The Eden Express

A Memoir of Insanity
by Mark Vonnegut and Kurt Vonnegut

Preface by Kurt Vonnegut

Winner of the American Library Association Notable Book Award

"Most diseases can be separated from one's self . . . schizophrenia is something we are." Those words are the beginning of Mark Vonnegut's extraordinary depiction of his two "crack-ups."

The Eden Express describes from the inside Mark Vonnegut's experience in the late '60s and early '70s—a recent college grad; in love; living communally on a farm, with a famous and doting father, cherished dog, and prized jalopy—and then the nervous breakdowns in all their slow-motion intimacy, the taste of mortality and opportunity for humor they provided, and the grim despair they afforded as well. That he emerged to write this funny and true book and then moved on to find the meaningful life that for a while had seemed beyond reach is what ultimately happens in The Eden Express. But the real story here is that throughout his harrowing experience his sense of humor let him see the humanity of what he was going through, and his gift of language let him describe it in such a moving way that others could begin to imagine both its utter ordinariness as well as the madness we all share.

Avoid Violence

Peace is not just the mere absence of violence or disturbance. It's when there is a possibility of conflict, but you deliberately avoid violence and adopt methods to solve the problem through peaceful means. That is real peace.
Dalai Lama

Meaningful

We have to learn how to use our time properly. It's important to make our lives meaningful. Bullying and cheating others may give a short-term return, but leaves a nagging sense of unease. Money doesn't yield real satisfaction, whereas compassion does.
Dalai Lama

Emotional Hygiene

From kindergarten onwards we need education to strengthen inner values not just pursue material goals. We need to introduce emotional hygiene, much as we teach physical hygiene. This way we can address the problems we face, in the hope of making this a century of non-violence.
Dalai Lama

Anger

Because anger and hostility destroy our peace of mind, it is they that are our real enemy. Anger ruins our health; a compassionate attitude restores it. If it were basic human nature to be angry, there’d be no hope, but since it is our nature to be compassionate, there is.
Dalai Lama

Time is always moving on; nothing can stop it. We can’t change the past, but we can shape the future. The more compassionate you are, the more you will find inner peace.
Dalai Lama

The Young

The young people of this 21st century represent our planet now. They have the ability to bring about change. Even as climate change increases in intensity, they can work together in the spirit of brotherhood and sisterhood to find and share solutions. They are our real hope.
Dalai Lama

Dalai Lama

Mental transformation takes time, but it becomes easier with familiarity. Don’t entertain unrealistic expectations; it doesn’t take place quickly. It requires patience and determination over months and years, but if you keep it up, at the end of your life you’ll be content.
Dalai Lama

Concentrate

“Fret not where the road will take you. Instead concentrate on the first step. That's the hardest part and that's what you are responsible for. Once you take that step let everything do what it naturally does and the rest will follow. Do not go with the flow. Be the flow.”
― Elif Shafak, The Forty Rules of Love

Not Confined

“You can study God through everything and everyone in the universe, because God is not confined in a mosque, synagogue or church. But if you are still in need of knowing where exactly His abode is, there is only one place to look for Him: in the heart of a true lover.”
― Elif Shafak, The Forty Rules of Love

Stop

“Stop running after the waves. Let the sea come to you.”
― Elif Shafak

Silent Conversation

“The universe is one being. Everything and everyone is interconnected through an invisible web of stories. Whether we are aware of it or not, we are all in a silent conversation. Do no harm. Practise compassion. And do not gossip behind anyone's back - not even seemingly innocent remark! The words that come out of our mouth do not vanish but are perpetually stored in infinite space, and they will come back to us in due time. One man's pain will hurt us all. One man's joy will make everyone smile.”
― Elif Shafak, The Forty Rules of Love

The Words

“The words that come out of our mouths do not vanish but are perpetually stored in infinite space, and they will come back to us in due time.”
― Elif Shafak, The Forty Rules of Love

Here and Now

“Hell is in the here and now. So is heaven. Quit worrying about hell or dreaming about heaven, as they are both present inside this very moment. Every time we fall in love, we ascend to heaven. Every time we hate, envy, or fight someone, we tumble straight into the fires of hell.”
― Elif Shafak, The Forty Rules of Love

How We See

“How we see God is a direct reflection of how we see ourselves. If God brings to mind mostly fear and blame, it means there is too much fear and blame welled inside us. If we see God as full of love and compassion, so are we.”
― Elif Şafak, The Forty Rules of Love

Patience Means...

“Patience does not mean to passively endure. It means to be farsighted enough to trust the end result of a process. What does patience mean? It means to look at the thorn and see the rose, to look at the night and see the dawn. Impatience means to be so shortsighted as to not be able to see the outcome. The lovers of God never run out of patience, for they know that time is needed for the crescent moon to become full.”
― Elif Shafak, The Forty Rules of Love

Whatever Happens

“Whatever happens in your life, no matter how troubling things might seem, do not enter the neighborhood of despair. Even when all doors remain closed, God will open up a new path only for you. Be thankful!”
― Elif Shafak, The Forty Rules of Love

Secrets

The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you.
Don’t go back to sleep.
You must ask for what you really want.
Don’t go back to sleep.
People are going back and forth across the doorsill
where the two worlds touch.
The door is round and open.
Don’t go back to sleep.

I would love to kiss you.
The price of kissing is your life.

Now my loving is running toward my life shouting,
What a bargain, let’s buy it!

--Rumi

Books Save Us

“Books change us. Books save us. I know this because it happened to me.”
― Elif Shafak

Unexpected Transformation

“Every true love and friendship is a story of unexpected transformation. If we are the same person before and after we loved, that means we haven’t loved enough.”
–Elif Shafak, The Forty Rules of Love

Divide Oneself

“I now think this ability to divide oneself in two, which all actors have, is also a condition for writing and even for living.”
—Elias Khoury