靈性的呼喚

If one listens to the faintest but constant suggestions of his genius, which are certainly true, he sees not to what extremes, or even insanity, it may lead him; and yet that way, as he grows more resolute and faithful, his road lies. The faintest assured objection which one healthy man feels will at length prevail over the arguments and customs of mankind. No man ever followed his genius till it misled him. Though the result were bodily weakness, yet perhaps no one can say that the consequences were to be regretted, for these were a life in conformity to higher principles. If the day and the night are such that you greet them with joy, and life emits a fragrance like flowers and sweet-scented herbs, is more elastic, more starry, more immortal — that is your success. All nature is your congratulation, and you have cause momentarily to bless yourself. The greatest gains and values are farthest from being appreciated. We easily come to doubt if they exist. We soon forget them. They are the highest reality. Perhaps the facts most astounding and most real are never communicated by man to man. The true harvest of my daily life is somewhat as intangible and indescribable as the tints of morning or evening. It is a little star-dust caught, a segment of the rainbow which I have clutched.


我這麼生活所可獲得的東西往往難以描述，亦無可捉摸。也許是一時與古人心靈相通的喜悅，也許是月光造成的、未曾為人類所描述過的景象。男人在交媾後會有快死的感覺，這是我可以理解的；但據說女人高潮時則可以興奮到死了也沒關係。我認為這種說法可能只是男人的性幻想。梭羅說，人與人之間，可能從來未有真正令人驚駭或真實的事實互相傳遞過。我想他的意思是，因為無法用人可以使用的表達方式傳達。梭羅用的字是 man to man，但 man to woman 或 woman to man 或 woman to woman 是否有可能呢？就算是有，也不會是性慾的滿足；因為感官是無常的，女人的感官也無法違背我們這個婆娑世界中的物理定律。

有趣的是，梭羅說，人如果傾聽他靈性那最微弱但卻不斷的暗示，他將不知它會帶他到何等的極端及瘋狂的境地；設若他變的更為果決及對此暗示更有信念的話，他便會發現他的道路在哪。這樣的說法卻很貼切的描述一個女人對愛情不顧一切的執著。男人雖可能為愛情拋棄一切，但少有到瘋狂的境地。女人的執著儘管不為世人所欣賞瞭解，有時連自己都懷疑到底執著的東西是否存在，卻也不因之悔恨。