My Zarathustra

Of The Born Again

Zarathustra had been walking for quite some time when he came across a swamp. Foul air assaulted his nostrils and the sounds of swamp animals reached his ears. Verily he came upon an old man sitting on a log, stroking a frog.
The old man turned to Zarathustra and spoke thus:
‘Zarathustra, I know who you are. My animals and I have long awaited your visit- we may be pleased by what is rotten but we are still capable of tasting that which is sweet and ripe.’
Zarathustra looked the old man in the eye and spoke thus:
‘Old man, this swamp is your home, but you once lived amongst princes and breathed pure air. However, you lost sight of what was great in yourself. It was thus that you denied yourself and your path- and ended up in this swamp.’
‘It is true’ spoke the old man,
‘It is true that once upon a time I lived far from this swamp. There was beauty in my life and no small measure of adventure. But the old ideal whispered to me and seduced me, and thereafter when I looked at myself I saw something fit for a swamp.’
Zarathustra paused for a moment, thinking, then replied:
‘Old man, my wisdom speaks thus to me: you must learn again to love yourself. Only thus will you leave all swamps behind.’
Thus spoke Zarathustra, and contined on his way.

Of Good Work

One can reasonably expect to at least recreate oneself via one’s work, but to seek to create something greater requires much hope or faith.
The little man considers it good work when the old ideals are exalted. He would build a prison for all free birds.
Most good work is untimely and few have ears for it. It is an experiment as well as a herald of the future and a looking away from the present- there is much of the creator in it.
But my brothers, I teach you this: the best work brings about the superman.
The superman grows from the best work like a great tree grows out of fertile soil- tall and strong and resilient.
Thus spoke Zarathustra.

PS. Sauwelios, be aware that I have not edited these passages for quite some time (a year or two perhaps?)- and yet still find them up to scratch. You told me that my level of inspiration was ‘nowhere near Nietzsche’s when he wrote Zarathustra’ (a mere belief of yours at the time, I might add- albeit a true one), yet even now I agree with them completely. But then, I have only just started to spiritually ripen, as we do around our 30th year (full maturation coming around the 40th). I urge you to reconsider these passages- trust me, there’s some good stuff in them that’s not to be found in Nietzsche’s book.

your zarathoustra is not mine!

this post was better off dead

“If those got free bread, alas! For what would they clamor? Their sustinance-- that is what sustains their attention; and it should be hard for them. They are beasts of prey: in their “work” there is still an element of preying, in their “earning” still an element of over-reaching. Therefore it should be hard for them. Thus they should become better beasts of prey, subtler, more prudent, more human; for man is the best beast of prey. Man has already robbed all the beasts of their virtues, for of all beasts man has had the hardest time. Only the birds are still over and above him. And if man were to learn to fly-- woe, to what heights would his rapaciousness fly?”
-On Old And New Tablets, 22