NEUOFFENBARUNG← Gifts of Heaven · Volume 1 · Contents
Thought, opinion
5th December 1840, evening.
[1] You often think, and you are often of the opinion that to think is half a faith. But you are always mistaken, if you respect the opinion of the idea and as an opinion. Think how incorrectly you must grasp some sense, and how senselessly you must write some sentence, if you think: Let to mean be so much as to give some confused judgment without examination – or if the external circumstances only guarantee the probable, see, so you think in your incomprehending opinion that you are close on the trail of truth.
[2] But listen, I am not of this opinion at all! Yes, just think a little and deduce this little word correctly, then you will easily find where and how the little tongue-plant grew. Could it ever have come from faith as a half ripened fruit? Oh, yes, it would be possible for human faith to believe what is flattering to selfishness and to think that truth is in one's own idea or to think that it is truth in the end, as if truth were only truth when it has grown on one's own ground and soil. But such faith, such truth, the pure heart cannot use; but honestly take good gifts, good sayings, and then again honestly give real fruits, real love, real truth.
[3] Behold, to think comes from me, and if you say: I think, you actually say: see, this is my judgment, and: I think that out of myself without any consideration of a second, third, fourth judgment; but as I have first felt it in me, I give it literally out of myself as purely self-generated. And see, if you would say: Listen, friend, what do you think? – you have asked rightly, if you would say: Friend, what do you care about the judgments that have grown upon my land? But if you say or want to say, "Friend, let me hear the judgment that has grown on your ground," listen! – You are talking utter nonsense, for how can a second person think of or pronounce a judgment about the first without having heard it as his own, without it ever having grown on his own ground?
[4] Now, see here the German language, how it has improved since old times and customs, for out of self-love, the meaning has remained; but the time-word 'your', 'his', which was common in the singular, has long, long since been lost. And if someone would add this word correctly, he would have to say: I think, you think, he thinks, as well as his thoughts. And although everyone has an opinion for himself, but if he should say of the second or third judgment – listen! – he should speak of the opinion or his opinion, but not of an opinion of a second, third or even fourth and so on.
[5] Likewise, it is also wrong, if someone says: my opinion, since the opinion already announces the peculiarity of the speaker sufficiently – well, what is the use of the 'my'? It is even more senseless if someone says: Your or his opinion! Listen, there would still be a great deal of such linguistic foolishness on your tongues, yes, there would still be a lot to judge and to straighten out; but since nonsense has become commonplace among the people and has become a hard crust around the tribe of peoples already since Babel's time, it will be hard to argue against such old foolishness and malice!
[6] Speak therefore as you speak according to custom, but always understand what you speak or what I speak to you in silence. And since everyone is talking about the language error, I finally add that among all languages, the French is the most stupid and the Slavic and Hungarian are incomparably better. For where a language is written differently and then spoken, and yet has hardly a sound that would have grown there on it’s own ground, behold, such languages are mostly full of deceit and lies, like people whose tongues move accordingly. Such languages resemble those dark pagans who have accepted the gods of vilely defeated peoples into the college of the most nonsensical army of gods under more and soon also less changing of names, without considering what the name might really say.
[7] Behold, and yet today there are thousands and thousands of even greater fools among My German people, who, purely out of vanity and boasting, slander and mock their own mother tongue in order to make the other fools believe that they are also Frenchmen or even Englishmen or Turks. Listen, by what name shall I baptize such fools?
[8] Yes, I say, oh infinity, you great word, well worthy to be called great from the mouth of Him who created you eternally; but you certainly do not carry in your eternal rooms any tablet, where would be written such fools' never pronounceable name, who there instead of learning the heart language, speak a language of which according to My sense, the dumbest donkey would be ashamed. But here I do not mean those who are born in it, or those who are chosen as interpreters, but only those, you already know them, I will never mention such fools again, where a German wants to speak French, English or Turkish to the German.
[9] All of you should know that I speak only one language and understand only this one language. This is the language of a pure, loving heart, which is the language of all heavens, as well as of all angels. May it also soon become yours, Amen; yes, this I say, the best Master of all languages, Amen Amen.