The speaker said Orwell offered six points on clear writing and out of that on clear thinking. Ah, clear thinking! Like cultivating a clear heart, important stuff on the spiritual path\u2026 He, the speaker, then went on to mention one, \u201cNever use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.\u201d He said if one wanted the others read the essay.<\/p>\n
I was tantalized enough to do so. And I thought I found a hint of a way to enhance writing as a spiritual discipline. Without a doubt Orwell was one of the signal intellectual figures of his day and I believe does have something to say to us beyond what one gets out of Animal Farm or 1984. Even for us spiritual types.<\/p>\n
For instance those six points.
(i) Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
(ii) Never us a long word where a short one will do.
(iii) If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
(iv) Never use the passive where you can use the active.
(v) Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
(vi) Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.
I have to admit they seem a lot more useful than Strunk & White, who have been justifiably dragged over the coals of late.<\/p>\n
I know this advice would be good for me in my writing. And probably for those who have to hear me hold forth. Me, I plan on contemplating these rules, then, hopefully, throw them away. Which, of course, is an important part of any spiritual enterprise; if it\u2019s a spiritual practice it\u2019s about liberation not slavishly following some set of rules.<\/p>\n
So, study and throw away. Out of that perhaps my writing, and who knows, maybe my thinking might benefit. And, out of that, maybe my spiritual eye, as well.<\/p>\n
It might be useful for you, too.<\/p>\n
Try it, you might like it\u2026<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/tracker\/33904114-115909902103857371?l=monkeymindonline.blogspot.com\")
<\/div>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"While I have a core spiritual practice in zazen that means the whole world to me, I\u2019m also aware that it\u2019s not everyone\u2019s cup of tea. Nor, even for those who embrace zazen need it be the only way one pushes to the heart of the matter. Here I\u2019d like to reflect briefly on writing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":120,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2017","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n