On good and evil.
And one of the elders of the city said,
Speak to us of good and evil.
And he answered,
Of the good in you I can speak,
But not of the evil.
For what is evil but good tortured by its own hunger and thirst.
Verily when good is hungry it seeks food even in dark caves and when it thirsts it drinks even of dead waters.
You are good when you are one with yourself.
Yet when you are not one with yourself you are not evil.
For a divided house is not a den of thieves.
It is only a divided house.
And the ship without rudder may wander aimlessly among perilous isles yet sink not to the bottom.
You are good when you strive to give of yourself.
Yet you are not evil even when you seek gain for yourself.
For when you strive for gain you are but a root that clings to the earth and sucks at her breast.
Surely the fruit cannot say to the root be like me ripe and full and ever giving of your abundance.
For to the fruit giving is a need as receiving is a need to the root.
You are good when you are fully awake in your speech.
Yet you are not evil when you sleep while your tongue staggers without purpose.
And even stumbling speech may strengthen a weak tongue.
You are good when you walk to your goal firmly and with bold steps.
Yet you are not evil when you are go limping.
Even those who limp go not backward.
But you who are strong and swift see what you do not limp before the lame deeming it kindness.
You are good in countless ways and you are not evil when you are not good.
You are only loitering and sluggard.
Pity that tags cannot teach swiftness to the turtles.
In your longing for your giant self lies your goodness and that longing is in all of you.
But in same of you that longing is a torrent rushing with might to the sea carrying the secrets of the hillsides and the songs of the forest.
And in others it is a flat stream that loses itself in angles and bends in lingers before it reaches the shore.
But let not him who longs much say to him who longs little.
Wherefore are you slow and halting?
For the truly good ask not the naked where is your garment.
Know the houseless.
What has befallen your house?
