Sailing in the Sea of Ma'at

April 4, 2008

The "Tale of the Eloquent Peasant" consists of a series of complaints on the part of a peasant to the Chief Steward Rensi concerning the robbery of his goods by an official. The peasant is allowed to expand on the theme of Ma'at.. which can be translated as "wisdom" or "the right way of doing things." As I was reading these poetic complaints I began to wonder if Ma'at was not a great concept for ordering my own life.

Ma'at speaks of measure and moderation. There should be nothing extreme about the actions of a person following Ma'at:

Do not be ponderous, but do not be frivolous;
Do not be tardy, but do not hurry;
Do not be partial, and do not give in to a whim;
Do not cover your face against one whom you know;
Do not blind your sight against one whom you have seen... [43]

This sense of living "in the middle" calls to mind Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics, with its endorsement of the golden mean. Moderation also plays a key role in Proverbs and biblical wisdom literature, so this aspect of Ma'at connects to a long-lasting wisdom tradition that is eminently livable. There are no ethical acrobatics of leaving behind everything to follow a lord.

Many of the complaints of the eloquent peasant center on injustice:

If law is subverted and integrity destroyed,
There is no poor man who will be able to live,
For he will be cheated, and Ma'at will not support him. [40]

Ma'at cannot be interpreted as some private good. The peasant is dependent upon the Ma'at of those who are in power. If those above him fail at Ma'at then his own virtue will count for little. I find this public face of Egyptian wisdom literature off-putting. I prefer a form of virtue such as that of the Stoics which allows for happiness to be maintained no matter what everyone else does. But Ma'at does not go there. Virtue only works, it would seem, in a virtuous system.. which may be a more realistic way of looking at the issue.

My favorite description of Ma'at is the following extended boat metaphor:

If you descend to the Lake of Ma'at,
You will sail thereon in the breeze.
The fabric of your sail will not be torn,
Nor will your boat be driven ashore.
There will be no damage to your mast,
Nor will your yards be broken.
You will not founder when you come to land,
Nor will the waves bear you away. [29]

I find it strangely calming to think about descending into the Lake of Ma'at. It is a calm Lake that allows for smoothed experience and ease of landing.. no breakage to the mast or yards. This is not exactly the fiery vision of a prophet, but it is a prescription for inner peace and a way of life that is actually possible for a human being.