"Man cannot be above life," replied Sanine, "for he himself is but a
fraction of it. He may be dissatisfied, but the cause for such
discontent lies in himself. He either cannot or dare not take from
life's treasures enough for his actual needs. There are people who
spend their lives in a prison. Others are afraid to escape from it,
like some captive bird that fears to fly away when set free.... The
body and spirit of man form one complete harmonious whole, disturbed
only by the dread approach of death. But it is we ourselves who disturb
such harmony by our own distorted conception of life. We have branded
as bestial our physical desires; we have become ashamed of them; we
have shrouded them in degrading forms and trammels. Those of us who by
nature are weak, do not notice this, but drag on through life in
chains, while those who are crippled by a false conception of life, it
is they who are the martyrs. The pent-up forces crave an outlet; the
body pines for joy, and suffers torment through its own impotence.
Their life is one of perpetual discord and uncertainty, and they catch
at any straw that might help them to a newer theory of morals, till at
last so melancholy do they become that they are afraid to live, afraid
to feel."
"Yes, yes," was Sina's vigorous assent.
A host of new thoughts invaded her mind. As with shining eyes she
glanced round, the splendour of the night, the beauty of the calm river
and of the dreaming woods in moonlight seemed to penetrate her whole
being. Again she was possessed by that vague longing for sheer dominant
strength that should yield her delight.
"My dream is always of some golden age," continued Sanine, "when
nothing shall stand between man and his happiness, and when, fearless
and free, he can gave himself up to all attainable enjoyments."
"Yes, but how is he to do that? By a return to barbarism?"
"No. The epoch when man lived like a brute was a miserable, barbarous
one, and our own epoch, in which the body, dominated by the mind, is
kept under and set in the background lacks sense and vigour. But
humanity has not lived in vain. It has created new conditions of life
which give no scope either for grossness or asceticism."
"Yes, but what of love? Does not that impose obligations upon us?"
asked Sina hurriedly.
"No. If love imposes grievous obligations, it is through jealousy, and
jealousy is the outcome of slavery. In any form slavery causes harm.
Men should enjoy what love can give them fearlessly and without
restrictions. If this were so, love would be infinitely richer and more
varied in all its forms, and more influenced by chance and
opportunity."