Everything goeth, everything returneth; eternally rolleth the wheel
of existence. Everything dieth, everything blossometh forth again;
eternally runneth on the year of existence.
Everything breaketh, everything is integrated anew; eternally buildeth
itself the same house of existence. All things separate, all things
again greet one another; eternally true to itself remaineth the ring of
existence.
Every moment beginneth existence, around every "Here" rolleth the ball
"There." The middle is everywhere. 266
For man his baddest is necessary for his best.
That all that is baddest is the best _power,_ and the hardest stone for
the highest creator; and that man must become better _and_ badder:--267
The plexus of causes returneth in which I am intertwined,--it will
again create me! I myself pertain to the causes of the eternal return.
I come again with this sun, with this earth, with this eagle, with this
serpent--_not_ to a new life, or a better life, or a similar life:
I come again eternally to this identical and selfsame life, in its
greatest and its smallest, to teach again the eternal return of all
things,--
To speak again the word of the great noontide of earth and man, to
announce again to man the Superman. 270-271
"Ye higher men,"--so blinketh the populace--"there are no higher men,
we are all equal; man is man, before God--we are all equal!"
Before God!--Now, however, this God hath died. Before the populace,
however, we will not be equal. Ye higher men, away from the
market-place! 351
Have a good distrust to-day, ye higher men, ye enheartened ones! Ye
open-hearted ones! And keep your reasons secret! For this to-day is
that of the populace.
What the populace once learned to believe without reasons, who
could--refute it to them by means of reasons?
And on the market-place one convinceth with gestures. But reasons make
the populace distrustful.
And when truth hath once triumphed there, then ask yourselves with good
distrust: "What strong error hath fought for it?" 355
Unlearn, I pray you, this "for," ye creating ones: your very virtue
wisheth you to have naught to do with "for" and "on account of" and
"because." Against these false little words shall ye stop your ears.
"For one's neighbour," is the virtue only of the petty people: there it
is said "like and like" and "hand washeth hand":--they have neither the
right nor the power for _your_ self-seeking! 356-357
What hath hitherto been the greatest sin here on earth? Was it not the
word of him who said: "Woe unto them that laugh now!"
Did he himself find no cause for laughter on the earth? Then he sought
badly. A child even findeth cause for it. 359-360