—IMMANUEL KANT
In religious services we should understand, not the rituals, not unnatural things which can be performed only by a priest; in religion, we should understand love for God and for our neighbor.
—ALEXANDR ARKHANGELSKY
The kingdom of God is inside us; therefore look for the kingdom of God inside you and the rest will take care of itself, in the best possible way.
July 15
My material life is subject to suffering and death, and no effort of mine can release me from suffering or death. My spiritual life is subject neither to suffering nor death. Therefore, salvation from suffering and death lies in only one thing: in the transfer of my conscious “self” from the material to the spiritual.
The way to understand this world is to understand your inner self. With the help of love, and by virtue of the love of others, we understand other beings: people, animals, plants, stones, heavenly bodies; and we understand the attitudes of these beings to themselves; and these attitudes create the whole world as we know it. The way to understanding is based on love, on unification with all other creatures in the world.
Yet not My will, but Thine be done.
—LUKE 22:42
The essence of love of God is in the desire of the soul for its creator, for unity with this higher light.
—The TALMUD
This eternal beginning in you has always existed, it exists now, and it will always exist: its time will never end.
—THE BRAHMIN’S WISDOM
That which we understand as the happiness or unhappiness of our animal “self” depends on the highest spiritual will.
July 16
Nothing can support idleness better than empty chatter. People would be better to keep silent and not speak the boring, empty things they routinely say to entertain themselves. How can they endure it?
The person who speaks much will seldom fulfill all his words in his actions. A wise person is always wary lest his words surpass his actions.
—CHINESE WISDOM
First think, then speak. Stop when told “enough.” A person is higher than an animal because of his ability to speak, but he is lower than an animal if he cannot properly use this ability.
—MUSLiH-UD-DIN SAADI
Those people speak most who do not have much to say.
If you want to stop a person from an action, ask him to speak more on the topic. The more people speak, the less desire they have to act.
—THOMAS CARLYLE
The less you speak, the more you will work.
July 17
The foundation of ancient societies was violence. The basis of our contemporary society is wise concord, the negation of violence.
Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not eviclass="underline" but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
—MATTHEW 5:38-39
He who is really skillful in communicating with people is usually a humble and quiet person. This is called the virtue of nonresistance. This is called harmony with Heaven.
—LAO-TZU
Some people think that it is impossible to rule other people without violence. And so they do to people as other people do with horses, when they blind their eyes so that they will more obediently walk in a circle.
For what purpose is a man’s intellect if you are going to influence him only with violence?
In all cases, when people use violence, you should try to convince them not to. You should try to apply wise, convincing arguments, appealing not to the everyday world, but to their higher spiritual understanding. Then, when you succeed, you will have the complete satisfaction of your conscience.
July 18
People believe in eternal life because they believe that life’s beginning is spiritual, and therefore eternal.
In our soul is the sign of eternity.
—WILLIAM ELLERY CHANNING
Our biggest desire is to live forever. But when we are freed from this body, we will not wish to come back. Is there such a child who, once born, would like to return to the womb of his mother? Is there a man who, freed from prison, would like to return to it? In the same way, a person should not be afraid about the future liberation from his body, if he is not connected too closely with this material life.
—TABLES OF THE BABIDS, a MUSLIM sect from PERSIA
A person is not afraid to die only after he understands that he was never born, that he always existed, exists at present, and will always exist.
A person will believe in his eternity when he understands that his life is not a wave, a period of time, but the eternal movement which is manifested in this life only as a wave.
Those who believe that their life has not begun with their birth and will not end with death find it much easier to live a good life than those who do not understand or believe this.
July 19
Really true, good, and great things are always simple.
The language of truth is always simple.
—LUCIUS ANNAEUS SENECA
Very often the simplest and least educated people can easily and unconsciously understand the meaning of life while the most scholarly people lack this ability, because they have been too educated to understand the simple things that are basic to all people.
The clearest and simplest notions are almost always concealed by sophisticated meditations.
—MARCUS TULLIUS CICERO
If you want to find an example to follow, you should look among simple, humble folk. There is real greatness only in those who do not advertise themselves, and who do not understand themselves as great.
July 20
The feeling of compassion for other living beings reminds me of the feeling of pain in our body. Just as you can become less sensitive to pain in your body with time, you can become less compassionate to others.
The first condition to bringing religion into your life is manifesting love and pity toward all living creatures.
—CHINESE WISDOM
Compassion for animals is closely connected with character type. You can say with confidence that he who is cruel to animals cannot be a kind man.
—ARTHUR SCHOPENHAUER
Every murder is terrible. But most terrible is the murder in which you want to eat the creature you have killed, when you kill for the satisfaction of your stomach.
—MIKHAIL GOLDSTEIN
When the suffering of another creature causes you to feel pain, do not submit to the initial desire to flee from the suffering one, but on the contrary, come closer, as close as you can to him who suffers, and try to help him.
July 21
Love is the manifestation of the divine nature which exists above time. Love is not only a way of life, it is an action directed toward the goodness of others.
There is no love in the future. Love can exist only in the present moment. A man who does not manifest love in the present does not love at all.
Be kind even if the world blames you. It is better than the converse when a person is praised by others but continues to be bad.
The New Testament reflects a very simple faith: faith in God and respect for Him. It is the same in following the law; there is only one law: love your neighbor.
—BENEDICTUS SPINOZA
Certainly, it is painful to recall all the things which you could have done in the past but did not: some charity, for example; a time you denied to those who expected help from you; or when you blocked the joyful understanding of completing an action you should have finished.