Demonic Angel

I found some pieces that touched me at present moment. It was written in Paulo Coelho’s book, “Like Flowing River”. Translated by Margaret Jull Costa (somehow within this book I feel the urge to let people know the bridge of his writing).

Okakura Kakuzo, Japanese poet once wrote…

“We see evil in others because we know the evil in ourselves.

We never forgive those who wound us because we believe that we would never be forgiven.

We say the painful truth to others because we want to hide it form ourselves.

We show our strength, so that no one can see our frailty.

That is why, whenever you judge your brother, be aware that it is you who is in the dock.”

Another Japanese poet, Mitsuo Aida, wrote this…

“Because it has lived its life intensely, the parched grass still attracts the gaze of passers-by,

The flowers merely flower,

and they do this as well as they can.

The white lily, blooming unseen in the valley,

does not need to explain itself to anyone;

It lives merely for beauty.

Men, however, cannot accept that ‘merely’.

If tomatoes wanted to be melons,

they would look completely ridiculous.

I am always amazed

that so many people are concerned

with wanting to be what they are not;

what’s the point of making yourself look ridiculous?

You don’t always have to pretend to be strong,

there’s no need to prove all the time that everything is going well,

you shouldn’t be concerned about what other people are thinking,

cry if you need to,

it’s good to cry out all your tears

(because only then will you be able to smile again)”

==

take a deep breath, close the book, and sigh.