e sense of time never ending; never beginning—is a stagnant2 nothing。 It is absolutely uninteresting。
Life is possessed by tremendous tenacity。 Even so its presence remains conditional; and as it had a beginning; so it will have an end。 I believe that life; just for this reason; is exceedingly enhanced in value; in charm。
One of the most important characteristics distinguishing man from all other forms of nature is his knowledge of transitoriness; of beginning and end; and therefore of the gift of time。
In man transitory life attains its peak of animation; of soul power; so to speak。 This does not mean man alone would have a soul。 Soul quality pervades all beings。 But man’s soul is most awake in his knowledge of the interchangeability3 of the terms “existence” and “transitoriness”。
To man time is given like a piece of land; as it were; entrusted to him for faithful tilling; a space in which to strive incessantly; achieve self…realization; move onward and upward。 Yes; with the aid of time; man bees capable of wresting the immortal from the mortal。
Deep down; I believe—and deem such belief natural to every human soul—that in the universe prime significance must be attributed to this earth of ours。 Deep down I believe that creation of the universe out of nothingness and of life out of inorganic state ultimately aimed at the creation of man。 I believe that man is meant as a great experiment whose possible failure of man’s own guilt would be paramount4 to the failure of creation itself。
Whether this belief be true or not; man would be well advised if he behaved as though it were。
做好每件小事
佚名
幾天來,米開朗基羅一直在鑽研一尊雕塑。他用了很長時間去修飾每一個細節,但這些細節對旁觀者來說似乎毫無意義。當有人問他為什麼要這樣做的時候,米開朗基羅說道:“瑣事成就完美,追求完美並非瑣事。”
大多數人會忘記你的工作速度有多快,但他們會記