This poem about tension and transition is classic Rainer Marie Rilke. He explored both of these dynamics frequently in a his letters, which were published in a book titled Letters to a Young Poet. (They are among the most famous, best -loved letters in all of literature.) In them, Rilke says: Don’t look to others for advice. Look inside of yourself. Have patience. Love the questions. Solitude is necessary. Fate does not come to us from the outside, but emerges from within us. Don’t fear the inexplicable. May you be brave and gain confidence in what is difficult and important.
Selected Poems of Rainer Maria Rilke, translated by Robert Bly. (New York: Perennial Library. Harper & Row, Publishers, 1981), 31.
“Fate does not come to us from the outside, but emerges from within us.” That line has the potential to change the world. If people adopted that point of view they would start taking more responsibility for their own situation. They would be less inclined to blame others or “them.” And when that assignment of blame goes away, so does the idea of one group being more deserving than another. Imagine the possibilities.
I am so moved by the compassion that we need for ourselves so we can change pur inber being and through it the world around us.