Since beings desire to exist, because to exist is a good thing: they desire the One without which they cannot exist. Nicholas of Cusa More Quotes by Nicholas of Cusa More Quotes From Nicholas of Cusa For all the [body's] members seek nothing except inseparable union with the intellect, as with their beginning, ultimate good, and everlasting life. Nicholas of Cusa members unions body The fact is that man has no longing for any other nature but desires only to be perfect in his own. Nicholas of Cusa perfect desire men For when we say that what is different is different, we affirm that what is different is the same as itself. For what is different can be different only through the Absolute Same, through which all that is is both the same as itself and other than another. Nicholas of Cusa absolutes different Otherness cannot be a form. For to alter is to deform rather than to form. Therefore, that which is seen in different things can also be seen in and of itself without otherness, since otherness did not give being to it. Nicholas of Cusa form different giving Through itself the soul arrives at all harmony that is perceptible in otherness-just as through what is internal the soul arrives at what is external. Nicholas of Cusa otherness harmony soul Within itself the soul sees all things more truly than as they exist in different things outside itself. And the more it goes out unto other things in order to know them, the more it enters into itself in order to know itself. Nicholas of Cusa different soul order Every angle acknowledges that it is a likeness of true angularity, for [each angle] is angle not insofar as angle exists in itself but insofar as angle exists in something else, viz., in a surface. And so, true angularity is present in creatable and depictable angles as in a likeness of itself. Nicholas of Cusa surface angle acknowledge A line partakes of the simplicity of a point more than does a surface; and a surface [partakes thereof more] than does a material object-as was evident. From this consideration of a point and a material object elevate yourself unto a likeness of True Being and of the universe; and by means of [this] quite clear symbolism [of a point] make a conjecture about what has been said. Nicholas of Cusa simplicity symbolism mean When Eternity is considered to be the Beginning, then our speaking of the Beginning of the Begun is nothing but our speaking of the Eternity of the Eternal or our speaking of the Eternity of the Begun. Nicholas of Cusa eternal eternity An external thing that is knowable [is knowable] by means of something internal that is consubstantial [with the rational soul]. Nicholas of Cusa rational soul mean If that one is already a great artist, who knows how to educe from a small piece of wood the face of a king or of a queen, an ant or a camel, how great then is the mastery which can form as actuality everything which is in all potentiality? Therefore, God, who is able to produce from the most minute piece of matter the similitude of all forms which can be in this world and in infinitely many worlds, is of admirable subtlety. Nicholas of Cusa queens artist kings The intellect alone has an eye for viewing an essence, which it cannot see except in the true Cause, which is the Fount of all desire. Moreover, since all things seek to exist, then in all things there is desire from the Fount-of-desire, wherein being and desire coincide in the Same. Nicholas of Cusa eye essence desire There are not many beginnings but there is a single Beginning, prior to multitude. But if you were to say that the beginnings are plural apart from their partaking of the One, that statement would self-destruct. For, surely, these plural beginnings would be both alike, by virtue of their not partaking of the One, and not alike, by virtue of their not partaking of the One. Nicholas of Cusa virtue self would-be Time is to eternity as an image is to its exemplar, and those things which are temporal bear a resemblance to those things which are eternal. Nicholas of Cusa eternal eternity bears For reason's measurements, which attain unto temporal things, do not attain unto things that are free from time-just as hearing does not attain unto whatever is not-audible, even though these things exist and are unattainable by hearing. Nicholas of Cusa unattainable hearing doe It has been asserted that there is a separate species on the earth to correspond with each one of the stars. Now if the earth provides in each species a focus for the action of each star, why may not a similar provision be made among other heavenly bodies that are subject to the action of their fellows? Nicholas of Cusa focus stars body Nor is the darkness of colour a proof of the earth's baseness; for the brightness of the sun, which is visible to us, would not be perceived by anyone who might be in the sun. Nicholas of Cusa brightness darkness earth Paul indeed wanted to reveal the unknown God to the philosophers and then affirms of Him, that no human intellect can conceive Him. Therefore, God is revealed therein, that one knows that every intellect is too small to make itself a figuration or concept of Him. However, he names him God, or in Greek, theos. Nicholas of Cusa philosopher greek names A given circle cannot be so true that a truer one cannot be found; and the movement of a sphere at one moment is never precisely equal to its movement at another, nor does it ever describe two circles similar and equal, even if from appearances the opposite may seem true. Nicholas of Cusa circles opposites two Number, in consequence, includes all things that are capable of comparison. It is not then in quantity only that number produces proportion; it produces it in all things that are capable of agreement and differences in any way at all, whether substantially or accidentally. Nicholas of Cusa differences agreement numbers
