Israel #1485: Spinoza (issued 8-27-2002)

Canva Template at site "Your Story"

Baruch Spinoza's Ethics read at Columbia (1960)

Spinoza No room to place this Canva template "Anything Worth Having Takes Time" in my poem "My Story" and now it has a page all on its own— Read Spinoza's Ethics (1677) at Columbia, and his last line on the wise and ignorant man had me sobbing in tears— "But all things noble are as difficult as they are rare." Studying chemistry, the words "noble" and "rare" conjured up the noble & rare gas Argon resembling the Greek argonauts who accompanied Jason in quest of the Golden Fleece. Noble gases have their electronic shells filled, symbolizing a sense of fulfillment and perfection, similar to the sage who is free from desires and blessed with peace of mind, witnessed seeing Paul Brunton. His most devoted student Anthony Damiani, before closing his bookshop, shared with me an inspiring quote from Spinoza— When he read "all things noble" I cried again, knowing the quest for enlightenment will require a whole lifetime with all my heart.       — Peter Y. Chou           Mountain View, 3-22-2021