"Ever since that day I have realized that man's soul is a terrible and dangerous coil spring. Without knowing it, we all carry a great explosive force wrapped in our flesh and lard. And what is worse, we do not want to know it, for the villainy, cowardice, and falsehood lose their justification; we can no longer hide behind man's supposed impotence and wretched incompetence; we ourselves must bear the blame if we are villains, cowards, or liars, for although we have an all-powerful force inside, we dare not use it for fear it might destroy us. But we take the easy, comfortable way out, and allow it to vent its strength little by little until it too has degenerated to flesh and lard.
How terrible not to know that we posses this force! If we did know, we would be proud of our souls. In all heaven and earth, nothing so closely resembles God as the soul of man."
Nikos Kazantzakis, Report to Greco, 1961
"In mijlocul unui furnicar de invitati, printre care cautam zadarnic privirea in care zbucnesc pasiuni vaste, se ivi intr-o zi un om. Corpul sau de ascet pare in prada unei lupte, aci sagalnica, aci sangeroasa, cu ghearele tuturor dorintelor. Lumina care ii pluteste pe fata chinuita este aceea a omului, caruia credinta ii pustieste maruntaiele.
Ochii, mult deschisi, sunt jucausi ca argintul viu. Privirea strapunge, atrage si indeparteaza mii de lumini intr-un minut. Gura i-a muscat peste tot, scuipand tot ceea ce a muscat si continua sa muste. Narile nasului se deschid si se inchid, nenincetat, adulmecand toate mirosurile.
Omul vorbeste. Vrea sa fie banal, potrivit cu circumstanta care ne-a unit, dar el isi infige lancile privirii sale in fata mea si de indata cuvintele sale abordeaza universalitatea, in timp ce bratele-i descarnate se alungesc ca sa insface himerele.
... Cine esti tu? Eu sunt Cretanul"
Panait Istrati, 1929, Vers l'autre flamme [1990, Spre alta flacara, Romanian transl. Alexandru Talex].
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