(Fun, Joy, Ecstasy: existence and nonexistence)
哲學和宗教的各種支派學說總共只有一種目的：教人快樂。可是每個人對快樂的定義那麼不同，自然就衍生各種支派。重要的是，這些反思應該都只是過程，任何人都不該將它當作終極真理。宇宙並不存在平衡狀況，一切都還在變化，思想也是。
這學期的【現代主義／存在主義與文學】的第一堂介紹課程時就花了一點時間再講 Psyche and Eros 的故事：
經過了這麼多的試驗，Psyche（心靈）在冥府洞口先死後生，化成蝴蝶，後來與 Cupid/Eros（肉身）結成真正的連理，雙宿雙飛，並生下 Pleasure/Joy （歡娛）。希臘人和羅馬人的故事裡只用 Pleasure 這類字，不敢用 Bliss 或是
Happiness, 到底為什麼？
每個人對生活的要求很不一樣，對快樂的需求當然不同。
許多人需要的只是 FUN：
這當然是現代存在主義者要攻擊的目標。每個人都可以選擇當「不滿足的蘇格拉底」或是「滿足的豬」。很顯然的，這是工商業美麗新世界鼓勵的滿足。每天只要祝人家 “Have fun,” 日子就是「堪過的」。
要是有人妄想要質疑這種被鼓勵來的生活，就會被貼上各種標籤。再者，想要當「不滿足的蘇格拉底」可能也要冒險付出代價，因為這是一條無法返回的路，「開了光」之後就不可能糊塗回來了。
相對之下，Joy 是稍微安全一點的要求。很多事情做起來都沒有 fun, 甚至讓外人卻步，可是卻會讓人口生津液、腳底生風。例如幫孩子換尿布、幫老婆扛三十公斤的米上樓、幫丈夫停車、載父母去探望親戚、幫老師擦黑板、幫學生改作業…… 其實還要補充一些別的例子，可是考慮本台十八禁而作罷。
我們人類之所以異於蟲魚鳥獸就是生了一顆無法臆測的腦！以上的這些事還是無法讓一些人滿意，因為他們要的是心靈的狂喜。我們知道有些人必須在腿上綁荊棘、身上披刺鏈、冬天臥冰、夏日在石屋蒸炙，才能勉強露出笑顏。當然，有的人單靠拙火瑜珈也可以辦到，或是讀佛經掉下一桶熱淚來淨化心靈亦可稍感滿足。基督教徒或天主教徒因為幫陌生人洗腳或者握著垂死窮人的手，一樣達到這般境界。
從 fun-- > joy-- > ecstasy 可以畫出身心耗用的反比圖來。重點是， Psyche 和 Eros 必須同時存在，才能產生 Joy！
這一門課也就是要討論各種「荒野之狼」身心兩極的耗用，以及求得 joy 的方法。我也不敢用 Happiness, 因為本來就不應該有答案。
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(Story of Psyche and Cupid from:
http://www.timelessmyths.com/classical/lovers.html#Psyche)
In an unidentified kingdom, the worship of Venus (Aphrodite) was
fading away, because the populace thought that the king’s youngest
daughter, Psyche, was more beautiful than the goddess of love and
beauty. The populace began to worship the princess as the goddess.
Though, Psyche didn’t ask for this attention, the goddess was
jealous over the girl usurping her position. She called upon her
son, Cupid (Eros), the god of love, to make sure no one would marry
the young princess, and that she would fall in love with a monster.
However, he had instantly fallen in love with Psyche, the moment
Cupid saw the mortal princess. Cupid wanted to marry the mortal
girl, so he made arrangement that she would have him.
The king, Psyche’s father, became concerned that many come to
worship her daughter, but no suitors would dare ask for the hand in
marriage. Her father went to an oracle in Miletus, but heard that
his daughter must be left in the mountain, where an evil being
(demon or monster) would take his daughter as his wife.
The king and Psyche’s two sisters sorrowfully left Psyche on a
high, rocky hill; she bravely waiting for her demonic suitor. She
met no one she could see, when Zephyrus, god of the west wind, took
her and spirited her off to her new husband’s home.
Instead of demon’s lair in a dark cave, she was surprise to see
that her new home was a palace, larger and more splendid than her
father’s palace. Her needs were served by invisible servants. Her
meals were more delicious than any she had ever tasted.
That first night, her came husband came to her, but she could see
him in the darkness. At first, she felt fear, but his presence
reassured her. Her husband (Cupid) told her that this home was hers,
and that he loved her. However, he warned her that she must look
upon him in the light.
After the night of pleasure, her husband left in the morning, but
each night, he would visit her again, each time in bed under the
cover of darkness. Psyche never seen her invisible husband, nor knew
his name.
Psyche had fallen pregnant. Cupid informed her that if she does look
upon him before their child is born, then the baby would be mortal.
The child would only be immortal if she doesn’t see his face until
after birth.
On the fourth night, her husband informed her that her sisters were
looking for her on the hill where they had last seen her, thinking
that she was dead. Her lover told her that she must not ever see her
family again. Though, Psyche enjoyed her time with her new husband,
and was happy, she began to pine for her home, and she missed her
father and her two sisters. She complained bitterly night after
night that she was lonely and that she missed her sisters.
Finally, her invisible husband relented, allowing the two sisters to
visit her in the palace. The West Wind (Zephyrus) brought Psyche’s
sisters to her home. When her sisters arrived in the magical palace,
they were enviously astonished to see the luxury their younger
sister enjoyed, and were truly jealous of Psyche’s good fortune.
The two sisters were astonished that heard the reasons why Psyche
has neither seen her husband nor know his name. They both secretly
wished ill fortune for their youngest sister; they were jealous of
her sister’s wealth and secretly hashed a plot to discover his
identity and ending his sister’s marriage. Each was motivated that
this unknown god would marry her, if he divorced Psyche.
On their second visit, the two sisters told Psyche that she should
try to find the identity of her husband, because it was said that he
was a monster or demon. Why else would her husband not want her to
see him, her jealous sisters told her. If he was a demon, then
Psyche should kill the creature.
Psyche finally having misgiving about her marriage decided to act
upon her sisters’ advice. While her husband slept in their bed that
night, Psyche fetched an oil lamp and a knife; she was determined to
see what monstrous husband she had married and slay him in his sleep.
Trembling she held oil lamp in one hand and a knife ready to plunge
into her husband’s heart, as she approached the bed. But what she
saw in the light, was not a horrifying creature from the depth of
hell, but a beautiful young man with golden wings. At the sight of
her husband, she forgot that she was holding the oil lamp in her
hand, and spilled a drop of hot oil on to his shoulder.
Her husband woke in pain, and saw that his wife had betrayed him.
The love god left Psyche. Cupid returned to his mother in Olympus.
Psyche was distraught that she had lost her husband, who was none
other than Cupid the god of love.
Upon hearing that that Psyche’s husband was a god and he had
deserted their sister, the two selfish sisters returned to the crag,
each hoping that he would take her as his wife. Both sisters leaped
off hill, believing that Zephyrus would carry them to Cupid’s
palace. Instead they fell to their death.
Psyche blamed herself for not trusting her husband, because she was
a naive girl. She had lost Cupid because of her curiosity and
disobedience. She was determined to win her husband back. She prayed
to Juno and Ceres, but they didn’t answer, not did Cupid returned.
She was hoping that by serving Cupid’s mother as a servant or
slave, Cupid would love her once more.
What Psyche didn’t realise is that Venus hated her. The goddess had
not forgotten that people from far away have abandoned her, and
started worshipping Psyche. She was doubly upset that her son had
slept with her mortal rival, begetting a child in Psyche. Now that
the foolish girl had burned her son, Venus was determined to punish
the girl.
Venus set Psyche a series of seemingly impossible tasks. In one
task, she had to sort a roomful of different grains by nightfall. In
this, a colony of ants helped Psyche sort the various grains in neat
piles. Her next task involved gaining wool from a flock of deadly
sheep that could kill any man or woman. The reeds advised Psyche
that she could gather the wool that clung to bushes, instead of
waking the sheep from their afternoon sleep.
Despite Psyche’s success, Venus set increasingly her more difficult
task. She had to fetch the deadly water from the river Styx that
flow out from the precipice of Mount Aroanius. She thought that she
would die this time. This time, an eagle of Jupiter (Zeus) came to
her aid. Taking jar from Psyche, the eagle flew and filled the jar
with the water from Styx.
Angry at her success, Venus demanded that Psyche fetch the make-up
box from Proserpina (Persephone), the goddess of the Underworld. No
mortal could hope to enter the World of the Dead and return. She
wanted to end her life now, since there was no hope of her returning
or winning Cupid back. She would have leaped off the high tower, but
the building spoke, giving her instruction of how to succeed in this
quest and return safely. The tower warned her not to open the box
containing Proserpina’s ointment.
Psyche entered the Underworld prepared. She crossed the Styx, paying
Charon his toll of one obol (coin). She gave sweet honey cakes to
the three-headed hound, Cerberus, so that she could pass through the
gate of Hades. When she came to Hades’ House, Psyche did as she was
instructed to, refusing to sit on the chair and only accepting bread
and no other food on the table.
Proserpina then filled the box with her cosmetics. She returned the
same way she had came, giving more cakes to Cerberus and another
coin to Charon. By the time, she had reached the upper world,
exiting the cave at Taenarum.
Once again, her curiosity had brought disaster to her. She had
forgotten the tower’s warning about opening the box. She thought if
she applied some small amount of cosmetic, she could possibly win
back her husband. The moment she opened the cosmetic box, she had
fallen into a deep slumber.
By this time, Cupid shoulder had healed, and he forgot his anger
with his wife’s curiosity and disobedience, flew off from home, to
find Psyche. He was still in love with her.
Cupid found her, and woke her from her unnatural slumber. Psyche was
happy that her husband had forgiven her. Cupid sends her off to his
mother and completed her last quest, while Cupid went to Olympus and
appealed to Jupiter (Zeus), to make his wife immortal. Jupiter
agreed.
Cupid and Psyche lived happily ever after, and became the parents of
a daughter named Volupta (”Pleasure”).
