Tag: philosophy

He who realizes that time is the substance of life concludes, by deduction, that he will live as well as he can use the time at his disposal. Then he will realize, first of all, that he has no time at his disposal but now, and that therefore, extending the previous conclusion, he will live as well as he can use the now. The next step is the one that often discourages, and sometimes leads to suicide. The good use of the now is conditioned to means only partially controllable and always subject to the wheel of fortune. So, for some, it is possible to cling to a probable time as an ally against the more that fortune can get in the way of their objectives; but for others, who are averse to the indefinite, whose wisdom demands that they cling only to what is certain, it is unbearable to find that, for certain, there is only submission to the most immediate need.

What never fails to impress is that an extraordinary nature emerges from a barren cradle, rising as if without stimulus and starting from itself, completely overcoming all circumstances. In early cases, the phenomenon borders on the inexplicable. The most frequent occurrence, however, does not fail to impress. In this one, a careful analysis always shows the action of a centripetal force, which with greater or lesser intensity directs, not to say impels, the vocation and the resolution to externalize it. In this way, the process always seems to culminate at a point from which the past becomes strange but justified, although the origin of such a decisive motivation remains a mystery.

From the point of view of character formation, it is curious to note how the facilities, so desired, are almost always useless and, if available in great quantity, certainly harmful. When we notice the deep scars that hide behind a great character, we have to surrender to this late but perennial beauty that comes from them. It seems irrational to yearn for hardships; however, when we turn our eyes to the past, we must recognize that nothing like them can transform for the better.

Perhaps there is no more pleasurable feeling than that which springs forth as laughter in the face of the most bitter circumstances. A sincere laugh, that crosses the spirit and manifests itself fully, as if radiating through every molecule. Finally, life, and to hell with it! Without a doubt, it takes a lot of maturity to experience it, and the representation of the great sage as the one who allows himself a serene, perennial, carefree laugh is quite right. There is a transcendent dimension in this laughter that springs forth as the outcome of a tremendous spiritual effort.