| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Massimilla Doni by Honore de Balzac: draperies, without a frown each time he moved. Emilio, seated at her
side, held one of her hands between his, gazing at her with utter
absorption. Ask not whether they loved; they loved only too well. They
were not reading out of the same book, like Paolo and Francesca; far
from it, Emilio dared not say: "Let us read." The gleam of those eyes,
those glistening gray irises streaked with threads of gold that
started from the centre like rifts of light, giving her gaze a soft,
star-like radiance, thrilled him with nervous rapture that was almost
a spasm. Sometimes the mere sight of the splendid black hair that
crowned the adored head, bound by a simple gold fillet, and falling in
satin tresses on each side of a spacious brow, was enough to give him
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Salammbo by Gustave Flaubert: many ultimately ceased to believe in anything but destiny and death;--
and every evening these would fall asleep with the placidity of wild
beasts. Spendius had spit upon the images of Jupiter Olympius;
nevertheless he dreaded to speak aloud in the dark, nor did he fail
every day to put on his right boot first.
He reared a long quadrangular terrace in front of Utica, but in
proportion as it ascended the rampart was also heightened, and what
was thrown down by the one side was almost immediately raised again by
the other. Spendius took care of his men; he dreamed of plans and
strove to recall the stratagems which he had heard described in his
travels. But why did Narr' Havas not return? There was nothing but
Salammbo |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Tao Teh King by Lao-tze: chaos.
Ordinary men look bright and intelligent, while I alone seem to be
benighted. They look full of discrimination, while I alone am dull
and confused. I seem to be carried about as on the sea, drifting as
if I had nowhere to rest. All men have their spheres of action, while
I alone seem dull and incapable, like a rude borderer. (Thus) I alone
am different from other men, but I value the nursing-mother (the Tao).
21. The grandest forms of active force
From Tao come, their only source.
Who can of Tao the nature tell?
Our sight it flies, our touch as well.
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