Can people change?

[donq]

I asked my dear friend, "Can people change?"
Mt friend replied, "I was thinking a lot about this, too. They can change all the time but no, they cannot really change."
"What did you mean by that?"
"I have my answer about this. People can change all the time, but just on the surface. Like an ocean, it might be rage or calm on its surface but deep down it remains the same. Anything on its surface doesn't affect its depth. Its deep essence never changes, whether good or bad. The change that happens on the surface depends on such and such circumstances. Maybe it has something to do with its survival? But in its deep, the essence does not change! It is a constant - good or bad! In its deep, essence never change! You can see it even in the way they 'change'. But it is only in my opinion and my experience."

...........................

When I was a young man, I used to believe that people can change (in a good way, to be better). And I believed that deep down, all people (their essences) were good. They were just temporary bad at a time.
But when I get older, after I was betrayed, lied, cheated etc. so many times, I cannot believe something like that any more.
Anyway, I still miss my naive belief when I was a young man. I know that it was just sugarcoated point of view, to make me feel good about everything. But sometimes my harsh point of view as an old man, is really harsh, and unbearable. hahaha

Here, it reminds me of this text of Chuang Tzu. A bit long, sorry. But it's worth reading.

-From The Complete Works Of Chuang Tzu
Translated by Burton Watson

Section FOUR - IN THE WORLD OF MEN

YEN HUI WENT TO SEE Confucius and asked permission to take a trip.

"Where are you going?"
"I'm going to Wei."
"What will you do there?"

"I have heard that the ruler of Wei is very young. He acts in an independent manner, thinks little of how he rules his state, and fails to see his faults. It is nothing to him to lead his people into peril, and his dead are reckoned by swampfuls like so much grass. His people have nowhere to turn. I have heard you say, Master, `Leave the state that is well ordered and go to the state in chaos! At the doctor's gate are many sick men.' I want to use these words as my standard, in hopes that I can restore his state to health."

"Ah," said Confucius, "you will probably go and get yourself executed, that's all. The Way doesn't want things mixed in with it. When it becomes a mixture, it becomes many ways; with many ways, there is a lot of bustle; and where there is a lot of bustle, there is trouble - trouble that has no remedy! The Perfect Man of ancient times made sure that he had it in himself before he tried to give it to others. When you're not even sure what you've got in yourself, how do you have time to bother about what some tyrant is doing?

"Do you know what it is that destroys virtue, and where wisdom comes from? Virtue is destroyed by fame, and wisdom comes out of wrangling. Fame is something to beat people down with, and wisdom is a device for wrangling. Both are evil weapons - not the sort of thing to bring you success. Though your virtue may be great and your good faith unassailable, if you do not understand men's spirits, though your fame may be wide and you do not strive with others, if you do not understand men's minds, but instead appear before a tyrant and force him to listen to sermons on benevolence and righteousness, measures and standards - this is simply using other men's bad points to parade your own excellence. You will be called a plaguer of others. He who plagues others will be plagued in turn. You will probably be plagued by this man.

"And suppose he is the kind who actually delights in worthy men and hates the unworthy-then why does he need you to try to make him any different? You had best keep your advice to yourself! Kings and dukes always lord it over others and fight to win the argument. You will find your eyes growing dazed, your color changing, your mouth working to invent excuses, your attitude becoming more and more humble, until in your mind you end by supporting him. This is to pile fire on fire, to add water to water, and is called `increasing the excessive.' If you give in at the beginning, there is no place to stop. Since your fervent advice is almost certain not to be believed, you are bound to die if you come into the presence of a tyrant.

"In ancient times Chieh put Kuan Lung-feng to death and Chou put Prince Pi Kan to death. Both Kuan Lung-feng and Prince Pi Kan were scrupulous in their conduct, bent down to comfort and aid the common people, and used their positions as ministers to oppose their superiors. Therefore their rulers, Chieh and Chou, utilized their scrupulous conduct as a means to trap them, for they were too fond of good fame. In ancient times Yao attacked Ts'ung-chih and Hsu-ao, and Yu attacked Yu-hu, and these states were left empty and unpeopled, their rulers cut down. It was because they employed their armies constantly and never ceased their search for gain. All were seekers of fame or gain - have you alone not heard of them? Even the sages cannot cope with men who are after fame or gain, much less a person like you!

"However, you must have some plan in mind. Come, tell me what it is."

Yen Hui said, "If I am grave and empty-hearted, diligent and of one mind, won't that do?"

"Goodness, how could that do? You may put on a fine outward show and seem very impressive, but you can't avoid having an uncertain look on your face, any more than an ordinary man can. And then you try to gauge this man's feelings and seek to influence his mind. But with him, what is called `the virtue that advances a little each day' would not succeed, much less a great display of virtue! He will stick fast to his position and never be converted. Though he may make outward signs of agreement, inwardly he will not give it a thought! How could such an approach succeed?"

"Well then, suppose I am inwardly direct, outwardly compliant, and do my work through the examples of antiquity? By being inwardly direct, I can be the companion of Heaven. Being a companion of Heaven, I know that the Son of Heaven and I are equally the sons of Heaven. Then why would I use my words to try to get men to praise me, or try to get them not to praise me? A man like this, people call The Child. This is what I mean by being a companion of Heaven.

"By being outwardly compliant, I can be a companion men. Lifting up the tablet, kneeling, bowing, crouching down - this is the etiquette of a minister. Everybody does it, so why shouldn't I? If I do what other people do, they can hardly criticize me. This is what I mean by being a companion of men.

"By doing my work through the examples of antiquity, I can be the companion of ancient times. Though my words may in fact be lessons and reproaches, they belong to ancient times and not to me. In this way, though I may be blunt, I cannot he blamed. This is what I mean by being a companion of antiquity. If I go about it in this way, will it do?"

Confucius said, "Goodness, how could that do? You have too many policies and plans and you haven't seen what is needed. You will probably get off without incurring any blame, yes. But that will be as far as it goes. How do you think you can actually convert him? You are still making the mind your teacher!"


P.S. See? Now you understand what I meant by old man's POV and naive young man's POV, right? hahaha

[gruntal]

A more interesting philosophical question is can one change - for the worst? That should be a no-brainer. We all know from maths and science that entropy rules the universe. Besides when it comes to humans self preservation requires us to be selfish. So over time you would expect the human race to realize it was being used and abused and act accordingly.

Not to mention how much we are tempted by pleasure. People will steal what ever they can get their hands on, do as much food and drugs they can get, work as little as they can get away with; they will never do any restitution or rehabilitation unless forced to. That was why the Orientals - who built the prototype civilizations - insisted on an iron tight rule from the top down. You could NOT trust man to do the right thing. Ever. But of course the leaders would know what was best. Forget democracy. Mankind is not capable of it.

If all this was true then we should have self destructed eons ago. That we have not done so begs the question not so much as why not as to what mysterious mechanism enables us to go forward. I do not have time now to lecture on the Mysteries but suffice it to say our simplistic individual existence may not be so simplistic after all. Multiple personalities are a proven scientific fact ( although it is viewed as a mental illness ) and that strongly suggests we are more incremental then we are taught. Any one increment is only obvious at any one point in time. That progress and change might be occurring in other unseen increments seems beyond our grasp.

The seeds are being sown ....

[donq]

Hi Gruntal,

Very good point. Thanks.
See? That was why I miss my young man's point of view. hahaha.

If I remember it right, Mencius (around 300 BC) believed man is innately good but it is society's influence that caused bad moral character.
While Xun Zi believed that human nature is centered on self-interest and greed, and the purpose of moral cultivation is to develop our nature into goodness.

Hmm...I feel like Mencius was an optimist, Xun Zi a pessimist. But is that true?

Karen said somewhere that she (we), a spiritual person, was still a minority. Was she a pessimist? I don't think so. We are really just a minority. A quick example here is, in 10 persons who are very closed to me (relative, etc.), there is none who is a 'real' spiritual person.
And it's odd when thinking about this. I mean it seems we have so many spiritual persons (and many religions etc.) around the world for thousands of years but why the world has never been a better place? And frankly speak, even a worse place.

Let me give an example, I felt I was abused (or even raped) by TV shows and that was why I haven't had and never watched TV for more than 20 years. I love to watch movie but feel the same more and more. A producer's excuse is people need this (stupid shows) for entertainment because life is already tough. A writer's excuse is there's no hero in a real life! Hmm...maybe it's true but I still wonder what the point of doing that? It always was asked in the old time, "what's a moral of this story?" So, there's no moral in any story today because it's true or because a writer could not put any moral into his story?

But as you raised a very good question, "If all this was true then we should have self destructed eons ago. That we have not done so begs the question not so much as why not as to what mysterious mechanism enables us to go forward."


The same seed is waiting for someone to water it more. :-)

[angelm]

I quite enjoyed that read, thanks much for sharing!

Society is something that makes us conform, it is a man-made thing that exists only to cause us more separation and makes us more distant from each other. You must be this way, and be like the other, in order to fit into the 'tribe' and not be banished - in other words, to survive. Yet, in todays' world, that is no longer necessary, we have more than enough to go around, yet many of us retain that mindset when it comes to conforming to norms of "how to be". We want to survive, and protect what is ours, yet we can share what is already there and grow together now that we have moved past our need for security. This is only one factor.

People can change, but they want to have to do it for themselves. And that is what often times is the issue, especially if someone is seemingly forcing them to do it or constantly telling them how, it makes that person want to do it even less because they would rather be 'independent' from such commands... or, be themselves, meaning unchanged and continuing in their current ways. Which may or may not be bad, sometimes the changer is the one needing the changing. I know this through constantly finding things that were 'wrong' with someone, and telling them about it. The more I pushed, the more they resisted, until I no longer had any close connection to this person but one where we could no longer connect on a heart-level.

The very things about a person that needs changing is what is in question here, and if they are found and identified than that individual needs to see them themselves, because if someone else is involved in the so called 'process' of change they may interfere with the metamorphosis. In this case, the person is a caterpillar, and if you were to tell them of how wonderful they would be if only they make their cocoon it can be rushing them through a process they must discover on their own - they may even not want to go through with it the more you tell them about it - but when they do it from them, and only them, both the process and the result is well worth it. It is something we each do at some point in our lives, but often times it is done alone.

Many things happen to us in life, as you've mentioned donq, lied to or cheated... this can push you away from others or make you think they are inherently evil in their ways. Which is very understandable, because sadly some are and are unable to get out of their trap in which they created for themselves. I can only wish them their best through such experiences, but if they only deny committing such acts then it is outside of my power to help them. I believe we contain a balance of good and bad, and through our various circumstances in which we are placed we can act upon either, or both. It is like a test. The universe wants to know how we choose to handle it, and if we are indeed who we say we are. If we need to change, we will. We can, just some of us choose not to.

[donq]

Very good point, Michelle. Thanks.

Let me give another example. My mom who lives with my older brother has got a cancer. Recently, she fell and broke her leg. Her doctor put some iron in her leg. She is a very very stubborn old woman (almost 80 years old) and still wants to drive by herself!?! Come on!, she hasn't drove for more than 20 years and not to mention about her cancer and her broken leg. Anyway, my brother allowed her to drive if she wanted. (He did that to please both my mom and his wife. I mean I know that he just didn't want to say no to our mom, and didn't want his wife to serve our mom as her chauffeur.) So I had to act as a bad cop. And stop my mom from doing that in every way. Because it's very very dangerous. So, I have to become her personal chauffeur 7/24. And sure, she loves me brother more and more and hates me more and more. hahaha
My point is we live in this kind of world, don't we?
People always love a good cop and hate a bad cop.  :-)

[gruntal]

In recognition to a post by angelm I agree that people need to face themselves first in regards to changes and possible improvements. My Rosicrucian  teachings indicate everyone has the ability to see this; unlike "spiritual" ability that has to be developed. You have to be very bad off to not have a conscience. Practically everyone a fully functioning one. It is more of a tendency to deny it and sadly religious dogma - or endless civil laws - give us less incentive to "let our conscience be our guide".

Maybe the biggest change is when we no longer need to be reminded or cajoled into action. As I have said previously it never ceases to amaze me how someone I met ages ago can remember some nice or inspirational thing I did long in the past . I assumed I did or said this all for nothing. Or it was long forgotten. Silly me. I can't change overnight but I guess I expected the others to do so ....

[donq]

Hi Gruntal,

Ah! that's it! The mysterious mechanism behind (a very good) question you raised.

If there are so bad things in the world, there are also so good things.

There are still real heros and good persons in the world!

There are good karma in the world! (even no one recognizes it, but it's still there whether anyone recognized it or not).

Let me quote Mother Teresa's "Do it Anyway: here again. Its meaning is deep (at least deeper than what I first thought. hahaha)

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.

[angelm]

Hey donq, thanks right back at ya! As for that circumstance I'm sorry to hear that that is what you have to put up with, but sometimes those certain things happen and we are 'forced' to act as someone we are not or have to become for the time being. In this case, the 'bad cop', 'good cop', because our relationships with people are often times like this. Being loved less than you brother is something I can't relate to, though... due to being an only child growing up so I didn't have siblings to compete for the attention from my parents. But, if she is your mother than I'm sure she loves you, maybe more than you give her credit for.

People are completely capable to do things on their own, or to act when they are needed to, but often times giving someone a push can help... And of course, it can also hinder. Letting someone find their own way is more rewarding but can also be more frustrating if you are involved and see them struggling to cope with a new found change. Whatever it may be. I guess it depends, really hard to say for sure... but I stand true to thinking that change must be done by the individual, them and only them. Only time can tell if they succeed.

And gruntal, I guess that's why the person you hadn't spoken to in some years was able to remind you of what inspiration you had left with them - they saw the good in you, even when you couldn't. We move past things, but we never forget those that remind us of our greatness!

Always do as you would, if you want to do good - go for it! Even when the odds are against you, someone will always stand behind you if you can face the terrible things that happen in this world. Most evil is created by man, it is a concept, much as anything can be. Others could want to destroy you, but if you have faith that things will be better, than they will. There is always a way. It has never been me and them, it has been me myself and I... although seemingly selfish that may sound it is how we carry on believing even when thousands tell us, "no!", you are important no matter what they say and no matter how big or small you may seem you will make a difference.

[donq]

I enjoy our talking. So here I go. :-)

It's suffice to say that I have reached....(hmm...or I was kicked to reach?) a certain point that I don't care (to be a bad cop). Please don't get me wrong, I still care for doing good thing, but I don't care if anyone (in this case, my mom) will appreciate it or not. Let's say that I do it just because it's a good thing (for me) to do in such and such situation. My mom might not like it. Or even I myself don't like (to do) it. But considering from that kind of situation, a bad cop is really needed, is it not? Neither I mean about a big ego that wants to control over other.
I know that a paradox in human life, especially in relationship has something to with complicated "wanting." I don't want you (my mom) to love me but I just want you to want to love me by yourself. See? And the situation would be much more complicated, when you've known about my wanting. Phew! very complicated, indeed!
"Don't care" is the best solution of this? Sometimes it is. I don't care if you would want (to love) me or not (in the sense of spiritual detachment). I don't mean literally/worldly don't care. Just...how to put it?...having no demand or control over other? I don't care so if you feel about me so that you will have freedom to want to love me or not. Yes, something like that. But I will feel good if you having fun of loving me in any case. At least it's always better than you hates me in any case. lol

This reminds me of R.D. Laing's KNOTS:

They are not having fun.
I can’t have fun if they don’t.
If I get them to have fun, then I can have fun with them.
Getting them to have fun, is not fun. It is hard work.
I might get fun out of finding out why they’re not.
I’m not supposed to get fun out of working out why they’re not.
But there is even some fun in pretending to them I’m not
having fun finding out why they ’re not.


Anyway, Laing also warned that people are playing a game. Anyone who breaks the rule of the game will never get a good result, and becomes an outsider (if not a mad man) lol

They are playing a game.
They are playing at not playing a game.
If I show them I see they are,
I shall break the rules and they will punish me.
I must play their game,
of not seeing I see the game.

[angelm]

It's good for you to be able to not "not care", it seems... especially in that situation. It can be hard to allow yourself such freedom of being the person that is the bad cop and saying you don't care because you have no other choice. At least you'll know if the others' in your life actually enjoy you and your company because you do not try to control them into being around you, and that sometimes builds stronger and longer lasting relationships. I respect you for that, donq.

Why make someone do something they don't want to do, when you can just not care and let them find it for themselves. Not only is it more rewarding for them, but letting it be until it is meant to be is for the best sometimes.

[donq]

Hmm....that was deep! So you agree to disagree or disagree to agree?
Kidding, I cannot put it better than that. Thanks.

Yes, this "not care" has nothing to do with being unavoidable/inescapable. It is not the case of the sour grapes (The Fox and the Grapes from Aesop's Fables). So, as you put it so well, I still could choose to care, even in the context of "not care", hence not "not care."

I've seen so much, maybe too much, about spoiling. For example, the parents who (keep the rod and) spoil their children. They do that just to please their kids, want to be the beloved parents, or don't dare to say no and upset their kids. But when those kids grown up, they might ask a quesiton, "why have my parents poisoned me that way?"

And is there spiritual spoiling? I believe this is a bit more complicated. Because the right time is so important. We already heard about "A (spritual) teacher comes when a student is ready." As for spirituality, there's nothing more dangerous than knowing before we are really ready (to learn/practice). Or we might become spiritual parrots, talking a lot about spirituality that has nothing to do with our inner selves/soul at all.    


    

[angelm]

Ah, I know exactly what you mean by spiritual parrots. Often times I see many posts and conversations of people talking a lot about things they actually know nothing about, mostly just passing on the information they read online with no proof or facts to backup their claims. The problem with this is it's not really a problem at all, but more so an attitude the public has with 'spiritual' stuff... since most of the time the people who discuss that sort of stuff twist and configure it in a way to make themselves look all high and mighty and to me it just seems like their ego has taken over.

Spirituality is not always defined as a practice or a thing in which we do or know about... in essence it is 'who you are', and is more than just having knowledge that others' don't have. We need to share our space and create new ideas and become helpful to each other in order to make a positive change. Often times we can rush into things when we are not ready for them and the reason for this varies from person to person. It may be stubbornness, or even an eagerness to learn. Whatever it may be, it's best to let it happen in its due time and not force something upon someone else or even yourself. That's the true patience, and as mentioned by gruntal in the above post: change doesn't happen overnight. In fact, sometimes it can be years when we want it to happen right away. I find that the best time comes when we least expect it, and that always makes the experience that much better.

[donq]

Let me quote this:

“Anything is one of a million paths. Therefore you must always keep in mind that a path is only a path; if you feel you should not follow it, you must not stay with it under any conditions. To have such clarity you must lead a disciplined life. Only then will you know that any path is only a path and there is no affront, to oneself or to others, in dropping it if that is what your heart tells you to do. But your decision to keep on the path or to leave it must be free of fear or ambition. I warn you. Look at every path closely and deliberately. Try it as many times as you think necessary.

"This question is one that only a very old man asks. Does this path have a heart? All paths are the same: they lead nowhere. They are paths going through the bush, or into the bush. In my own life I could say I have traversed long long paths, but I am not anywhere. Does this path have a heart? If it does, the path is good; if it doesn't, it is of no use. Both paths lead nowhere; but one has a heart, the other doesn't. One makes for a joyful journey; as long as you follow it, you are one with it. The other will make you curse your life. One makes you strong; the other weakens you.

"Before you embark on any path ask the question: Does this path have a heart? If the answer is no, you will know it, and then you must choose another path. The trouble is nobody asks the question; and when a man finally realizes that he has taken a path without a heart, the path is ready to kill him. At that point very few men can stop to deliberate, and leave the path. A path without a heart is never enjoyable. You have to work hard even to take it. On the other hand, a path with heart is easy; it does not make you work at liking it.”

― Carlos Castaneda, The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge

It's so cool, right?

(Some information about Carlos Castaneda: he was an American author with a Ph.D. in anthropology. His 12 books described his training in shamanism with a Yaqui "Man of Knowledge" named Don Juan Matus, have sold more than 28 million copies in 17 languages.)

Don't need to say that his work inspired people more than those books sold. 30 years ago I was also addicted to his books.
Anyway, many critics have suggested that his book are only works of fiction!

Here comes a paradox, if it's ture, then why his books could be able to inspire millions of people? Or even his work is really fictitious, but it still a path with heart?
Or it's just only self fulfilling spirituality (prophecy)?
For example, if a guru told that he got such and such spiritual experience, then his disciples were looking forward to get those kinds of experience, too (and got it!)
But everyone is unique. And each suffering needs a different cure, doesn't it?
   

[aceofcups]

"It's only when caterpillarness is done that one becomes a butterfly. That again is part of life's paradox. You cannot rip away caterpillarness. The whole trip occurs in an unfolding process of which we as our Ego self have little control, except to work on ourselves.."

[gruntal]

The implication that fiction can inspire people more then reality does bring up a can of worms. And if you really wanted to get nasty you could list numerous politicians from Adolf Hitler to Barack Obama that were an inspiration - in their day. The writer in the New Testament Bible apparently anticipated a worst case scenario and said if the Jesus story wasn't true then Christians were only worthy of most pity.

The trouble is that begs the question of why some things seem to be impossible to achieve while other things beat the odds and manifest despite seemingly insurmountable odds. Why? Do we need to crash into a brick wall to see what is real? Are we that blind?

More to the point is why it is so hard to control the masses - or even educate them. Like a herd of stampeding bufalo just when you think everything is under control it gets wild. Most of us cling to one thing or another and will not let go. Change is very hard on the one hand but then we turn around and make fools of ourselves when we think that golden opportunity has arrived. Common sense flies out the window!

(Well I never "fell in love" so in that respect I will just take your word for it).

I can only add what I have said before: we all believe in things but some of us seem to believe more or less then the others. Putting your money where your mouth is would be a test most of us want to put off as long as we can. Until we are really sure what our reality is. In some circles it is fashionable to believe in G*d but you still get to hedge your bets as to how much power He has over us.

Is "wishy washy" a sin or part of the Ten Commandments ?!

[donq]

Hi Ace,

That was beautiful...urh...ness. And cool...ness. :-)

Hi Gruntal,

Thanks. I was not familair with that idiom (cans of worms) before, so I looked into it. Very good!

The exact origin of the phrase is not completely known, but general consensus traces it back to the 1950s in the United States and literal cans of worms. Fisherman used to buy sealed metal cans of earthworms, as opposed to the plastic containers or Styrofoam cups of today. After arriving at their fishing spot, they would set the metal can down and open it. What was inside was alive and if the top was left open for too long or the can was tipped over, well, your biggest problem would no longer be catching fish. It would be catching your bait that’s wriggling away.
Yak!

I was thinking about “Pandora’s Box” which I read somewhere that it originally was a jar, but mistranslationas a box. hahaha!

Hmm...and what I was trying to say? Arh! yes, your post reminds me of Friedrich Schiller's The Veiled Image at Sais:

A youth, impelled by a burning thirst for knowledge
To roam to Sais, in fair Egypt's land,
The priesthood's secret learning to explore,
Had passed through many a grade with eager haste,
And still was hurrying on with fond impatience.
Scarce could the Hierophant impose a rein
Upon his headlong efforts. "What avails
A part without the whole?" the youth exclaimed;
"Can there be here a lesser or a greater?
The truth thou speak'st of, like mere earthly dross,
Is't but a sum that can be held by man
In larger or in smaller quantity?
Surely 'tis changeless, indivisible;
Deprive a harmony of but one note,
Deprive the rainbow of one single color,
And all that will remain is naught, so long
As that one color, that one note, is wanting."

While thus they converse held, they chanced to stand
Within the precincts of a lonely temple,
Where a veiled statue of gigantic size
The youth's attention caught. In wonderment
He turned him toward his guide, and asked him, saying,
"What form is that concealed beneath yon veil?"
"Truth!" was the answer. "What!" the young man cried,
"When I am striving after truth alone,
Seekest thou to hide that very truth from me?"

"The Godhead's self alone can answer thee,"
Replied the Hierophant. "'Let no rash mortal
Disturb this veil,' said he, 'till raised by me;
For he who dares with sacrilegious hand
To move the sacred mystic covering,
He'--said the Godhead--" "Well?"--"'will see the truth.'"
"Strangely oracular, indeed! And thou
Hast never ventured, then, to raise the veil?"
"I? Truly not! I never even felt
The least desire."--"Is't possible? If I
Were severed from the truth by nothing else
Than this thin gauze--" "And a divine decree,"
His guide broke in. "Far heavier than thou thinkest
Is this thin gauze, my son. Light to thy hand
It may be--but most weighty to thy conscience."

The youth now sought his home, absorbed in thought;
His burning wish to solve the mystery
Banished all sleep; upon his couch he lay,
Tossing his feverish limbs. When midnight came,
He rose, and toward the temple timidly,
Led by a mighty impulse, bent his way.
The walls he scaled, and soon one active spring
Landed the daring boy beneath the dome.

Behold him now, in utter solitude,
Welcomed by naught save fearful, deathlike silence,--
A silence which the echo of his steps
Alone disturbs, as through the vaults he paces.
Piercing an opening in the cupola,
The moon cast down her pale and silvery beams,
And, awful as a present deity,
Glittering amid the darkness of the pile,
In its long veil concealed, the statue stands.

With hesitating step, he now draws near--
His impious hand would fain remove the veil--
Sudden a burning chill assails his bones
And then an unseen arm repulses him.
"Unhappy one, what wouldst thou do?" Thus cries
A faithful voice within his trembling breast.
"Wouldst thou profanely violate the All-Holy?"
"'Tis true the oracle declared, 'Let none
Venture to raise the veil till raised by me.'
But did the oracle itself not add,
That he who did so would behold the truth?
Whate'er is hid behind, I'll raise the veil."
And then he shouted: "Yes! I will behold it!"
"Behold it!"
Repeats in mocking tone the distant echo.

He speaks, and, with the word, lifts up the veil.
Would you inquire what form there met his eye?
I know not,--but, when day appeared, the priests
Found him extended senseless, pale as death,
Before the pedestal of Isis' statue.
What had been seen and heard by him when there
He never would disclose, but from that hour
His happiness in life had fled forever,
And his deep sorrow soon conducted him
To an untimely grave. "Woe to that man,"
He warning said to every questioner,
"Woe to that man who wins the truth by guilt,
For truth so gained will ne'er reward its owner."