Gradually I began to understand
that it does not matter very much what problem,
whether big or small, is tormenting us; the only thing that
matters is that we be tormented, that we find a ground for being
tormented. In other words, that we exercise our minds in
order to keep certainty from turning us into idiots,
that we fight to open every closed door
we find in front of us.
The most
beautiful paintings and
sculptures, the greatest poetry,
have not always been born from torment
or bitterness. Often they have sprung from
contemplation, from joy, from an instinct or wonder
toward all things. To create from joy, to create from wonder,
demands a continual discipline, a great compassion…With time
and sincerity, you will discover a way to work and write that does
not harm you spiritually, that does not tempt you to vanity,
that is the deepest expression of your spirituality. You
will find a voice that is not your voice only, but the
voice of Reality itself. . . If you can be empty
enough, that voice can speak through you.
If you can be humble enough, that
voice can inhabit you
and use you.