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When you set out for Ithakaask that your way be long,full of adventure, full of instruction.The Laistrygonians and the Cyclops,angry Poseidon - do not fear them:such as these you will never findas long as your thought is lofty, as long as a rareemotion touch your spirit and your body.The Laistrygonians and the Cyclops,angry Poseidon - you will not meet themunless you carry them in your soul,unless your soul raise them up before you.Ask that your way be long.At many a Summer dawn to enterwith what gratitude, what joy -ports seen for the first time;to stop at Phoenician trading centres,and to buy good merchandise,mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony,and sensuous perfumes of every kind,sensuous perfumes as lavishly as you can;to visit many Egyptian cities,to gather stores of knowledge from the learned.Have Ithaka always in your mind.Your arrival there is what you are destined for.But don’t in the least hurry the journey.Better it last for years,so that when you reach the island you are old,rich with all you have gained on the way,not expecting Ithaka to give you wealth.Ithaka gave you a splendid journey.Without her you would not have set out.She hasn’t anything else to give you.And if you find her poor, Ithaka hasn’t deceived you.So wise you have become, of such experience,that already you’ll have understood what these Ithakas mean. ~ Constantine P. Cavafy ~
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When you set out for Ithaka
ask that your way be long,
full of adventure, full of instruction.
The Laistrygonians and the Cyclops,
angry Poseidon - do not fear them:
such as these you will never find
as long as your thought is lofty, as long as a rare
emotion touch your spirit and your body.
The Laistrygonians and the Cyclops,
angry Poseidon - you will not meet them
unless you carry them in your soul,
unless your soul raise them up before you.

Ask that your way be long.
At many a Summer dawn to enter
with what gratitude, what joy -
ports seen for the first time;
to stop at Phoenician trading centres,
and to buy good merchandise,
mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony,
and sensuous perfumes of every kind,
sensuous perfumes as lavishly as you can;
to visit many Egyptian cities,
to gather stores of knowledge from the learned.

Have Ithaka always in your mind.
Your arrival there is what you are destined for.
But don’t in the least hurry the journey.
Better it last for years,
so that when you reach the island you are old,
rich with all you have gained on the way,
not expecting Ithaka to give you wealth.
Ithaka gave you a splendid journey.
Without her you would not have set out.
She hasn’t anything else to give you.

And if you find her poor, Ithaka hasn’t deceived you.
So wise you have become, of such experience,
that already you’ll have understood what these Ithakas mean. 

~ Constantine P. Cavafy ~

“It may be important to great thinkers to examine the world, to explain and despise it. But I think it is only important to love the world, not to despise it, not for us to hate each other, but to be able to regard the world and ourselves and all beings with love, admiration and respect.” ~ Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha ~
Zoom

“It may be important to great thinkers to examine the world, to explain and despise it. But I think it is only important to love the world, not to despise it, not for us to hate each other, but to be able to regard the world and ourselves and all beings with love, admiration and respect.” 

~ Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha ~

“We must become so alone, so utterly alone, that we withdraw into our innermost self. It is a way of bitter suffering. But then our solitude is overcome, we are no longer alone, for we find that our innermost self is the spirit, that it is God, the indivisible. And suddenly we find ourselves in the midst of the world, yet undisturbed by its multiplicity, for our innermost soul we know ourselves to be one with all being.” ~ Hermann Hesse ~
Zoom

“We must become so alone, so utterly alone, that we withdraw into our innermost self. It is a way of bitter suffering. But then our solitude is overcome, we are no longer alone, for we find that our innermost self is the spirit, that it is God, the indivisible. And suddenly we find ourselves in the midst of the world, yet undisturbed by its multiplicity, for our innermost soul we know ourselves to be one with all being.” 

~ Hermann Hesse ~

(Source: Flickr / noellosvald)

“I learned through my body and soul that it was necessary to sin, that I needed lust, that I had to strive for property and experience nausea and the depths of despair in order to learn not to resist them, in order to learn to love the world, and no longer compare it with some kind of desired imaginary vision of perfection, but to leave it as it is, to love it and be glad to belong to it.” ~ Hermann Hesse ~
Zoom

“I learned through my body and soul that it was necessary to sin, that I needed lust, that I had to strive for property and experience nausea and the depths of despair in order to learn not to resist them, in order to learn to love the world, and no longer compare it with some kind of desired imaginary vision of perfection, but to leave it as it is, to love it and be glad to belong to it.” 

~ Hermann Hesse ~

(Source: Flickr / noellosvald)

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