“This tree stands here lonely on the mountain; it grew high beyond humans and animals.
And if it wanted to speak, it would have no one who understood it: so high it grew.
Now it waits and waits – but for what does it wait? It lives too near the clouds’ abode: it waits for the first lightning bolt?”
On the Tree on the MountainKitabı okuyor
"I learned to walk, since then I let myself run. I learned to fly, since then I do not wait to be pushed to move from the spot.
Now I am light, now I fly, now I see myself beneath me, now a god dances through me."
On Reading and WritingKitabı okuyor
"I would only believe in a god who knew how to dance."
On Reading and WritingKitabı okuyor
"It is true: we love life not because we are accustomed to life but because we are accustomed to love.
There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness.
And even to me, one who likes life, it seems butterflies and soap bubbles and whatever is of their kind among human beings know most about happiness."
On Reading and WritingKitabı okuyor
"Whoever writes in blood and proverbs does not want to be read, but to be learned by heart."
On Reading and WritingKitabı okuyor
"Human being is something that must be overcome."
On the Passions of Pleasure and PainKitabı okuyor
"Whoever is ringed by the flame of jealousy in the end will turn his poisonous stinger upon himself, like the scorpion."
On the Passions of Pleasure and PainKitabı okuyor
"It is distinguishing to have many virtues, but it is a hard lot. And many went into the desert and killed themselves because they were weary of being the battle and battlefield of virtues. My brother, are war and battle evil? But this evil is necessary, envy and mistrust and slander among your virtues are necessary.
Look, how each of your virtues is greedy for the highest. It wants your entire spirit, to be its herald; it wants your entire strength in rage, hatred and love.
Each virtue is jealous of the other, and jealousy is a terrible thing. Even virtues can perish of jealousy.
Whoever is ringed by the flame of jealousy in the end will turn his poisonous stinger upon himself, like the scorpion. Oh my brother, have you never seen a virtue slander and stab itself?
Human being is something that must be overcome, and therefore you should love your virtues – for of them you will perish."
On the Passions of Pleasure and PainKitabı okuyor
"Once you had passions and named them evil. But now you have only your virtues: they grew out of your passions."
On the Passions of Pleasure and PainKitabı okuyor
“'Body am I and soul' – so speaks a child. And why should one not speak like children?"
On the Despisers of the BodyKitabı okuyor
"Even in your folly and your contempt, you despisers of the body, you serve your self. I say to you: your self itself wants to die and turns away from life.
No longer is it capable of that which it wants most: to create beyond itself. This it wants most of all, this is its entire fervor.
But now it is too late for that, and so your self wants to go under, you despisers of the body.
Your self wants to go under, and for this reason you became despisers of the body! For you no longer are capable of creating beyond yourselves.
And that is why you are angry now at life and earth. There is an unknown envy in the looking askance of your contempt."
On the Despisers of the BodyKitabı okuyor
"There is more reason in your body than in your best wisdom. And who knows then to what end your body requires precisely your best wisdom?"
On the Despisers of the BodyKitabı okuyor
"Always the self listens and seeks: it compares, compels, conquers, destroys. It rules and is also the ruler of the ego.
Behind your thoughts and feelings, my brother, stands a powerful commander, an unknown wise man – he is called self. He lives in your body, he is your body."
On the Despisers of the BodyKitabı okuyor
“'I' you say and are proud of this word. But what is greater is that in which you do not want to believe – your body and its great reason. It does not say I, but does I."
On the Despisers of the BodyKitabı okuyor
“'Body am I and soul' – so speaks a child. And why should one not speak like children?
But the awakened, the knowing one says: body am I through and through, and nothing besides; and soul is just a word for something on the body."
On the Despisers of the BodyKitabı okuyor