more emerson

emerson has led to considerable ponderings with his beautiful language and exquisite thoughts. here is a quote i just stumbled upon. a lesson in selflessness, trust, and friendship:

It has seemed to me lately more possible than I knew, to carry a friendship greatly, on one side, without due correspondence on the other. Why should I cumber myself with regrets that the receiver is not capacious? It never troubles the sun that some of his rays fall wide and vain into ungrateful space, and only a small part on the reflecting planet. Let your greatness educate the crude and cold companion. If he is unequal, he will presently pass away; but thou art enlarged by thy own shining, and, no longer a mate for frogs and worms, dost soar and burn with the gods of the empyrean. It is thought a disgrace to love unrequited. But the great will see that true love cannot be unrequited. True love transcends the unworthy object, and dwells and broods on the eternal, and when the poor interposed mask crumbles, it is not sad, but feels rid of so much earth, and feels its independency the surer. Yet these things may hardly be said without a sort of treachery to the relation. The essence of friendship is entireness, a total magnanimity and trust. It must not surmise or provide for infirmity. It treats its object as a god, that it may deify both.

i am reminded, also, of the olema retreat whence s, one of the retreatants, mentioned the trees as a source of inspiration. also as s had said earlier at the same retreat. that the trees, the leaves, the animals there - they are there only to give, and in that their presence is fulfilled. they never ask for a thing in return. likewise the sun, as emerson so truly points out. and so the earth, as this earlier post conveys through byron katie's writing. we have so many models of selflessness to guide ourselves with, a little refinement will do the trick.