That in which men differ from brute beasts is a thing very inconsiderable; the common herd lose it very soon; superior men preserve it carefully. Mencius
Chastity – Dante, Goethe and Eros
In his Symposium, Plato terms the theory of the beautiful the “mysteries of Eros”. He defines love as the divine yearning immanent in all humanity, for a great, all-embracing force which can inspire and fill the heart with enthusiasm. This force is beauty revealing itself in the body “as the glowing trace of heaven”. It is the only force capable of giving the soul that mysterious clarity of vision which can lead to true beatitude. And the flame of love in its primal fire is at its highest when the most intimate bodily and spiritual union with the beloved is achieved. It must be understood that Plato stresses the importance of spiritual union – in which he sees the sacred duty of Eros to humanity. If, today, many men consider women solely as a means of enjoyment, they have a completely false conception of the true happiness Eros can provide.
Come What May
To be well
we need to be purified,
the best way
to be purified
is to be well,
come what may.