MARCO POLO - Loreena McKennit

 

EL CANDELERO (fragmento) - Giordano Bruno

 

________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_________________________

MAGICIAN - Eliphas Levi

 

They are without fears and without desires, dominated by no falsehood, sharing no error, loving without illusion, suffering without impatience, reposing in the quietude of eternal thought... a Magus cannot be ignorant, for magic implies superiority, mastership, majority, and majority signifies emancipation by knowledge. The Magus welcomes pleasure, accepts wealth, deserves honour, but is never the slave of one of them; he knows how to be poor, to abstain, and to suffer; he endures oblivion willingly because he is lord of his own happiness, and expects or fears nothing from the caprice of fortune. He can love without being beloved; he can create imperishable treasures and exalt himself above the level of honours or the prizes of the lottery. He possesses that which he seeks, namely, profound peace. He regrets nothing which must end but remembers with satisfaction that he has met with good in all. His hope is a certitude, for he knows that good is eternal and evil transitory. He enjoys solitude but does not fly the society of man; he is a child with children, joyous with the young, staid with the old, patient with the foolish, happy with the wise. He smiles with all who smile, and mourns with all who weep; applauding strength, he is yet indulgent to weakness; offending no one, he has himself no need to pardon, for he never thinks himself offended; he pities those who misconceive him, and seeks an opportunity to serve them; by the force of kindness only does he avenge himself on the ungrateful...   

SOBRE LOS SUEñOS - Alfred Adler

 

Los hombres han comprendido instintivamente que sólo sueña el que no esté completamente seguro de su situación. Estudiando nuestra vida onírica podríamos ver que cuando alguien está seguro y sabe siempre lo que debe hacer, no sueña. Una persona sueña cuando cree que no podrá resolver en la vida despierta alguna dificultad, algún problema, porque necesita algo para dominarlo. 

La psicología individual ha comprobado que en el sueño se produce un afecto, una emoción, una dirección psíquica que marca un camino determinado, el cual quiere seguir el soñador. Lo que se intenta en el sueño es producir un estado afectivo que nos arrastre para poder resolver cuestiones y problemas de la vida cotidiana, que no se pueden solucionar en la vida diurna sin este estado afectivo.

 Cuando nos encontramos ante un problema se produce en el sueño un estado afectivo, una línea directriz en la cual nos debemos mover, y que conduce a la solución de esta dificultad que no se podía dominar en la vida diurna con los procedimientos de la lógica, conservando al mismo tiempo el sentido de su estilo de vida. En realidad, no hay ninguna diferencia fundamental entre la vida de los sueños y la vida despierta; trabajamos también con sentimientos y afectos cuando nos queremos persuadir de algo.

NEW ATLANTIS - Sir Francis Bacon

 

PLOT SUMMARY (from Wikipedia)

The novel depicts a mythical island, Bensalem, which is discovered by the crew of a European ship after they are lost in the Pacific Ocean somewhere west of Peru. The minimal plot serves the gradual unfolding of the island, its customs, but most importantly, its state-sponsored scientific institution, Salomon's House, "which house or college ... is the very eye of this kingdom."

Many aspects of the society and history of the island are described, such as the Christian religion – which is reported to have been born there as a copy of the Bible and a letter from the Apostle Saint Bartholomew arrived there miraculously, a few years after the Ascension of Jesus; a cultural feast in honour of the family institution, called "the Feast of the Family"; a college of sages, the Salomon's House, "the very eye of the kingdom", to which order "God of heaven and earth had vouchsafed the grace to know the works of Creation, and the secrets of them", as well as "to discern between divine miracles, works of nature, works of art, and impostures and illusions of all sorts"; and a series of instruments, process and methods of scientific research that were employed in the island by the Salomon's House.

The interlocutors include the governor of the House of Strangers, Joabin the Jew, and the Head of Salomon's House.

The inhabitants of Bensalem are described as having a high moral character and honesty, as no official accepts any payment from individuals. The people are also described as chaste and pious, as said by an inhabitant of the island:

But hear me now, and I will tell you what I know. You shall understand that there is not under the heavens so chaste a nation as this of Bensalem; nor so free from all pollution or foulness. It is the virgin of the world. I remember I have read in one of your European books, of an holy hermit amongst you that desired to see the Spirit of Fornication; and there appeared to him a little foul ugly Aethiop. But if he had desired to see the Spirit of Chastity of Bensalem, it would have appeared to him in the likeness of a fair beautiful Cherubim. For there is nothing amongst mortal men more fair and admirable, than the chaste minds of this people. Know therefore, that with them there are no stews, no dissolute houses, no courtesans, nor anything of that kind.

In the last third of the book, the Head of the Salomon's House takes one of the European visitors to show him all the scientific background of Salomon's House, where experiments are conducted in Baconian method to understand and conquer nature, and to apply the collected knowledge to the betterment of society. Namely: 1) the end, or purpose, of their foundation; 2) the preparations they have for their works; 3) the several employments and functions whereto their fellows are assigned; 4) and the ordinances and rites which they observe.

He portrayed a vision of the future of human discovery and knowledge. The plan and organisation of his ideal college, "Salomon's House", envisioned the modern research university in both applied and pure science.

The end of their foundation is thus described: "The end of our foundation is the knowledge of causes, and secret motions of things; and the enlarging of the bounds of human empire, to the effecting of all things possible".

In describing the several employments and functions to which the members of the Salomon's House are assigned, the Head of the college said:

“For the several employments and offices of our fellows, we have twelve that sail into foreign countries under the names of other nations (for our own we conceal), who bring us the books and abstracts, and patterns of experiments of all other parts. These we call merchants of light.

“We have three that collect the experiments which are in all books. These we call depredators.

“We have three that collect the experiments of all mechanical arts, and also of liberal sciences, and also of practices which are not brought into arts. These we call mystery–men.

“We have three that try new experiments, such as themselves think good. These we call pioneers or miners.

“We have three that draw the experiments of the former four into titles and tables, to give the better light for the drawing of observations and axioms out of them. These we call compilers.

“We have three that bend themselves, looking into the experiments of their fellows, and cast about how to draw out of them things of use and practice for man's life and knowledge, as well for works as for plain demonstration of causes, means of natural divinations, and the easy and clear discovery of the virtues and parts of bodies. These we call dowry–men or benefactors.

“Then after diverse meetings and consults of our whole number, to consider of the former labours and collections, we have three that take care out of them to direct new experiments, of a higher light, more penetrating into nature than the former. These we call lamps.

“We have three others that do execute the experiments so directed, and report them. These we call inoculators.

“Lastly, we have three that raise the former discoveries by experiments into greater observations, axioms, and aphorisms. These we call interpreters of nature."

Even this short excerpt demonstrates that Bacon understood that science requires analysis and not just the accumulation of observations. Bacon also foresaw that the design of experiments could be improved.^[2]

In describing the ordinances and rites observed by the scientists of Salomon's House, its Head said:

We have certain hymns and services, which we say daily, of Lord and thanks to God for His marvellous works; and some forms of prayer, imploring His aid and blessing for the illumination of our labors, and the turning of them into good and holy uses.

And finally, after showing all the scientific background of Salomon's House, he gave the European visitor permission to publish it:

And when he had said this, he stood up; and I, as I had been taught, kneeled down, and he laid his right hand upon my head, and said; "God bless thee, my son; and God bless this relation, which I have made. I give thee leave to publish it for the good of other nations; for we here are in God's bosom, a land unknown."

LA TRISTEZA (fragmento) - Anton Chejov

 

[...]

Su tristeza a cada momento es más intensa. Enorme, infinita, si pudiera salir de su pecho inundaría al mundo entero. Yona ve a un portero que se asoma a la puerta con un paquete y trata de entablar con él conversación. 

 
--¿Qué hora es?-- le pregunta, suavemente. 
 

--Van a dar las diez-- contesta el otro.  --Aléjese un poco: no debe usted permanecer delante de la puerta--.  

 

Yona avanza un poco, se encorva de nuevo y se sume en sus tristes pensamientos. Se ha convencido de que es inútil dirigirse a la gente. Pasa otra hora. Se siente muy mal y decide retirarse. Se yergue, agita el látigo. 
-- No puedo más -murmura-. Hay que irse a acostar--. El caballo, como si hubiera entendido las palabras de su viejo amo, emprende un presuroso trote. 

 
Una hora después Yona está en su casa, es decir, en una vasta y sucia habitación, donde, acostados en el suelo o en bancos, duermen docenas de cocheros. La atmósfera es pesada, irrespirable. Suenan ronquidos.  Yona se arrepiente de haber vuelto tan pronto. Además, no ha ganado casi nada. Quizá por eso -piensa- se siente tan desgraciado. En un rincón, un joven cochero se incorpora. Se rasca el seno y la cabeza y busca algo con la mirada. 

 
--¿Quieres beber?-- le pregunta Yona. 

 
--Sí.--

Aquí tienes agua... He perdido a mi hijo... ¿Lo sabías?... La semana pasada, en el hospital...  Pero sus palabras no han producido efecto alguno. El cochero no le ha hecho caso, se ha vuelto a acostar, se ha tapado la cabeza con la colcha y momentos después se le oye roncar. Yona exhala un suspiro. Experimenta una necesidad imperiosa, irresistible, de hablar... Casi ha transcurrido una semana desde la muerte de su hijo; pero no ha tenido aún ocasión de hablar de ella con una persona de corazón. Quisiera hablar de ella largamente, contarla con todos sus detalles. Necesita referir cómo enfermó su hijo, lo que ha sufrido, las palabras que ha pronunciado al morir. Quisiera también referir cómo ha sido el entierro... Su difunto hijo ha dejado en la aldea una niña de la que también quisiera hablar. ¡Tiene tantas cosas que contar! ¡Qué no daría él por encontrar alguien que se prestase a escucharlo,...!  

 
Yona decide ir a ver a su caballo. Se viste y sale a la cuadra. El caballo, inmóvil, come heno. 

 
--¿Comes?-- le dice Yona, dándole palmaditas en el lomo. --¿Qué se le va a hacer, muchacho? Como no hemos ganado para comprar avena hay que contentarse con heno... Soy ya demasiado viejo para ganar mucho... A decir verdad, yo no debía ya trabajar; mi hijo me hubiera reemplazado.  Era un verdadero, un soberbio cochero; conocía su oficio como pocos. Pero, ha muerto...--. 

 
Tras una corta pausa, Yona continúa: --Sí, amigo..., ha muerto...¿Comprendes?-- 

 
--Es como si tú tuvieras un hijo y se muriera... Naturalmente, sufrirías, ¿verdad?...--

 

El caballo sigue comiendo heno, escucha a su viejo amo y exhala un aliento húmedo y cálido. Yona, escuchado al cabo por un ser viviente, desahoga su corazón contándoselo todo. [...]