What I Have Lived For

Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life: the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind . These passions, like great winds, have blown me hither and thither, in a wayward course, over a deep ocean of anguish, reaching to the very verge of despair.

I have sought love, first, because it brings ecstasy---ecstasy so great that I would often have sacrificed all the rest of my life for a few hours for this joy. I have sought it, next, because it relieves loneliness---that terrible loneliness in which one shivering consciousness looks over the rim of the world into the cold unfathomable lifeless abyss. I have sought it, finally, because in the union of love I have seen, in a mystic miniature, the prefiguring vision of the heaven that saints and poets have imagined. This is what I sought, and though it might seem too good for human life, this is what---at last---I have found.

With equal passion I have sought knowledge. I have wished to understand the hearts of men. I have wished to know why the stars shine. And I have tried to apprehend the Pythagorean power by which number holds sway above the flux. A little of this, but not much, I have achieved.

Love and knowledge, so far as they were possible, led upward toward the heavens. But always pity brought m

e back to earth. Echoes of cries of pain reverberate in my heart. Children in famine, victims tortured by oppressors, helpless old people a hatred burden to their sons, and the whole world of loneliness, poverty, and pain make a mockery of what human life should be. I long to alleviate the evil, but I cannot, and I too suffer.

This has been my life. I have found it worth living, and would gladly live it again if the chance were offered me.

Translation:

Why I was born

My life has been dominated by three simple yet extremely powerful passions: the passion for love The desire, the search for knowledge and the irrepressible fascination with human suffering. These passions are like strong winds, blowing me in all directions, passing through the sea of ??pain, forcing me to the edge of despair.

I seek love, first of all, because it fascinates my heart. This indescribable and wonderful intoxication makes me willing to spend the rest of my life in exchange for even a few hours of such happiness. I have sought love, also, because it relieves the loneliness in which my soul trembles, as if I were standing at the edge of the world into the cold, bottomless abyss of death. I seek love because in the union I witness I see a vision of the heaven for which sages and poets longed. This is what I am looking for. Although it seems a bit out of reach for a human life, at least it is what I have spent my whole life realizing.

I seek knowledge with the same passion. I wish I could understand the human mind, I wish I could know why the stars twinkle. I tried to understand the idea of ??"number is everything" admired by Pythagoras. I've figured out a little bit of it, though not a lot.

Love and knowledge use their power to lead people to heaven. But sympathy always drags people back to the world. The cry of pain echoed in my heart. Starving children, oppressed refugees, a world of poverty and suffering are all a cruel mockery of the good life that humans long for. I long to be able to lessen the evil, but there is nothing I can do, and I cannot escape its torment.

This is my life. I have found value in it. And I would love to live it again if given the chance.

When Love Beckons You

When love beckons to you, follow him, though his ways are hard and steep. And when his wings enfold you, yield to him, though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you. And when he speaks to you, believe in him, though his voice may shatter your dreams as the north wind lays waste the garden.

For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning. Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun, so shall he descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth.

But if, in your fear, you would seek only love's peace and love's pleasure, then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love's threshing-floor, into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears. Love gives naught but it self and takes naught but from itself. Love possesses not, nor would it be possessed, for love is sufficient unto love.

Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself. But if you love and must have desires, let these be your desires:

To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.

To know the pain of too much tenderness.

To be wounded by your own understanding of love;

And to bleed willingly and

joyfully.

To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;

To rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy;

To return home at eventide with gratitude;

And then to sleep with a payer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips.

Translation:

The Call of Love

When love calls you, follow her, even though the road of love is difficult and steep. When the wings of love embrace you, obey her, though the sword hidden beneath its wings may wound you. When love speaks to you, believe her, even though her voice may shatter your dreams like the north wind blowing away all the petals in the garden.

Love will crown you with laurels and also torture you. Love will help you grow and prune your branches. Love will rise to the branches, caressing your twigs that quiver in the sun, and it will also descend to your roots, shaking your foundations that cling to the soil.

But if you only seek the peace and happiness of love in the midst of fear, then you'd better hide your true self, avoid the test of love, and enter a world without distinction of seasons, where you You will laugh, but not with all your heart, and you will cry, but not with all your heart. Love only gives itself and only gets itself. Love owns nothing and cannot be owned by anyone, because love itself is self-sufficient.

Love wants nothing but self-realization. But if you love and have to ask for something, then please expect:

Melting yourself and singing your own beautiful tune into the night like a rushing stream.

Understand the pain caused by too much tenderness.

Being hurt by your own understanding of love;

And willing to be happy and sad.

Wake up at dawn with a light heart and be grateful for another day of having a home;

Go home at dusk with a grateful heart;

Then Pray and sing songs of praise for the ones you love in your heart, and sleep with prayers and songs.

The Goodness of Life

Though there is much to be concerned about, there is far, far more for which to be thankful. Though life's goodness can at times be overshadowed, it is never outweighed.

For every single act that is senselessly destructive, there are thousands more small, quiet acts of love, kindness and compassion. For every person who seeks to hurt, there are many, many more who devote their lives to helping and to healing.

There is goodness to life that cannot be denied.

In the most magnificent vistas and in the smallest details, look closely, for that goodness always comes shining through.

There is no limit to the goodness of life. It grows more abundant with each new encounter. The more you experience and appreciate the goodness of life, the more there is to be lived.

Even when the cold winds blow and the world seems to be covered in foggy shadows, the goodness of life lives on. Open your eyes, open your heart, and you will see that goodness is everywhere.

Though the goodness of life seems at times to suffer setbacks, it always endures. For in the darkest moment it becomes vividly clear that life is a priceless treasure. And so the goodness of life is made even stronger by the very things that would oppose it.

Time and time again when you feared it was gone forever you found that the goodness of life was really onl

y a moment away. Around the next corner, inside every moment, the goodness of life is there to surprise and delight you.

Take a moment to let the goodness of life touch your spirit and calm your thoughts. Then , share your good fortune with another. For the goodness of life grows more and more magnificent each time it is given away.

Though the problems constantly scream for attention and the conflicts appear to rage ever stronger, the goodness of life grows more and more magnificent each time it is given away.

Though the problems constantly scream for attention and the conflicts appear to rage ever stronger of life grows stronger still, quietly, peacefully, with more purpose and meaning than ever before.

Translation:

The beauty of life

Although there are many things that make People worry, but there are far more things to be grateful for. Although the beauty of life is sometimes overshadowed, it is never buried.

For every act of senseless vandalism, there are thousands more, smaller acts of love, kindness, and compassion going on quietly. For every person who tries to hurt someone, there are many more people who are dedicated to helping and healing others.

The beauty of life cannot be denied.

In the most spectacular prospects and the most trivial details, please observe carefully, because beautiful things always shine with dazzling light.

The beauty of life has no boundaries. Each encounter makes this beauty richer and richer. The more you experience and appreciate the beauty of life, the more beauty there will be in your life.

Even when the cold wind blows and the whole world seems to be covered in fog, the beauty of life still exists. Open your eyes, open your heart, and you will find that beauty is everywhere.

Although the beauty of life sometimes seems to suffer setbacks, it always survives. Because, in the darkest moments, one thing becomes extra clear: life is a priceless treasure. Therefore, it is the very things that are opposed to the beauty of life that make it stronger.

Countless times, when you worry that this beauty is far away, you will find that the beauty of life is actually only a moment away from you. It's just around the next corner, existing in every moment, waiting to surprise you.

Take some time to let the beauty of life touch your soul and relax your mind. Then, share your luck with others. Because the beauty of life becomes more and more spectacular with each giving.

Although there are always problems for you to pay attention to, and conflicts seem to be getting more and more intense, the beauty of life always changes quietly, peacefully, with stronger will and more value than before. Be stronger.