Tears and saint - TINA HE

TINA HE 21:52:24 Writings Books Open inquiries Contact TEARS AND SAINT June 2024 Emil Cioran's "Tears and Saints," with its foreword by Ilinca Zarifopol-Johnston, is a captivating exploration of the contradictions inherent in saintliness and the struggle for identity. Cioran's aphoristic style, reminiscent of Nietzsche, delves into the complexities of mysticism, Romanian politics, and spiritual life, revealing a profound fascination with the suffering and asceticism of saints. At the heart of Cioran's critique lies the concept of the "will to power," a driving force that propels saints to endure immense suffering in pursuit of their faith. "What fascinates him are their tears, their thirst for pain and their capacity to endure it; in short, the pathology… 'the voluptuousness of suffering' for 'suffering is man's only biography.'" The "tears" in the title symbolize this suffering, the essence of the saints' existence. Yet, Cioran's stance is not without its contradi

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