“Never think of yourself as weak or alone
because there are behind you powerful armies that you cannot conceive even in
your wildest dreams.”
Paracelsus (born Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von
Hohenheim, 11 November or 17 December 1493 – 24 September 1541) was a
German-Swiss Renaissance physician. He founded the discipline of
toxicology. He is also known as a revolutionary for insisting upon using
observations of nature, rather than looking to ancient texts, in open and
radical defiance of medical practice of his day. He is also credited for
giving zinc its name, calling it zincum, and for the terms “gas”,
“chemistry”, and “alcohol”. Modern psychology often also credits him for being
the first to note that some diseases are rooted in psychological illness.
His personality was stubborn and independent. He
grew progressively more frustrated and bitter as he became more embattled as a
reformer.
Besides his many revolutionary contributions to
medicine, Paracelsus was also called the father of toxicology. He’s the author
of the famous cite:
German: Alle
Ding’ sind Gift, und nichts ohn’ Gift; allein die Dosis macht, daß ein Ding
kein Gift ist.
All things are poison, and nothing is without poison; only the dose permits
something not to be poisonous.
Or, more commonly
The dose makes the poison.
He is also credited as providing the first
clinical/scientific mention of the unconscious. In his work Von den
Krankeiten he writes: “Thus, the cause of the disease chorea lasciva
is a mere opinion and idea, assumed by imagination, affecting those who believe
in such a thing. This opinion and idea are the origin of the disease both in
children and adults. In children the case is also imagination, based not on
thinking but on perceiving, because they have heard or seen something. The
reason is this: their sight and hearing are so strong that unconsciously they
have fantasies about what they have seen or heard.”
In his rules, Paracelsus encompasses absolute
health in a series of simple instructions. Breathing, eating, kindness,
concentration and confidence in life and oneself as a method of virtuosity and
discretion —as Socrates affirmed in his three sieves—, and to live a life free
of excesses.
These rules, which I find to be one of the most
valuables guides for living, are a must to have a copy of in a place where you
can see it as often as possible. I personally have my own copy.
1. Improve your health.
To do this we must breathe as often as possible,
deep and rhythmically with well-filled lungs, outside or looking out a
window. Drink in small sips every day two litres of water, eat lots
of fruits and chew food as consistently as possible. Avoid alcohol, tobacco and
medicine, unless for some reason you are subjected to severe treatment. Bathing
daily is a habit you owe to your own dignity.
2. Banish from your spirit, despite the many
reasons that may exist, any idea of pessimism, resentment, hatred, boredom,
sadness, revenge and poverty.
Run away from every opportunity to deal with
people who are vicious, vile, murmuring, lazy, and gossipy; also avoid people
who are vain or vulgar and of inferior natural baseness of understanding or
whose topics of conversation are sensualist topics. The observance of this rule
is of decisive importance: it’s about changing the spiritual texture of your
soul. It is the only way to change your fate because it depends on our actions
and thoughts.
3. Do as much good as possible.
Aid any person that may be in need, but never
have a weakness for anyone. You must take care of your own energy and avoid any
form of sentimentalism.
4. Forget any offense, better yet, strive to
think on the wellbeing of your greatest enemy.
Your soul is a temple that must never be
corrupted by hatred. We are all great beings that have been led by an inner
voice, but this will not speak to you suddenly; it requires preparing for it
over time, destroying the overlapping layers of old habits, thoughts and
behaviours that way heavily on the your divine spirit, which is perfect but
powerless because of the imperfect vehicle that you have provided it for its
manifestation, lean meat.
5. Seek shelter where no-one can disturb you.
Sit as comfortably as you can with eyes that are half shut and a blank mind.
This fortifies the brain and the spirit
energetically, and it will connect you with good influences. In this state of
meditation and silence we usually come up with luminous ideas, capable of
changing our entire existence. With time the problems that arise will be
victoriously resolved by an inner voice that will guide you during those
moments of silence, alone with your consciousness. That is the diamond which
Socrates talks of.
6. You must be absolutely silent about your
personal issues.
Abstain yourself, as if you had taken a vow of
silence, from telling others, even your closest friends and family, anything
you think, hear, know, learn, suspect or discover. For a long time at least you
must be a safe house or sealed garden. This is a rule of utmost importance.
7. Never fear men or what tomorrow might bring.
Have a strong, clean soul and everything will
turn out for the best. Never think of yourself as weak or alone because there
are behind you powerful armies that you cannot conceive —even in your wildest
dreams—. If you raise your spirit there will be no evil that can touch you. The
only enemy who you must fear is yourself. Fear and distrust of the future are
the dire mothers of failure and they bring disaster along with them.
If you attentively study people who have good
luck you will see that they intuitively observe a great part of these
rules. It is true that many people who enjoy great wealth are not
necessarily “good” in the strictest of senses, but they do possess many of the
virtues mentioned. On the other hand, wealth is not synonymous of happiness. It
can be one the factors that lead us to it because of the power it gives us to
partake in grand and noble works; but truly lasting happiness is only achieved
by following other paths, that is where the ancient Satan of legends will never
rule, his name is Selfishness. Never complain of anything, control your senses,
run both of humility and vanity. Humility will take your strength away and
vanity is so toxic it is almost a deadly sin against the Holy Spirit.
(sursa internet)
