Fourth step: the earth (Christianity)

Having heard the ego call, the race call, mankind call in one's heart one, realized it is earth calling, her trees, waters, animals, men and idols. Earth rises up and one sees her entire body for the first time. The journey from flaming chaos, passing through an infinity of time, the womb of matter cools, the stones become alive. A single leaf emerges and sucks at the whole universe so that it might pass through its body to turn it into flower, fruit and seed that it might be deathless. At any moment, all may sink into chaos but death is overcome. Life passes beyond plants, fishes, birds, beasts and apes. Man is created. Now someone else struggles to be rid of humankind. From body to body existence hunts down its untamed spouse, eternity.

The fourth step in the march for the spiritual exercises of Nikos Kazantzakis.