TheBlessingofLove
(An appeal to people-brothers)
Dearbrothers,especiallythoseofyouwhoisnowfightingforone governmentalstructureoranother,whichnobodyneeds.Allyou,dear brother,whoeveryouare,king,minister,aworker,apeasant,youneedjust onething.Andthisistospendthisindeterminateshortmomentoflifeina waythattheonewhosentyouinthislifewants.
Weallknow,andI'vealwaysindistinctlyfeltthis,andfurtherIaminlife,the clearerthisistome.Now,fromtoday,Iforthefirsttimeclearlyfeltthat naturalforanylivepersonproximityoftomorrowandclosenessofdeath, onlynotdreadfulbutasatransitionthatisnaturalandbeneficial,justas transitiontothenextday.Now,havingsensedthis,itbecametomeboth scaryand,mostimportantly,strangetothinkofthatterriblehatefullifethat mostofus,bornforloveandforgood,nowlive.
Whoweare,whatweare?Becausewe’reonlyinsignificant,likelyto disappearatanymomentcreatures,leapedoutfromobscurityforamoment intothiswonderful,joyfullife,withthesky,theSun,forests,meadows, rivers,birds,animals,withtheblissofloveforall–forfamily,forourown soul,forthekindness,andforalllivingbeings.Andsowhat?We,these creatures,don’tfindanythingbetterratherthantogivethisshort,uncertain momentoflife,onthevergeofbeinginterruptedatanyminute,-todisfigure itwithten-storiedbuildings,pavements,smoke,smog,toburyourselvesin theseslums,descendundertheEarthtoextractthestonesandirontobuild railroadsdeliveringworldwideunnecessarytoanyonepeopleand unnecessaryproducts,and,mostimportantly,insteadofleadingajoyfullife, lifeoflove,-tohate,fear,harass,hassle,kill,lock,execute,tolearntokill, andtokilleachother.
Thisisawfulindeed!
Those,whodothis,saythattheydoallofthisinordertogetridof
everythingbadand,what’smoredishonest,theysaytheyaredoingthisto savepeoplefromevil,thatbydoingthisthey’reguidedbylovetopeople.
Dearbrothers,cometoyoursenses,look,thinkaboutyourweakness,thatin thiselusiveshortperiodoflifebetweenthetwoeternitiesorrathertwo timelessnesses,-thinkaboutthelifeforwhichloveisthehighestbenefit, thinkabouthowinsaneitisnottodowhatisnaturalforyoutodobutinstead todowhatyouaredoing.
Toyouinyourdarkness,supportedbyinvoluntarypublicopinion,everything youdoseemstobeaninevitableprerequisiteoflifeofthepeopleofourtime, andthatwhatyoudoistakingpartinthelifeofmankindworldwide,thatyou can'tnottodowhatyouweredoingandaredoingandfeelit’snecessaryto do.Butitwouldbenicetothinksoifwhatyou'redoingcoincidedwiththe demandsofyoursoul,ifthatbenefitedyouandotherpeople.Butthisisnot thecase.Thelifeoftheworld,ofthewholehumanity,thewayitgoesnow, requiresfromyouangerandinvolvementinaworkunlovingtosome brothersofyoursforthesakeofothers,doesnogoodtoothers,neitherto you.
"Butweareworkingforthefuture",theyanswer.Butwhyalifeoflovein thepresent,now,needstobesacrificedforsomeunknowntousfuturelife?
Isn'titobviousthatthisisastrange,harmfulsuperstition?Iknow,withouta doubt,knowthatlifeisinloveandinthelawofGodandinthedemandof myheartandhappinessformeandforothers,andsuddenlysomekindof abstractreasoningwillmakemeabandonmyveryunquestionableblessing, myduty,mylaw…Forthesakeofwhat?Fornothing.Forthesakeofa tradition,ahabit,animitation.
Letonlythefighterfor“freedom”or"order"putonehundredthoftheefforts andthevictimswhichheputstofightforthesakeofhisideas,-toincrease theloveinhimselfandothers,andhe-notlikeintheactoffightwhich doesn’thavevisibleresultsbutareonlyexpected,-he’llimmediatelyseethe fruitsofhislabourofloveandnotonlyinhimself:inthegreatjoyoflove, butalsointhefootprintswhichinevitablythisactivityleavesonothers.
Dearbrothers,pleasewakeup,getridofthatawfulinertia,delusion(the delusionthatfight,theanimalfight,maybeinnateandnotdetrimentaltoa human);andyouwillknowthejoy,blessing,holinessoflife,indestructible byanything:neitherbyattacksofotherpeoplebecausetheseattackswill onlystrengthenthereasonforlove,norbyfearofdeathbecauselovedoesn’t havedeath.
Dearbrothers,Idon’tdaretosay:"believeme,believeme,"-donotbelieve butcheckwhatI'msaying,checkitoutforatleastoneday.Atleastoneday, stayinginthoseconditionsinwhichthedaycaughtyou,giveyourselfatask inanydeedofthedaytobeguidedonlybylove.AndIknowthatonceyou dothis,youwon'treturnbacktothoseold,terrible,destructivebeliefs.
Iaskyouonething,dearbrothers:justquestionwhetherthatlife,whichhas evolvedamongus,istheonethatshouldbe(thislifeisaperversionoflife), andbelievethatloveisthepurpose,theessence,thebenefitofourlife,and thatstriveforsomethinggoodthatlivesineveryheart,thatsorrowover somethingthatismissingyetwhatweshouldhave:bliss-thatlegitimate sensewhichshouldbesatisfiedandgetssatisfiedeasilyifonlypeopledon’t considerlife,asnow,whatisaperversionofit.
Dearbrothers,foryoursake,dothis:doubtinthisseeminglyimportant outwardlifeyoulive,understandthat,nottalkingaboutyourpersonalfame, wealth,etc.,allthoseimaginarydevicesofsociallifeofmillionsandmillions ofpeople,allofthisisinsignificantandpitifultrivia,comparedtothatsoul whichyouacknowledgeinyourselfinthisshortmomentoflifebetweenbirth anddeath,andwhichincessantlydeclaresitsrequirementstoyou.Liveonly foritandbyit,bylovetowhichitcallsyou,andalltheblessings,foryou andallpeople,thatyouonlycandreamofwillcometrueincountlessmore times.
Onlybelieveintheblessingoflovewhichisopentoyouandcallingyou.
August 21, 1908.
P.S.IthoughtIwoulddieinthatdaywhenIwrotethis.Ididn'tdie,butmy faithinwhatIhaveexpressedhereremainsthesame,andIknowthatwill
Lev Tolstoynotchangeuntilmydeath,whichinanycaseshouldoccurverysoon.