{"id":"01KJR8Q6EN19861S9R1F3YFK1X","cid":"bafkreic6ca7y7apygewbvcyx7ice7szfrn3u37cb7c5cuobon6eqfmwnbm","type":"text_chunk","properties":{"char_end":392477,"char_start":384690,"chunk_index":54,"chunk_total":89,"estimated_tokens":1947,"source_file_key":"confessions","text":"occurs, connects itself not therewith; because it was not wont to be\r\nthought upon together with him, and therefore is rejected, until that\r\npresent itself, whereon the knowledge reposes equably as its wonted\r\nobject. And whence does that present itself, but out of the memory\r\nitself? for even when we recognise it, on being reminded by another, it\r\nis thence it comes. For we do not believe it as something new, but,\r\nupon recollection, allow what was named to be right. But were it utterly\r\nblotted out of the mind, we should not remember it, even when reminded.\r\nFor we have not as yet utterly forgotten that, which we remember\r\nourselves to have forgotten. What then we have utterly forgotten, though\r\nlost, we cannot even seek after.\r\n\r\nHow then do I seek Thee, O Lord? For when I seek Thee, my God, I seek a\r\nhappy life. I will seek Thee, that my soul may live. For my body liveth\r\nby my soul; and my soul by Thee. How then do I seek a happy life, seeing\r\nI have it not, until I can say, where I ought to say it, \"It is enough\"?\r\nHow seek I it? By remembrance, as though I had forgotten it, remembering\r\nthat I had forgotten it? Or, desiring to learn it as a thing unknown,\r\neither never having known, or so forgotten it, as not even to remember\r\nthat I had forgotten it? is not a happy life what all will, and no one\r\naltogether wills it not? where have they known it, that they so will it?\r\nwhere seen it, that they so love it? Truly we have it, how, I know not.\r\nYea, there is another way, wherein when one hath it, then is he happy;\r\nand there are, who are blessed, in hope. These have it in a lower kind,\r\nthan they who have it in very deed; yet are they better off than such as\r\nare happy neither in deed nor in hope. Yet even these, had they it not\r\nin some sort, would not so will to be happy, which that they do will, is\r\nmost certain. They have known it then, I know not how, and so have it by\r\nsome sort of knowledge, what, I know not, and am perplexed whether it be\r\nin the memory, which if it be, then we have been happy once; whether all\r\nseverally, or in that man who first sinned, in whom also we all died,\r\nand from whom we are all born with misery, I now enquire not; but only,\r\nwhether the happy life be in the memory? For neither should we love it,\r\ndid we not know it. We hear the name, and we all confess that we desire\r\nthe thing; for we are not delighted with the mere sound. For when\r\na Greek hears it in Latin, he is not delighted, not knowing what is\r\nspoken; but we Latins are delighted, as would he too, if he heard it in\r\nGreek; because the thing itself is neither Greek nor Latin, which Greeks\r\nand Latins, and men of all other tongues, long for so earnestly. Known\r\ntherefore it is to all, for they with one voice be asked, \"would they\r\nbe happy?\" they would answer without doubt, \"they would.\" And this could\r\nnot be, unless the thing itself whereof it is the name were retained in\r\ntheir memory.\r\n\r\nBut is it so, as one remembers Carthage who hath seen it? No. For a\r\nhappy life is not seen with the eye, because it is not a body. As we\r\nremember numbers then? No. For these, he that hath in his knowledge,\r\nseeks not further to attain unto; but a happy life we have in our\r\nknowledge, and therefore love it, and yet still desire to attain it,\r\nthat we may be happy. As we remember eloquence then? No. For although\r\nupon hearing this name also, some call to mind the thing, who still are\r\nnot yet eloquent, and many who desire to be so, whence it appears that\r\nit is in their knowledge; yet these have by their bodily senses observed\r\nothers to be eloquent, and been delighted, and desire to be the like\r\n(though indeed they would not be delighted but for some inward knowledge\r\nthereof, nor wish to be the like, unless they were thus delighted);\r\nwhereas a happy life, we do by no bodily sense experience in others. As\r\nthen we remember joy? Perchance; for my joy I remember, even when sad,\r\nas a happy life, when unhappy; nor did I ever with bodily sense see,\r\nhear, smell, taste, or touch my joy; but I experienced it in my mind,\r\nwhen I rejoiced; and the knowledge of it clave to my memory, so that I\r\ncan recall it with disgust sometimes, at others with longing, according\r\nto the nature of the things, wherein I remember myself to have joyed.\r\nFor even from foul things have I been immersed in a sort of joy; which\r\nnow recalling, I detest and execrate; otherwhiles in good and honest\r\nthings, which I recall with longing, although perchance no longer\r\npresent; and therefore with sadness I recall former joy.\r\n\r\nWhere then and when did I experience my happy life, that I should\r\nremember, and love, and long for it? Nor is it I alone, or some few\r\nbesides, but we all would fain be happy; which, unless by some certain\r\nknowledge we knew, we should not with so certain a will desire. But how\r\nis this, that if two men be asked whether they would go to the wars,\r\none, perchance, would answer that he would, the other, that he would\r\nnot; but if they were asked whether they would be happy, both would\r\ninstantly without any doubting say they would; and for no other reason\r\nwould the one go to the wars, and the other not, but to be happy. Is it\r\nperchance that as one looks for his joy in this thing, another in that,\r\nall agree in their desire of being happy, as they would (if they were\r\nasked) that they wished to have joy, and this joy they call a happy\r\nlife? Although then one obtains this joy by one means, another by\r\nanother, all have one end, which they strive to attain, namely, joy.\r\nWhich being a thing which all must say they have experienced, it is\r\ntherefore found in the memory, and recognised whenever the name of a\r\nhappy life is mentioned.\r\n\r\nFar be it, Lord, far be it from the heart of Thy servant who here\r\nconfesseth unto Thee, far be it, that, be the joy what it may, I should\r\ntherefore think myself happy. For there is a joy which is not given to\r\nthe ungodly, but to those who love Thee for Thine own sake, whose joy\r\nThou Thyself art. And this is the happy life, to rejoice to Thee, of\r\nThee, for Thee; this is it, and there is no other. For they who think\r\nthere is another, pursue some other and not the true joy. Yet is not\r\ntheir will turned away from some semblance of joy.\r\n\r\nIt is not certain then that all wish to be happy, inasmuch as they who\r\nwish not to joy in Thee, which is the only happy life, do not truly\r\ndesire the happy life. Or do all men desire this, but because the flesh\r\nlusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, that they\r\ncannot do what they would, they fall upon that which they can, and are\r\ncontent therewith; because, what they are not able to do, they do not\r\nwill so strongly as would suffice to make them able? For I ask any\r\none, had he rather joy in truth, or in falsehood? They will as little\r\nhesitate to say \"in the truth,\" as to say \"that they desire to be\r\nhappy,\" for a happy life is joy in the truth: for this is a joying in\r\nThee, Who art the Truth, O God my light, health of my countenance, my\r\nGod. This is the happy life which all desire; this life which alone is\r\nhappy, all desire; to joy in the truth all desire. I have met with many\r\nthat would deceive; who would be deceived, no one. Where then did they\r\nknow this happy life, save where they know the truth also? For they love\r\nit also, since they would not be deceived. And when they love a happy\r\nlife, which is no other than joying in the truth, then also do they love\r\nthe truth; which yet they would not love, were there not some notice of\r\nit in their memory. Why then joy they not in it? why are they not happy?\r\nbecause they are more strongly taken up with other things which have\r\nmore power to make them miserable, than that which they so faintly\r\nremember to make them happy."},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KJR8NK5DAD726FMQ6JCHGZ5R","peer_label":"confessions","peer_type":"text","predicate":"derived_from"},{"peer":"01KJR8M0JHPZXCPKJ34HTYXSWW","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KJR8RFNWG2X8T00NW85WN134","peer_label":"god","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"divine_entity","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:28.265Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8RN8ZC13G52F6PQFCJ3XQ","peer_label":"truth","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"philosophical_concept","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:28.265Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8RM6DB0H4GFRV7TXRTJ2Y","peer_label":"carthage","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"place","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:28.265Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8RYJQ7XXSKBZ5NB8CXJS3","peer_label":"soul","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"spiritual_entity","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:28.265Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8RZPAVXH75K2QPMDC9A1R","peer_label":"happy life","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"philosophical_concept","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:28.265Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8RZQBF2T20XWANXT56HF3","peer_label":"joy","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"emotion_concept","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:28.265Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8S0DFMCWKHX262WAGRBAN","peer_label":"eloquence","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"skill_concept","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:28.265Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8RZTAZKK3X4F1SH1M5994","peer_label":"memory","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"philosophical_concept","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:28.265Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8S004JYKD013YG59H6TEQ","peer_label":"man who first sinned","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"theological_figure","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:28.265Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8RZY13A5TVT6C6C5B1ZTW","peer_label":"body","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"physical_entity","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:28.265Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8S0HK6RAFRWJ2DG0D35QA","peer_label":"greek person","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person_group","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:28.265Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8S0APEA4WQ089G4QWRYPW","peer_label":"numbers","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"abstract_concept","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:28.265Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8S0Q3AJYVVXQS0NVMHCDS","peer_label":"ungodly people","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person_group","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:28.265Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8S0WVZV9JKJB7B0GJHQ19","peer_label":"latin person","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person_group","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:28.265Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8S1DJ45P9PMVAXCP8MG3T","peer_label":"joy in truth","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"entity","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:28.265Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8S115581WHBPCRM62JC54","peer_label":"flesh theological concept","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"theological_concept","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:28.265Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8S0RM3PKYMS37HR9FVGXS","peer_label":"all people","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"group","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:28.265Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8S1GGKTNH432B8857QXME","peer_label":"misery","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"entity","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:28.265Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8S17FY73AV85VZ3W3E7YG","peer_label":"spirit theological concept","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"theological_concept","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:28.265Z"}}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-03-02T21:54:24.853Z","ts":"2026-03-02T21:55:29.420Z","edited_by":{"method":"system","user_id":"01KJ60XQBHJ0GBGTP9X8HXAPPM"}}