| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Kwaidan by Lafcadio Hearn: then destroy the weak; pity and sympathy would disappear; and the whole
social fabric would fall to pieces... These teachings confess the existing
imperfection of human nature; and they contain obvious truth. But those who
first proclaimed that truth, thousands and thousands of years ago, never
imagined a form of social existence in which selfishness would be naturally
impossible. It remained for irreligious Nature to furnish us with proof
positive that there can exist a society in which the pleasure of active
beneficence makes needless the idea of duty,-- a society in which
instinctive morality can dispense with ethical codes of every sort,-- a
society of which every member is born so absolutely unselfish, and so
energetically good, that moral training could signify, even for its
Kwaidan |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Tanach: Joshua 13: 7 Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance unto the nine tribes, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.'
Joshua 13: 8 With him the Reubenites and the Gadites received their inheritance, which Moses gave them, beyond the Jordan eastward, even as Moses the servant of the LORD gave them;
Joshua 13: 9 from Aroer, that is on the edge of the valley of Arnon, and the city that is in the middle of the valley, and all the table-land from Medeba unto Dibon;
Joshua 13: 10 and all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, unto the border of the children of Ammon;
Joshua 13: 11 and Gilead, and the border of the Geshurites and Maacathites, and all mount Hermon, and all Bashan unto Salcah;
Joshua 13: 12 all the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei--the same was left of the remnant of the Rephaim-- for these did Moses smite, and drove them out.
Joshua 13: 13 Nevertheless the children of Israel drove not out the Geshurites, nor the Maacathites; but Geshur and Maacath dwelt in the midst of Israel unto this day.
Joshua 13: 14 Only unto the tribe of Levi he gave no inheritance; the offerings of the LORD, the God of Israel, made by fire are his inheritance, as He spoke unto him.
Joshua 13: 15 And Moses gave unto the tribe of the children of Reuben according to their families.
Joshua 13: 16 And their border was from Aroer, that is on the edge of the valley of Arnon, and the city that is in the middle of the valley, and all the table-land by Medeba;
Joshua 13: 17 Heshbon, and all her cities that are in the table-land; Dibon, and Bamoth-baal, and Beth-baal-meon;
The Tanach |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from A Man of Business by Honore de Balzac: what I should like to offer you,' he would conclude. 'I am quite aware
that you scarcely care a bit about me; but, at my age, we cannot
expect too much. Judge how much I love you; I have lent you a thousand
francs. I must confess that, in all my born days, I have not lent
anybody /that/ much----'
"He held out his penny as he spoke, with the important air of a man
that gives a learned demonstration.
"That evening at the Varietes, Antonia spoke to the Count.
" 'A reading-room is very dull, all the same,' said she; 'I feel that
I have no sort of taste for that kind of life, and I see no future in
it. It is only fit for a widow that wishes to keep body and soul
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