by Sven E. Lennartz
translated by Eric J. Ford
1
Speed fragments life. The man who travels too quickly, plunges into a tail-spin and loses himself. Whoever says he must find himself has already detached himself. Such a person is a paradoxical being. The detachment from one's SELF is the consequence of moving too rapidly. Men live their lives as though in a centrifuge and then look with incredulity at their unbalanced lives. There is no reason to pursue life. Where would that lead? Only away from yourself, and you have no desire to go there. Whoever wants to come to himself, must first pause.
2
The comical thing is, you have already arrived. What would you do if you were carefree and happy? You see, you do not have to lie in anticipation of yourself.
Whoever enjoys an equilibrium between himself and his surroundings, flies. Not as a bird or an airplane flies, that would be inelegant and loud, an object of ridicule. The objects surrounding us are not burdens which we must hold firmly in our hands and bear. That would be stupid of us since these things already have their own firm foundations. They are far more substantial than the blossoms upon which butterflies alight. We enjoy the color, the nectar, and the sky above. What do we care how the plants grow, whether this way or that?
3
Is life not a dance? Whoever cannot maintain his balance or is in too much of a hurry, falls on his face. Whoever holds fast doesn't dance. Whoever can't let go, doesn't live. Others can lend their support but cannot hang on lest they never regain their momentum. One might call it living irresponsibly. One is not held accountable for anything directly, rather one is obliged to bend one's back to shoulder the burden of others. Others take on heavy responsibilities for themselves and dump the rest on you.
4
One doesn't construct equilibrium, one doesn't plan it. It presents itself as soon as one allows things to take their own course. Birds fly in the wind, plants yield to its force and bend. Man feels the cold, curses, and dreams of warmer climes. The man who proceeds in such a manner is condemned to shiver in the cold, instead of letting himself drift, delighting in his own weightlessness.
5
Perhaps you have the impression, that there are too many incidents, that too much has happened. You can't find your bearings, your world rushes by, nothing can be firmly held and controlled. When we try to pursue a thing, we accelerate and spin out of control. We lose our equilibrium and our center of gravity, just as a ship which steams along at too great a speed threatens to founder and sink. It is very easy to take measures against this. You need do absolutely nothing.
6
Life is ethereal and light. That which is ethereal and light cannot be held firmly and controlled.
That which is airy and light can hop hither and thither, it can fly and gain new perspectives of the world. This is a far better form of entertainment than clinging like bread dough to a pie tin, waiting to be shoved into the oven.
If we were all happy, then these words would be unnecessary. No one would have written them and no one would feel the need to read them. Instead, we would probably be sitting together enjoying one another's company. Of course, along with happiness go the many perceptions regarding the manner in which it may be attained.
17
Life, in and of itself, is free of obligation and importance. In reality, these things mean nothing. You can entrench yourself in this life or you can behave like a dead branch in a stream. As boring as that may be, many have done it. In their quest for security, they lose that which can still be secured, namely life itself, so long as it remains unlived.
18
One who thinks he doesn't need attentiveness, and can do without it, will soon grow bored. Such a life seems empty, there never seems to be enough pleasing or interesting things. This comes about when one excludes a portion of the things from the start. We exclude those things which don't fit into our plans, namely, the interests of others, evil and disturbing thoughts, anxiety, sorrow and other misgivings. There are simply too many things which we do not like at all. Washing dishes, for example, getting up early, working, or even bathing. We try to get these activities out of the way as soon as possible. We want to save time, so that we can devote ourselves to our "real" lives. We believe that life should consist only of those things which entertain us and bring us joy. But this is not so.
19
Constant activity produces new events. Whatever we wanted to prevent, occurs. This is exactly the way to make the world - which we strive to make controllable and finite - bigger and bigger. No choice remains but to undertake more than one activity at a time. It often happens that we let a radio or TV run while we are engaged in a completely different activity, such as eating or reading. The result is that we never really enjoy either of them. We never complete anything, we are discontented and unfulfilled. Thus, although we take in a great deal, it is only fragments and disassociated images. Nothing can completely unfold, neither in us, nor around us. There is no time, or rather, "leisure time" for that. Some want or need always prevents us from true enjoyment. This want or need spurs us on to new and more frenzied activity by which we hope to escape from this condition. Something is supposed to come and fulfill our needs.
20
Serious situations arise. There are so many important things which one must accomplish that hardly any time remains for living. Necessities like eating and sleeping are not mere compulsions which one must heed in order to remain alive. They are life. What would remain without them?
21
Why can't we accomplish an act such as eating without someone else and in peace? When we are eating, that is exactly what we wish to do. What we are eating is definitely not a trivial matter. We value good-tasting nutrition, it should be easily digestible and promote health. We, or someone else, spend a lot of time preparing and cooking. And what happens? While we are bombarded by images and sounds, we carelessly gulp down that which should bring us pleasure. As though it holds no significance for us and is only a burdensome duty. It is not a duty, it is life.
22
If work, eating, sleeping and reading are only duties which one must carry out as quickly as possible, what will be the consequence? After doing so, we become bored and are, despite outward contentment, just as inwardly empty as before. If we have saved so much time by the speedy fulfillment of our duties, where have our lives gone? Why don't they materialize,? Astonishingly, we attempt to fill the "saved" time with things which we know to be unrewarding. The "saved" time is now a burden to us. We don't know what to do with ourselves. We need conversation to fill our emptiness. Moreover, new duties reveal themselves as we think about the future. We have bungled something. We have waited for life when it has already been with us all the while.
23
Life is not an empty mold or a hollow shell into which feelings and actions must be poured. Life, in reality, takes place between us and material things. Life is not a bag of marvels, the tasty tidbits of which are owned by a privileged few while others must wait in anguish for their share. Life is precisely that which many hold to be its components. If you really believe that you are nothing more than an empty shell, then you need amusements and television. You must be entertained and replenished so that, like an empty sack, you don't collapse under your own weight, or put a crease in your spirit.
24
Why do we want to "make" something of ourselves at all costs? Due to this very "making", we overlook life. Isn't it all just a conjurer's trick, a figment of our imaginations perhaps, or a mix-up? Could it be that we have proceeded from a false premise and are now chasing after ourselves and life? A life which, in all of its manifestations, is already at hand?
25
You don't have to chase after things, on the contrary, you may sit and enjoy what others still hope to obtain: namely life itself. Then it won't matter whether it is raining or the sun is shining, things will always go well for you. What do you care if your neighbor is driving a stylish car? He has clothed himself in his Angst. What do you care if someone else is eating exotic dishes? If they were less exotic or expensive you wouldn't be able to bear even looking at them without feeling ill.
26
What do you care about any of that? None of us needs to enter his life like a thief through a back door, we are already in. We do not need to creep in as though life were a skittish creature which might easily be scared off by the clamor. Life itself clatters, becomes frightened, and pokes fun at itself.
27
Many man-made things are only beautiful or ugly because we have made them so. But life is not our creation. Life is more than our wishes; it encompasses everything. Sometimes we must reject a thing, look at it from a distance, before we can really become enamored of it.
28
We can make our life more multifaceted, sure, but not better. Good turns to bad as soon as we try to improve it. If you don't like what you see, then begin with yourself. That will suffice completely. Others, however, have probably told you something completely different. Such as: "The world is a terrible place, but even you can make a contribution towards effecting a change. Presuming, of course, that you are willing to abide by our rules." Of course you can make a change, but it won't help. Enough has been done already. You need not undertake great enterprises, nor carry out heroic deeds. You need not be courageous nor must you challenge the elements. It's enough to be silent. From this point on, you see only yourself. The beauty of it is that you no longer have to abide by the rules.
29
Try to accept things as they are, as if you were a mirror. A mirror does not waver, there is nothing which it considers to be "beneath" it. A mirror is a wise and clever thing. Whatever looks into it is faithfully reflected. No mirror shows exclusively nice things. That would not be a mirror, but rather a rose-colored glossy photo. Why should we withhold from ourselves certain aspects of our personalities?
30
People hold their money in clenched fists, sit on their treasures like a leprechaun on his pot of gold. They have to buy safes and build houses around their money which in turn must themselves be guarded. No one can be trusted. Life then consists of precisely that which one hoped to avoid: fear. That is the exact opposite of living light. Yet, everyone accepts that "wealth will set you free". How can something as heavy as gold make us lighter? We talk of people who are "loaded" with money, yet with that kind of weight, we can only crawl. What purpose does it all serve? The earth already carries that weight for us.
31
A surplus of money and property is probably the surest means of preventing happiness in the long run. Do not surround yourself with unnecessary things. You will have to drag all of it around with you through life. No one is that strong. Is it possible to have an appetite, if your stomach is full to the point of bursting?
32
Taking life less seriously does not mean going about it carelessly, it means trying to take on too much at once. Let it go! One who wants to dance, doesn't cling to chairs. Living, carrying, letting go, these are all aspects of one phenomenon. Why should we concern ourselves with any of it?
33
And then? There is no "then". Life is a dance. All we have to do is begin. Naturally, it takes time to mature into an accomplished "dancer". "How" to dance is something we learn from life and our observations of it. Why should we stand around clueless, not knowing where to begin in life? To gaze stupidly at your surroundings fills one's mind with thoughts of desolation in the long run. Whoever is able, will join in the dance.
34
Life is an intricately intertwined event, the midpoint of which is in the eye of the beholder.
That is to say, your imagination is your world. To the sad, the world is gray, to lovers, it is warm and luminous. That which lies at the root of all things is not in itself a thing, but a principle which is still forming.
35
To formulate a perception of the world around one's own ego, how ridiculous this is! The ego is one of infinitely numerous aspects of the cosmos. What could be more boring than to create a world patterned after your own likeness? How could one be happy in a world where all things are already known and the scenes unfolding in the external world merely repeat the scenes which have already taken place inside one's mind?
36
The world has no finite size. You are that part of the world which is so vast and unfathomable. You see, you do not know yourself. The majority of people are more interested in things not at hand, such as the moon or automobiles, than in themselves. Many of them should like to think they already know themselves sufficiently well. They believe that the understanding of external things has nothing to do with them. But this is not so.
37
To one man, the outside world is boundless and strange, to another it is accessible and welcoming. No one can stipulate, teach or carve this in stone. One must not think the world is so vast, just because it seems so complicated. It is, in reality, much smaller. It is exactly "your" size. It is a tailor-made world. And that is not by mere coincidence, for you are the tailor. The world exists as you think of it, as you call it. You are not minuscule. You are only intimidated by your own immensity.
38
Life is purposeless, but in every respect meaningful. The whole thing is somewhat like a dream. Whatever happens within it, be it demeaning or uplifting, it must be exhilarating. Nothing in your dream is purposeful. You can't make any errors, because nothing has any relevance outside the dream. There is nothing to lose and nothing to win. We are here to "make waves" like children splashing about in a pool. We move things and create events. To look for a purpose in all of that would be extremely unnecessary and would spoil the matter. Imagine it for a moment. There is absolutely nothing you must do; none of the things which people tell you to do and none of the things which you believe you must do because others expect it of you. Simply let it lie.
39
A purpose is something which exists on behalf of another thing. But the whole, the cosmos, exists only for itself. It is completely without purpose. Meaning, on the other hand, exists for itself. Life has meaning because it is lived. It does not serve a purpose. It also need not have a use. Why should it? Nothing of it would remain. Life brings forth life, one phenomenon springs from another. No higher scheme of the universe has enlisted you in its service. If there were such a scheme, it would unfortunately be one of which you could know nothing. Schemes of the universe and concepts of predestination are ways of compelling you to do things which you would never do for yourself.
40
The whole affair is a "self-constraining" system of order. It has made itself diverse and complicated in order to recognize itself. It wants to hide from itself, reveal itself, then shout "boo!" and laugh. The most important thing in life is being in high spirits. The laws of the universe, however, are rather barren concepts, invented by tedious people who understand nothing of life. People who measure the milky way much as a surveyor might lay a road, and who can't be bothered by what surprises might lie around the next corner. Nothing could be more monotonous than if the scheme of things really did run according to predestination and law and everyone knew it.
41
The world doesn't take itself seriously. It only invented seriousness so that it could better make fun of itself. Once one has recognized that the so-called "gravity" in life is not so grave, but in reality very light, one can sit off to the side and laugh. But the next time it happens, we will fall for it again, and the cycle will begin anew. This is the way we have arranged it, and this is the way we like it.
42
The whole thing is not actually a completed thing of substance, but rather a deeply fissured nothingness. And reality is an inconceivable, because fleeting relationship. A thing which only exists in reference to itself is not real. The only reality is none at all, namely nothingness.
43
The world is an event. One takes it in from widely diverse points of view, one of which is yours. It observes itself. You, too, are an event.
Things don't occur for God or through him, rather, God occurs.
44
When you look out the window, say, at trees or the sky, what you see is not something "other", some inconceivable "something". Your own ego creates the "outside." The world which you catch sight of is your self. It is as if you are dreaming. It does not mean that this world is not real, and that one only needs to pinch you so that you may awake. A dream is only reality insofar as it can effect something. We hold dreams to be real, because we ourselves are dreams. We are dreamt by others and we dream ourselves. Reality must be learned. Interestingly enough, most people believe that they are wide awake and that the things about them are undeniably concrete and real. When you think about it, it may happen that you will say, "Well, if it doesn't matter how I do it, then I will do it in the least complicated manner possible." You are well on your way to a cheerful serenity.
45
Now you should not take this for an invitation to begin making idle wishes. The world will certainly not reflect your daydreams. Daydreams are only a minuscule, albeit beautiful aspect of your thoughts. You would grow tired of a dream-world just as quickly as you would of a purchased one. What a contrast, however, to a self-made world, as it arises, once you have the confidence to let yourself unfold into it. You must not be fulfilled. Empty yourself.
46
Often, we humans sense an unbridgeable gap between ourselves and external things, even between ourselves and other people and sometimes to ourselves. It is said that man is a stranger unto himself. It is believed that people and things are the work of some creator, we have become quasi complacent toward this. It is assumed that we are not these things, that we are as different from them as two things could be. The gap between us and things, the world, plants and animals, mountains and valleys is not a void, it is filled to bursting with angst.. One method which people believe to be useful for narrowing this gap is to own people and things. The anxiety, the angst, does not disappear, it is magnified, the more things come into one's possession. Rocks and trees own nothing and are not separated by anything, they have no problems. Naturally. You and the universe are the same entity as seen from different angles. Who says that you are a speck of dust, a totally insignificant being in the mighty universe, who knows absolutely nothing?
47
If the world were merely a lifeless manifestation, how could it have come into being? Consider this: What would happen if time were to stand still? You might perhaps think that people would stop in their tracks, as if turned to stone, clocks would stand still and nothing would stir. It would not be so. If time were to stand still and there were no more movement of any kind, then nothing would exist. There is no motionless state. Whatever ceases to move, ceases to exist.
48
Considerations of time are always stubbornly linked to clocks, but clocks don't actually measure time, they generate it. It seems as though the number of clocks is directly proportional to the amount of available time. Oddly enough, only a few of us seem to be able to grasp that more and more clocks mean less and less time for us. Clocks generate time though movement. Whatever moves, generates time. Time is movement. To wait for something can be extremely unpleasant. It is not time, however, which rolls sluggishly along, but the spirit.
49
Quite possibly, time is a characteristic of movement somewhat like a rhythm. Each creature has its own rhythm, its own time. To a certain extent, a creature is a specific rhythm, a specific time. Looked at in this way, life appears to us as a dance. Only one who has a feel for rhythm and time can achieve harmony with the world. While one who merely observes the rhythms only creates cycles, years, calendars, and hours.
50
But time is far more expansive, you might argue. The earth is already billions of years old and the cosmos even older. Perhaps we only project our time onto these things. Then we extend it to the entire phenomenon we call "universe" and look on in wonder at the remarkable results which thereafter arise. Time does not exist independently of objects. We see ourselves as the measure of all things and are satisfied that the world is operating according to certain laws, laws which we have smuggled into the picture so that we can draw upon them later as fundamental truths. Of course, this is nothing more than a complex opportunity for having a little fun. Another game of hide-and-go-seek.
51
Who can possibly imagine a 15 billion year old cosmos? Many of us are unable to gauge one human lifetime. Perhaps the cosmos isn't at all as old as we have calculated it to be. Not because we know absolutely nothing about the times and rhythms of such things as stars and galaxies. Nevertheless, what we see, stars and the milky way, are the outermost reaches of our selves.
52
Your past does not exist independently of you. You can't escape from it. You are your past. Why complain? You did it all yourself. Therefore you need not fear the things you have done. If you fear yourself, it's because you wanted to. You should first solve the riddle. In truth, all that is mere imagination and that which lies at the root of all things is nothing other than your formulating principle. You cannot make any mistakes. At the bottom of everything lies emptiness.
53
To complain about yourself is to weigh yourself down. We make our lives difficult, we confuse and entangle our intellect and heap more burdensome thoughts upon it. It leaves us top-heavy and weighed down by thoughts. Many of us behave in such a manner and struggle with jumbled thoughts and imaginings. We ought to be able to fly ...
54
But it would take enormous and powerful wings to bear such weighty people aloft. The wings of jet airplanes are larger than the wings of dragons ever were. The wind and birds bear no worries and therefore they can fly.
55
Trees don't fly because they are too heavy and their roots are entrenched in the earth. We don't fly because we take things too seriously, weigh ourselves down with self-criticism and are entrenched in material desires. In truth, life is neither difficult nor easy. Life is you yourself. Weigh yourself down, and your life will be burdensome, avoid doing this, and your life will be freer. Whoever wants to fly does not need expensive metal alloys or a large fortune. It is enough to lighten your load and entrust your soul to the wind, to life.
56
But people hate to be left without a firm hold on anything. We really do cling to everything. We are constantly afraid that we will fall on our faces or rub someone the wrong way. Something bad might happen, let's let things take their course. Quite understandably in this situation, we clutch at anything which seems to promise us a firm hold. Namely, money and jobs, friends and relationships, and a glut of material things. We cling to our desires and suppositions. We have to be slim and stylish, we want to be desirable and well-to-do. We won't give up any of this voluntarily. We can't even let go of ourselves; death is the most horrible thing we can imagine.
57
Uncertainty is in no way so detestable a state as is commonly believed. What then is there to lose? An extremely unwieldy existence which fills your mind with a heap of worries. Why do you want to hold on to that? There is much to be won however; all that which your previous path failed to impart to you. When you were in good spirits everything in your life had meaning, it made you what you are. Looked at in this way, none of it was bad or in vain.
58
Whoever attaches too much importance to himself and his activities and imagines himself to be weighty is really only heavy. Such a person will not gain anything lasting from this attitude except that his life will become a burden. It makes itself a burden. What then is there to fear? The worst that can happen is that one day you will cease to exist. Well, as far as we know this will happen in any case. The fact is that you can't do anything to change it and you can't take anything with you. You possess nothing, because all phenomena exist only in your imagination.
It is nothing.
It means nothing.
You worry to no avail.
59
Be multifaceted and mobile instead of single-minded and rigid. You and I don't have to make our stand on one side or the other and remain entrenched there. We don't have to cling to anything; now excluding this, now that. Everything is allowed. Even to forbid is allowed. To be sure, one who behaves in this manner need not wonder that no one will follow him. Whatever happens, we will that it happens. We ourselves comprise "mood". How can mood effect us negatively?
60
A good mood is a sign of harmony, and to be in harmony with the things around us is wondrous evidence of the quality of our actions and our existence. Whoever moves in harmony with the motion of the world, whoever "co-rotates", can dance with her. And the world dances with us. And when something dances, it is much more beautiful than some massive, weighty object which no one moves because no one likes it. In spite of everything, we need stability. Why is this so?
61
All levity aside, one needs mass and inertia in order to get from A to B. Otherwise we would be like leaves in the wind, constantly in motion. Possessing stability or "standability" does not mean one has to stand around like a column or pillar. Whoever has this stability does not need to continue clinging. Such a person is his own foothold, his own anchor in the whirlpool of color and sound which passes for our world.
62
Trusting one's self has little to do with making a clatter or predominance, rather, it is mostly a quiet affair. Self-confidence is necessary in order to have confidence in others. For whoever is not true unto himself will always suspect treachery or intrigue as a motive behind everything. Trusting yourself means not having to "out intrigue" yourself. You don't need such feints as "Now I'll get away from it all" or "See how small and weak I am, please don't hurt me." You simply are what you are. If, outwardly, this seems wearisome, what difference does that make? One doesn't need tricks and strategies, one is straightforward and wastes no time on mirages and illusions. In this way, one can conserve one's strength in one's self, without having to mete it out in order to prop up imaginary ideals. Propping up ideals expends a lot of energy, and, in the end, you can't live up to them anyway.
63
Only the "light" are truly free. He who can fly doesn't stick to anything and knows how to enjoy life regardless of whether life is on the rise or in decline, since rising and falling are necessary components of it. Then, all at once, things appear completely trusted and welcoming. Life becomes an adventure, and the whole thing becomes marvelous fun. For all the spoilsports and nay-sayers it becomes an absolute misfortune.
64
Nothing weighs more heavily on our shoulders than the necessity to be light. And nothing is "lighter" (easier) than to complain and whine. But we have wished this upon ourselves; for if things were different, we wouldn't be able to last one more minute on this ball of earth. To lighten oneself is a heavy task if one doesn't know how to go about it. Whoever stands with both feet planted firmly in the ground is a serious, but unhappy fellow. When one goes about it in the right way, an uplifting spirit unfolds in one's breast. Though things remain, they nevertheless change. Those things which seemed stiff and cumbersome before, are now light as a feather, flexible, and capable of flight.
65
No one will sprout wings as the result of meditation, no one can swoop down and lift you up into the air. You have to do it for yourself. What did you think? To sit around in front of computers and books is not enough. Merely coining phrases about life is a very limited form of life.
66
Whoever goes against the wind will be wildly tossed about. He is thrown this way and that, he sees things from above, from far below, or from a completely different perspective. Such a life cannot be restrained or held onto; for as soon as one has it, it slips away. When one weighs too much, a storm is required to set him in motion. That is risky. A more skillful approach would be to cast off ballast in time. Then a mere updraft will suffice. Perhaps you only need a little boost. If no one is there to push you, then you have to set yourself into motion.
67
Once you are aloft in the wind, you will fly, as a paper kite flies. You don't have to travel to far away lands, seek the solitude of a monastery, or perform unusual acts. It is enough if you stay where you are. Life is already stormy enough. Make yourself light.
68
You soar up and then fall. There is considerable uncertainty in this. Nothing new to you. The ironic thing in this is that you can have fun if you don't impede yourself. It all depends on allowing for equilibrium, to live it, and to daily reaffirm it. This means: fly if the wind is blowing, rest when it doesn't, and take things as they come. Don't hold on. And people will look up at you and think, "If only I were such a cheerful, happy kite". Even the longest journey must begin with that very first step. When you think about it however, you set out on your journey long ago.
69
Surprises of which one is forewarned are surprises no longer. The fact that life is so difficult is because we have made it so. Why? Because otherwise there would be no stumbling blocks to ponder and nothing to get excited about or to rejoice in. The whole thing would be a rather dreary affair.
70
Whoever wants to fly must have a simple and transparent spirit. A spirit with a bird's-eye view is itself a bird and can fly. A spirit which sees only gray clouds is itself a cloud and it hangs limply in the air. Use your wings! Whoever risks nothing has no fun.
71
Nothing weighs more heavily on our shoulders than the necessity to be light. And nothing is "lighter" (easier) than to complain and whine. But we have wished this upon ourselves; for if things were different, we wouldn't be able to last one more minute on this ball of earth. To lighten oneself is a heavy task if one doesn't know how to go about it. Whoever stands with both feet planted firmly in the ground is a serious, but unhappy fellow. When one goes about it in the right way, an uplifting spirit unfolds in one's breast. Though things remain, they nevertheless change. Those things which seemed stiff and cumbersome before, are now light as a feather, flexible, and capable of flight.
72
No one will sprout wings as the result of meditation, no one can swoop down and lift you up into the air. You have to do it for yourself. What did you think? To sit around in front of computers and books is not enough. Merely coining phrases about life is a very limited form of life.
73
Whoever goes against the wind will be wildly tossed about. He is thrown this way and that, he sees things from above, from far below, or from a completely different perspective. Such a life cannot be restrained or held onto; for as soon as one has it, it slips away. When one weighs too much, a storm is required to set him in motion. That is risky. A more skillful approach would be to cast off ballast in time. Then a mere updraft will suffice. Perhaps you only need a little boost. If no one is there to push you, then you have to set yourself into motion.
74
Once you are aloft in the wind, you will fly, as a paper kite flies. You don't have to travel to far away lands, seek the solitude of a monastery, or perform unusual acts. It is enough if you stay where you are. Life is already stormy enough. Make yourself light.
75
You soar up and then fall. There is considerable uncertainty in this. Nothing new to you. The ironic thing in this is that you can have fun if you don't impede yourself. It all depends on allowing for equilibrium, to live it, and to daily reaffirm it. This means: fly if the wind is blowing, rest when it doesn't, and take things as they come. Don't hold on. And people will look up at you and think, "If only I were such a cheerful, happy kite". Even the longest journey must begin with that very first step. When you think about it however, you set out on your journey long ago.
76
Surprises of which one is forewarned are surprises no longer. The fact that life is so difficult is because we have made it so. Why? Because otherwise there would be no stumbling blocks to ponder and nothing to get excited about or to rejoice in. The whole thing would be a rather dreary affair.
77
Whoever wants to fly must have a simple and transparent spirit. A spirit with a bird's-eye view is itself a bird and can fly. A spirit which sees only gray clouds is itself a cloud and it hangs limply in the air. Use your wings! Whoever risks nothing has no fun.
