I read pages and pages of Tolstoy and my mind seems to wonder, “Why so much time spent elsewhere?” The feeling is that, in Tolstoy, there is no vain page, we are always before characters who confront the essential. They confront, that is, they reason, see and judge the circumstances around them; sometimes they let themselves act unthinkingly, then they bitterly regret the psychological consequences, mulling over the past. The past! always an object of torture, an inexhaustible source of regrets… But what seems to impress most in these constructions so vivid, so full of verve and sincerity, is the meticulous insertion of details that endow them with realism, making them more than convincing. And to think of the mind that produced these thousands of golden pages… is to bow the head and take off the hat.
Category: Notes
A Problem Is a Problem as Long as the Mind Classifies It as Such
From Lao-tze, in English translation:
Stop thinking, and end your problems.
How true! A problem is a problem as long as the mind classifies it as such—conditions and facts are cold; qualification is mental work. Once one has the problem, the consequences: anxiety, worry, conflict, psychological disturbance. Annul the mind, bridle thoughts… if there is peace possible to man, here is the way. However…
The Gruesome Details of a Black Magic Ritual
Knowing the gruesome details of a black magic ritual, one can notice without a doubt that the operator materializes his evil and repulsive will beforehand. From this, to say that the magic works is an understatement. All the difficulty of the preparation, the effort involved, the need for continuous reaffirmation of the vow, the mental focus and stimulation in favor of the malevolent objective… all this before the consummation of the terrible ritual, the voluntary act with no possible return. The conscience of the one who operates such a monstrosity dies forever; psychologically, it is a road with no return, a road that can only lead to more and more darkness, if not to madness or suicide. It is unbelievable to see how deep human nature is capable of descending, how unlimited is its potential for evil… the impulse is to spit in its face and curse endlessly at this cursed species.
The Existential Puzzle
There have been two hundred pages of this “Papus” and I confess to having no idea what was in them. From the very beginning, the endless analogies, the creative mathematics, the subliminal semantics, the pantacles, the tables that follow tables and tables, and I put myself to size up the boredom of the god who planned all this for an investigator like “Papus” to unravel his creation. If this is so, it is certain that this god must have exploded with joy at this “Papus” who, by putting the puzzle together, has freed him from loneliness. It is as if he had found a companion to play with. However, with the impartiality of a psychologist, I would diagnose that this god is one step away from suicide.