Jan Smuts coined the phrase ‘holism’ at the beginning of the last century. Robert Burns was a great example of holism a 150 years before that.
Rabbie died at the age of 37yrs from complications of Rheumatic fever (sub acute bacterial endocarditis). His physician at the time advised that he bathed every day in the cold River Nith. We are not told if this was an alternative therapy or a common prescription for his condition. However like any good patient he followed instructions despite his deteriorating health.
Rabbie died at the age of 37yrs from complications of Rheumatic fever (sub acute bacterial endocarditis). His physician at the time advised that he bathed every day in the cold River Nith. We are not told if this was an alternative therapy or a common prescription for his condition. However like any good patient he followed instructions despite his deteriorating health.
He had an acute sensitivity to the fine balance in nature and his environmental awareness was centuries ahead of its time Just read these verses of ‘To a mouse’ to really appreciated his simple genius.
Wee, sleekit, cowran, tim'rous beastie,
Wee, sleekit, cowran, tim'rous beastie,
O, what panic's in thy breastie!
Thou need na start awa sae hasty,
Wi' bickering brattle!
I wad be laith to rin an' chase thee,
Wi' murd'ring pattle!
I'm truly sorry Man's dominion
Has broken Nature's social union,
An' justifies that ill opinion,
Which makes thee startle,
At me, thy poor, earth-born companion,
An' fellow-mortal!
But Mousie, thou are no thy-lane,
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men,
Gang aft agley,
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promis'd joy!
Still, thou art blest, compar'd wi' me!
The present only toucheth thee:
But Och! I backward cast my e'e,
On prospects drear!
An' forward, tho' I canna see,
I guess an' fear!
Check out that last verse again of his mindfulness of being in the present and not looking back or forward. He must have studied Zen practices.
As Scotland’s national bard he promoted a brotherhood of all men through his poem ‘A Man’s a man for a that.’ He was a liberal in his thinking and a socialist in action.
Robert Burns is truly an international figure as I learnt when teaching a group of doctors in Beijing last year. I asked them what was their favourite song and one participant said ‘Auld Lang Syne,’ as it gave him a feeling of friendship and good memories.
Many of his poems were love poems such as ‘A red red rose,’ yet he showed his feminine side by writing from a woman’s perspective with the beautiful song ‘Ye Banks and Braes of Bonny Doon.’
