Chapter 23 first abstinence

I love forests.It is not good to live in the cities; there are too many carnal people. Is it not better to fall into the hands of a murderer than into the dreams of a carnal woman? Look at these men: their eyes tell it,--they know nothing on earth more than to enjoy a woman. The depths of their souls are full of mud; what a pity that their mud still has spirit! Let you at least be as perfect as the beasts!But beasts also have innocence. Am I advising you to extinguish the instinct?I only advise you to keep your instincts innocent. Do I advise you to abstinence?Abstinence is a virtue to some, and almost a sin to many others.

True, the latter are self-controlled: but the sensuality is jealously reflected in their conduct. Even in their culmination of morality and coolness of soul, the beast haunts them and disturbs them. How the carnal dog begs for a piece of spirit with kindness and love when it has no piece of meat! Do you love tragedies and all things sad?But I can't trust your carnal dogs. I think your eyes are too cruel, and you sensually spy on the sufferer. Is not your lewdness disguised and called pity? Let me give you this analogy: There are not a few people who want to drive out the devil and get their hands on the Tao.

Abstinence is to be abandoned if it causes pain; otherwise it becomes the way of hell—in other words, the uncleanness of the soul and the lust of the flesh. Am I speaking unclean things?I don't think that's the worst thing about it. A seeker of knowledge is reluctant to plunge into the waters of truth because of the shallowness of the truth, not because of the uncleanness of the truth. Verily, many are essentially chaste: their hearts are softer.They laugh better and more often than you. They also laugh at abstinence, they ask: "What is abstinence? Isn't abstinence crazy?But this madness comes to us, not us to it.

To this guest we give our hearts and our houses: now he lives with us—let him stay as long as he pleases! " Thus spake Zarathustra.