What was done to him was like what happens on the train, when you think you are moving forward, but are moving backward, and suddenly find out the real direction.
"Yes, it was all not right," he said to himself, "but never mind. I can, I can do 'right.' But what is 'right'?" he asked himself and suddenly grew still.
--from The Death of Ivan Ilyich
Category Archives: The Pious Life
Plotinus and Goodness
“But one ought to try to become as good as possible oneself, but not to think that only oneself can become perfectly good — for if one thinks this one is not perfectly good. One must rather think that there … Continue reading
Posted in The Pious Life
Leave a comment
Why does this strange phenomenon occur?
“What causes it? The mind gives an order to the body and is at once obeyed, but when it gives an order to itself, it is resisted. The mind commands the hand to move and is so readily obeyed that … Continue reading
Posted in The Pious Life
Leave a comment
the greatest commandments
A short fragment from Pascal: Two laws suffice to rule the whole Christian Republic better than all political laws. Of course Pascal is referring to Jesus’ words in Matthew chapter 22, when Jesus says that the whole law can be … Continue reading
Mama said
When my children are all grown up, I want the words they remember their mother saying over and over again to be, “My dears, there are good ways to live, and there are bad ways to live. They are not … Continue reading
Posted in The Pious Life
Leave a comment
Beautiful
“I want to record—like Rembrandt recorded the Jews, I want to record the Christians, simply that. For instance, my great grandmother had a picture of “Jeremiah Lamenting the Fall of Jerusalem” by Rembrandt—it’s the greatest Jewish picture ever, and he … Continue reading
Posted in The Pious Life
Leave a comment