I could not make my life compatible with their lives. But I did not intend to use seclusion as a means for fame or personal gain. Neither did I want to place myself under anyone's guidance or imitate anyone. All I wished was to find a place in which I could explore myself, a place where my thoughts would not dissipate. I was born lazy.
Work belongs to the beggarly, the ignoble.
My forefathers, too, felt this emptiness. But they worked hard, thought hard and observed events. Since these wants no longer beset them, the burden of their accumulated laziness fell squarely on my shoulders. I do not take pride in my ancestors. Beside, the people in this country do not fall into the distinct ancestral lines that encompass the people of other nations.