This doctrine is lenient towards those who do not believe in it It speaks of no hells and it contains no threats. He who does not believe in it has but a fleeting life in his consciousness. 40 It would be terrible if we still believed in sin, but whatever we may do, however often we may repeat it, it is all innocent. If the thought of the eternal recurrence of all things does not overwhelm thee, then it is not thy fault: and if it does overwhelm thee, this does not stand to thy merit either.—We think more leniently of our forebears than they themselves thought of themselves; we mourn over the errors which were to them constitutional; but we do not mourn over their evil. 41 Let us guard against teaching such a doctrine as if it were a suddenly discovered religion! It must percolate through slowly, and whole generations must build on it and become fruitful through it,—in order that it may grow into a large tree which will shelter all posterity. What are the two thousand years in which Christianity has maintained its sway? For the mightiest thought of all many millenniums will be necessary,—long, long, long will it have to remain puny and weak! 42 For this thought we do not require thirty years of glory with drums and fifes, and thirty years of grave-digging followed by an eternity of macaberesque stillness, as is the case with so many other famous thoughts. Simple and well-nigh arid as it is, this thought must not even require eloquence to uphold it. 43 Are ye now prepared? Ye must have experienced every form of scepticism and ye must have wallowed with voluptuousness in ice-cold baths,—otherwise ye have no right to this thought; I wish to protect myself against those who are over-ready to believe, likewise against those who gush over anything! I would defend my doctrine in advance. It must be the religion of the freest, most cheerful and most sublime souls, a delightful pastureland somewhere between golden ice and a pure heaven! EXPLANATORY NOTES TO “THUS SPAKE ZARATHUSTRA” 1 All goals have been annihilated: valuations are turning against each other: People call him good who hearkens to the dictates of his own heart, but they also call him good who merely does his duty; People call the mild and conciliating man good, but they also call him good who is brave, inflexible and severe; People call him good who does not do violence to himself, but they also call the heroes of self-mastery good; People call the absolute friend of truth good-, but they also call him good who is pious and a transfigurer of things; People call him good who can obey his own voice, but they also call the devout man good; People call the noble and the haughty man good, but also him who does not despise and who does not assume condescending airs. People call him good who is kindhearted and who steps out of the way of broils, but he who thirsts for fight and triumph is also called good;