“... The cell is an ideal place to learn to know yourself, to search realistically and regularly the process of your own mind and feelings. In judging our progress as individuals we tend to concentrate on external factors such as one’s social position, influence and popularity, wealth and standard of education.
These are of course, important in measuring one’s success in material matters and it is perfectly understandable if many people exert themselves mainly to achieve all these. But internal factors may be even more crucial in assessing one’s development as a human being. Honesty, sincerity, simplicity, humility, pure generosity, absence of vanity, readiness to serve others – qualities which are within easy reach of every souls – are foundation of ones spiritual life.
Development in matters of this nature is inconceivable without serious introspection, without knowing yourself, your weaknesses and mistakes. At least, if nothing else, the cell gives you the opportunity to look daily into your entire conduct, to overcome the bad and develop whatever is good in you. Regular meditation, say about 15 minutes a day before you turn in, can be very fruitful in this regard. You may find it difficult at first to pinpoint the negative features in your life, but the 10th attempt may yield rich rewards. Never forget that a saint is a sinner who keeps on trying...”
N. Mandela – From a letter to Winnie Mandela in Kroonstad prison, 1 February 1975.
*****
When you see enough love, love that is not love at all?
When you feel enough pain, for no reason, something that is not worth of fighting for.
When you hear enough fear. Those empty words that exist only to give air to the speaker.
You know then why it is ever so important in life to turn into yourself - to know the world and to know who you are. And maybe some sunny day you will awake and smile – the 10th attempt may yield rich awards.
And you see,
The real love,
The real passion,
The real grace..
And you truly feel,
The ground,
The wind,
The rain and the sunlight..
And finally you hear the words that are worth hearing for.
These are of course, important in measuring one’s success in material matters and it is perfectly understandable if many people exert themselves mainly to achieve all these. But internal factors may be even more crucial in assessing one’s development as a human being. Honesty, sincerity, simplicity, humility, pure generosity, absence of vanity, readiness to serve others – qualities which are within easy reach of every souls – are foundation of ones spiritual life.
Development in matters of this nature is inconceivable without serious introspection, without knowing yourself, your weaknesses and mistakes. At least, if nothing else, the cell gives you the opportunity to look daily into your entire conduct, to overcome the bad and develop whatever is good in you. Regular meditation, say about 15 minutes a day before you turn in, can be very fruitful in this regard. You may find it difficult at first to pinpoint the negative features in your life, but the 10th attempt may yield rich rewards. Never forget that a saint is a sinner who keeps on trying...”
N. Mandela – From a letter to Winnie Mandela in Kroonstad prison, 1 February 1975.
*****
When you see enough love, love that is not love at all?
When you feel enough pain, for no reason, something that is not worth of fighting for.
When you hear enough fear. Those empty words that exist only to give air to the speaker.
You know then why it is ever so important in life to turn into yourself - to know the world and to know who you are. And maybe some sunny day you will awake and smile – the 10th attempt may yield rich awards.
And you see,
The real love,
The real passion,
The real grace..
And you truly feel,
The ground,
The wind,
The rain and the sunlight..
And finally you hear the words that are worth hearing for.
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