entered into just 5 years back.

So don't judge too quickly, my friends. You know not what Fate may have in store to test your personal convictions. Resist the ambition to climb the moral mountain. Just because it is there, doesn't mean that you must climb it. You do have a choice. Choose wisely.

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