If you had known me, you would have known my Father also; henceforth you know him and have seen him.
-John 14:7 (Revised Standard Version)
***
Perfection has one grave defect; it is apt to be dull.
-Somerset Maugham
***
What is stupidity? It is that vanity
Which dares to declare, "I am wise."
He who pretends to knowledge that he does not possess
Raises doubts as to those things that he really knows.
-Tirukkural 85: 844-845
***
Poverty is not complete until one likes giving more than receiving.
-Abu Hafs Haddad in 'Attar: Tadhkirat
***
Let a good man do good deeds with the same zeal that the evil man does bad ones.
- Hasidic saying attributed to the Belzer Rebbe, Shalom Rokeakh
***
Erroneous views keep us in defilement
While right views remove us from it,
But when we are in a position to discard both of them
We are then absolutely pure.
-The Sutra of Hui Neng
Quote
There may be sweet pleasures for the body in this world. But anything other than love for God, whose beauty is unmatched, is agony to the soul. What is agony of the soul? It is to advance towards death without being sustained by the water of life.
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
***
Being positive in thinking right is a godly principle.
-Joyce Meyer
***
A well-developed sense of humor is the pole that adds balance to your steps as you walk the tightrope of life.
-William A. Ward
***
Like a silkworm weaving
her house with love
from her marrow,
and dying
in her body's threads
winding tight, round
and round,
I burn
desiring what the heart desires.
-Mahadeviyakka
***
Love blinds us to faults, hatred to virtues.
- Moshe ibn Ezra, "Shirat Yisrael"
***
Gone to the beyond of becoming,
you let go of in front,
let go of behind,
let go of between.
With a heart everywhere let go,
you don't come again to birth
& aging.
-Dhammapada, 24, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
***
Being positive in thinking right is a godly principle.
-Joyce Meyer
***
A well-developed sense of humor is the pole that adds balance to your steps as you walk the tightrope of life.
-William A. Ward
***
Like a silkworm weaving
her house with love
from her marrow,
and dying
in her body's threads
winding tight, round
and round,
I burn
desiring what the heart desires.
-Mahadeviyakka
***
Love blinds us to faults, hatred to virtues.
- Moshe ibn Ezra, "Shirat Yisrael"
***
Gone to the beyond of becoming,
you let go of in front,
let go of behind,
let go of between.
With a heart everywhere let go,
you don't come again to birth
& aging.
-Dhammapada, 24, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
God’s everywhere. God’s in the effort, God’s in the struggle, whether that’s for civil rights or creative expression. God’s always in the struggle with us.
-Anne Lamott
***
If you are patient in one moment of anger, you will escape a hundred days of sorrow.
-Chinese Epigram
***
He who shirks action does not attain freedom; no one can gain perfection by abstaining from work. Indeed, there is no one who rests for even an instant; every creature is driven to action by his own nature.
-Bhagavad Gita 3:4-5
***
Do not be upset at the good things you miss, and do not be overjoyed at the good things you receive. God does not love those who are arrogant and boastful; he does not love those who are stingy, and encourage others to be stingy also. Those who ignore these words, should remember that God alone is self-reliant, and God alone is worthy of praise.
-Qur'an, Al-Hadid, Surah 57:23-24
***
The highest peace is the peace between opposites.
- Rebbe Nachman of Breslov
***
Having enjoyed a sweet delicious taste,
And having sometimes tasted what is bitter,
Do not greedily enjoy the sweet taste,
Do not feel aversion toward the bitter.
When touched by pleasant contact, do not be enthralled,
Do not tremble when touched by pain.
Look evenly on both the pleasant and painful,
Not drawn or repelled by anything.
-Buddha, "The Connected Discourses of the Buddha"
-Anne Lamott
***
If you are patient in one moment of anger, you will escape a hundred days of sorrow.
-Chinese Epigram
***
He who shirks action does not attain freedom; no one can gain perfection by abstaining from work. Indeed, there is no one who rests for even an instant; every creature is driven to action by his own nature.
-Bhagavad Gita 3:4-5
***
Do not be upset at the good things you miss, and do not be overjoyed at the good things you receive. God does not love those who are arrogant and boastful; he does not love those who are stingy, and encourage others to be stingy also. Those who ignore these words, should remember that God alone is self-reliant, and God alone is worthy of praise.
-Qur'an, Al-Hadid, Surah 57:23-24
***
The highest peace is the peace between opposites.
- Rebbe Nachman of Breslov
***
Having enjoyed a sweet delicious taste,
And having sometimes tasted what is bitter,
Do not greedily enjoy the sweet taste,
Do not feel aversion toward the bitter.
When touched by pleasant contact, do not be enthralled,
Do not tremble when touched by pain.
Look evenly on both the pleasant and painful,
Not drawn or repelled by anything.
-Buddha, "The Connected Discourses of the Buddha"
We cannot change our past. We can not change the fact that people act in a certain way. We can not change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude.
-Charles Swindoll
***
I don't know what the big deal is about old age. Old people who shine from the inside look 10 to 20 years younger.
-Dolly Parton
***
That which cannot be seen by the eyes,
but by which the eyes see—
know that to be Brahman.
-Kena Upanishad
***
The Merciful God promised Mustafa,
"You will die but the Qur'an will prevail.
I shall exalt your Book and its Miracle
and protect its face from being changed.
This Qu'ran to you is Moses' staff;
like that dragon it will devour all deception."
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
***
Better one ounce of luck than a pound of gold.
- Yiddish proverb
Reprinted with permission from 'A Treasury of Jewish Quotations,' edited by Joseph L. Baron, Jason Aronson Inc.
***
Eventually we will find (mostly in retrospect, of course) that we can be very grateful to those people who have made life most difficult for us.
-Ayya Khema, "When the Iron Eagle Flies"
-Charles Swindoll
***
I don't know what the big deal is about old age. Old people who shine from the inside look 10 to 20 years younger.
-Dolly Parton
***
That which cannot be seen by the eyes,
but by which the eyes see—
know that to be Brahman.
-Kena Upanishad
***
The Merciful God promised Mustafa,
"You will die but the Qur'an will prevail.
I shall exalt your Book and its Miracle
and protect its face from being changed.
This Qu'ran to you is Moses' staff;
like that dragon it will devour all deception."
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
***
Better one ounce of luck than a pound of gold.
- Yiddish proverb
Reprinted with permission from 'A Treasury of Jewish Quotations,' edited by Joseph L. Baron, Jason Aronson Inc.
***
Eventually we will find (mostly in retrospect, of course) that we can be very grateful to those people who have made life most difficult for us.
-Ayya Khema, "When the Iron Eagle Flies"
As the deer panteth for the water,
So my soul longeth after you.
You alone are my heart’s desire
And I long to worship you.
-Worship Song, "As the Deer"
***
Spoon feeding in the long run teaches us nothing but the shape of the spoon.
-E.M. Forster
***
The Atman is the witness-consciousness that experiences the action, the actor, and the world of separate things. It is like a light that illuminates everything in a theater, revealing the master of ceremonies, the guests, and the dancers with complete impartiality. Even when they all depart, the light shines to reveal their absence.
-Panchadashi
***
I was given the choice between wisdom and prophecy. I chose wisdom because I could not stand the burden.
-Luqman, “Islamic Sufism”
***
If you want to get rid of your enemy, the true way is to realize that your enemy is delusion.
-Kegon Sutra
***
He who repeats what he has learned one hundred times cannot be compared to one who repeats it a hundred and one times.
- Babylonian Talmud, Hagigah 9b
So my soul longeth after you.
You alone are my heart’s desire
And I long to worship you.
-Worship Song, "As the Deer"
***
Spoon feeding in the long run teaches us nothing but the shape of the spoon.
-E.M. Forster
***
The Atman is the witness-consciousness that experiences the action, the actor, and the world of separate things. It is like a light that illuminates everything in a theater, revealing the master of ceremonies, the guests, and the dancers with complete impartiality. Even when they all depart, the light shines to reveal their absence.
-Panchadashi
***
I was given the choice between wisdom and prophecy. I chose wisdom because I could not stand the burden.
-Luqman, “Islamic Sufism”
***
If you want to get rid of your enemy, the true way is to realize that your enemy is delusion.
-Kegon Sutra
***
He who repeats what he has learned one hundred times cannot be compared to one who repeats it a hundred and one times.
- Babylonian Talmud, Hagigah 9b
The Scriptures teach us the best way of living, the noblest way of suffering, and the most comfortable way of dying!
-John Flavel
***
Happiness is the delicate balance between what one is and what one has.
-F. H. Denison
***
There is no greater dignity than that of the man who declares,
"I will never cease in laboring to advance my family."
Perseverance and sound understanding--
These two are what exalt a man's family.
When a man declares he will advance his family,
God Himself will wrap His robes and lead the way.
-Tirukkural 103:1021-1023
***
Those who content themselves with limited provender, submitting themselves before Allah's will, shall find even a few good deeds of theirs sufficient for divine approval.
-The Prophet Muhammad (SAW), as reported by 'Ali bin Abi Talib
***
Contemplate the wonders of creation, the Divine dimension of their being, not as a dim configuration that is presented to you from a distance, but as the reality in which you live.
- Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook
***
And better than a hundred years
lived without seeing
arising and passing away, is
one day
lived seeing
arising and passing away.
-Dhammapada, 113, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
-John Flavel
***
Happiness is the delicate balance between what one is and what one has.
-F. H. Denison
***
There is no greater dignity than that of the man who declares,
"I will never cease in laboring to advance my family."
Perseverance and sound understanding--
These two are what exalt a man's family.
When a man declares he will advance his family,
God Himself will wrap His robes and lead the way.
-Tirukkural 103:1021-1023
***
Those who content themselves with limited provender, submitting themselves before Allah's will, shall find even a few good deeds of theirs sufficient for divine approval.
-The Prophet Muhammad (SAW), as reported by 'Ali bin Abi Talib
***
Contemplate the wonders of creation, the Divine dimension of their being, not as a dim configuration that is presented to you from a distance, but as the reality in which you live.
- Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook
***
And better than a hundred years
lived without seeing
arising and passing away, is
one day
lived seeing
arising and passing away.
-Dhammapada, 113, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
Let God's promises shine on your problems.
-Corrie Ten Boom
***
It is never too late to be what you might have been.
-George Eliot
***
Right or wrong,
Joy and sorrow,
These are of the mind only.
They are not yours.
It is not really you
Who acts or enjoys.
You are everywhere,
Forever free.
-Ashtavakra Gita 1:6
***
It was He who created you from clay and decreed a term for you in this world and the next. Yet still you doubt. He is the only Lord of the heavens and the earth, completely aware of all that you conceal and all that you reveal. He knows what you deserve.
-Qur'an, Al-An'am, Surah 6:2-3
***
Seek the good in everyone, and reveal it, bring it forth.
- Nahman of Bratslav, "Likute Moharan"
***
Even if you are a monk, if your practice of the Way is not intense, if your aspiration is not pure, how are you any different from a layman? Again, even if you are a layman, if your aspiration is intense and your conduct wise, why is this any different from being a monk?
-Hakuin, "Zen Master Hakuin"
-Corrie Ten Boom
***
It is never too late to be what you might have been.
-George Eliot
***
Right or wrong,
Joy and sorrow,
These are of the mind only.
They are not yours.
It is not really you
Who acts or enjoys.
You are everywhere,
Forever free.
-Ashtavakra Gita 1:6
***
It was He who created you from clay and decreed a term for you in this world and the next. Yet still you doubt. He is the only Lord of the heavens and the earth, completely aware of all that you conceal and all that you reveal. He knows what you deserve.
-Qur'an, Al-An'am, Surah 6:2-3
***
Seek the good in everyone, and reveal it, bring it forth.
- Nahman of Bratslav, "Likute Moharan"
***
Even if you are a monk, if your practice of the Way is not intense, if your aspiration is not pure, how are you any different from a layman? Again, even if you are a layman, if your aspiration is intense and your conduct wise, why is this any different from being a monk?
-Hakuin, "Zen Master Hakuin"
Strive to enter by the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.
-Luke 13:24 (Revised Standard Version)
***
Nothing can be more useful to you than a determination not to be hurried.
-Henry David Thoreau
***
The Gnani wants to become Brahman, but the bhakta wants to taste the sweetness, not be the sugar.
-Ramakrishna
***
My Lord, how great my desire to meet You, how earnest my hope of Your reward. O Most Gracious, Hope of all hope, O Adored by all, if I be unworthy of You, and my endeavors not deserving of devotion, then gladly shall I confess to my infirmities, my sins. For who could be more forgiving than Yourself? But should You choose to chastise me, I will satisfy myself in the knowledge that no one could be more just than You.
-Sha'wanna, "Rabi'a the Mystic"
***
God is identical with His attributes, so that it may be said that He is the knowledge, the knower, and the known.
- Maimonides, "Eight Chapters"
***
Let there be nothing behind you; leave the future to one side. Do not clutch at what is left in the middle; then you will become a wanderer and calm.
-Sutta Nipata
-Luke 13:24 (Revised Standard Version)
***
Nothing can be more useful to you than a determination not to be hurried.
-Henry David Thoreau
***
The Gnani wants to become Brahman, but the bhakta wants to taste the sweetness, not be the sugar.
-Ramakrishna
***
My Lord, how great my desire to meet You, how earnest my hope of Your reward. O Most Gracious, Hope of all hope, O Adored by all, if I be unworthy of You, and my endeavors not deserving of devotion, then gladly shall I confess to my infirmities, my sins. For who could be more forgiving than Yourself? But should You choose to chastise me, I will satisfy myself in the knowledge that no one could be more just than You.
-Sha'wanna, "Rabi'a the Mystic"
***
God is identical with His attributes, so that it may be said that He is the knowledge, the knower, and the known.
- Maimonides, "Eight Chapters"
***
Let there be nothing behind you; leave the future to one side. Do not clutch at what is left in the middle; then you will become a wanderer and calm.
-Sutta Nipata
Feed on Christ, and then go and live your life, and it is Christ in you that lives your life, that helps the poor, that tells the truth, that fights the battle, and that wins the crown.
-Philips Brooks
***
The secret to success in any human endeavor is total concentration.
-Kurt Vonnegut
***
Self-control will place a man among the Gods,
While lack of it will lead him into deepest darkness.
-Tirukkural 13:121
***
When clutches of the "self" break away,
they clap their hands and break into dance
as their imperfections fade away.
The musicians within strike the tambourine,
and the seas burst into foam at their ecstasy.
-Rumi, "The Life and Thought of Rumi"
***
He who loves brings God and the World together.
- Martin Buber, "At the Turning"
***
Even the evil
meet with good fortune
as long as their evil
has yet to mature.
But when it's matured
that's when they meet
with evil.
Even the good
meet with bad fortune
as long as their good
has yet to mature.
But when it's matured
that's when they meet
with good fortune.
-Dhammapada, 9, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
-Philips Brooks
***
The secret to success in any human endeavor is total concentration.
-Kurt Vonnegut
***
Self-control will place a man among the Gods,
While lack of it will lead him into deepest darkness.
-Tirukkural 13:121
***
When clutches of the "self" break away,
they clap their hands and break into dance
as their imperfections fade away.
The musicians within strike the tambourine,
and the seas burst into foam at their ecstasy.
-Rumi, "The Life and Thought of Rumi"
***
He who loves brings God and the World together.
- Martin Buber, "At the Turning"
***
Even the evil
meet with good fortune
as long as their evil
has yet to mature.
But when it's matured
that's when they meet
with evil.
Even the good
meet with bad fortune
as long as their good
has yet to mature.
But when it's matured
that's when they meet
with good fortune.
-Dhammapada, 9, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Lord God Almighty...maintain our liberties in righteousness and peace.
-Book of Common Prayer 1979
***
Don't believe in miracles; depend on them.
-Lawrence J. Peter
***
Under my watchful eye the laws of nature take their course. Thus is the world set in motion; thus the animate and inanimate are created.
-Bhagavad Gita 9:10
***
I swear by the heavens that there is a spiritual visitor each night. If only you knew this nightly visitor! It is like a star, whose brightness pierces the heart. Every soul has a guardian watching over it.
-Qur'an, At-Tariq, 86:1-4
***
The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature. - Anne Frank
***
It is in this way that we must train ourselves: by liberation of the self through love. We will develop love, we will practice it, we will make it both a way and a basis, take our stand upon it, store it up, and thoroughly set it going.
-Samyutta Nikaya
-Book of Common Prayer 1979
***
Don't believe in miracles; depend on them.
-Lawrence J. Peter
***
Under my watchful eye the laws of nature take their course. Thus is the world set in motion; thus the animate and inanimate are created.
-Bhagavad Gita 9:10
***
I swear by the heavens that there is a spiritual visitor each night. If only you knew this nightly visitor! It is like a star, whose brightness pierces the heart. Every soul has a guardian watching over it.
-Qur'an, At-Tariq, 86:1-4
***
The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature. - Anne Frank
***
It is in this way that we must train ourselves: by liberation of the self through love. We will develop love, we will practice it, we will make it both a way and a basis, take our stand upon it, store it up, and thoroughly set it going.
-Samyutta Nikaya
When your heart is dark as iron,
steadily polish yourself
that the heart may become a mirror,
a beautiful shine reflecting from within.
Although iron is dark and dismal,
polishing clears the darkness away.
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
***
It is in the deed that God reveals himself in life.
- Leo Baeck, "Essence of Judaism"
***
If there are two persons praying, there are three. If three meet to pray, there are four praying. There is always one more than you can see.
-S.D. Gordon
***
Grief can take care of itself, but to get the full value of joy you must have somebody to divide it with.
-Mark Twain
***
One who meditates upon and realizes the
self discovers that everything in the cosmos--
energy and space, fire and water, name and
form, birth and death, mind and will, word
and deed, mantram and meditation--all come
from the Self.
-Chandogya Upanishad
***
If the perfection of generosity
Were the alleviation of the world's poverty,
Then since beings are still starving now
In what manner did the previous Buddhas perfect it?
The perfection of generosity is said to be
The thought to give all beings everything,
Together with the fruit of such a thought.
Hence it is simply a state of mind.
-Santideva, "Bodhicaryavatara"
steadily polish yourself
that the heart may become a mirror,
a beautiful shine reflecting from within.
Although iron is dark and dismal,
polishing clears the darkness away.
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
***
It is in the deed that God reveals himself in life.
- Leo Baeck, "Essence of Judaism"
***
If there are two persons praying, there are three. If three meet to pray, there are four praying. There is always one more than you can see.
-S.D. Gordon
***
Grief can take care of itself, but to get the full value of joy you must have somebody to divide it with.
-Mark Twain
***
One who meditates upon and realizes the
self discovers that everything in the cosmos--
energy and space, fire and water, name and
form, birth and death, mind and will, word
and deed, mantram and meditation--all come
from the Self.
-Chandogya Upanishad
***
If the perfection of generosity
Were the alleviation of the world's poverty,
Then since beings are still starving now
In what manner did the previous Buddhas perfect it?
The perfection of generosity is said to be
The thought to give all beings everything,
Together with the fruit of such a thought.
Hence it is simply a state of mind.
-Santideva, "Bodhicaryavatara"
We need to have a mindset of letting God use us to make somebody else’s life better. When we do that, then there's a joy released in us that we’re not ever going to get anywhere else.
-Joyce Meyer
***
Yesterday is ashes; tomorrow is wood. Only today does the fire burn brightly.
-Old Eskimo proverb
***
Only the man without desire
Sees without seeing,
Speaks without speaking,
Knows without knowing.
-Ashtavakra Gita 18:90
***
Worship is like a work of art mastered only by the sincere, the learned scholars who practice what they know, who live and walk among people like everyone else, but in their hearts they seek freedom in the serenity of the wilderness. Because of this yearning they continue to grow until their spirits soar and become united with the numinous. About such God says, "Indeed they are the finest of human beings, cherished by us."
-Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jillani, "Fayuz E Yazdani"
***
While praying, listen to the words very carefully. When your heart is attentive, your entire being enters your prayer without your having to force it.
- Rebbe Nachman of Breslov
***
Like covering over with a false surface a hole full of fire, slipping thro' which the body is burnt, so is the fire of covetous desire. The wise man meddles not with it.
-Fo-Sho-Hing-Tsan-King
-Joyce Meyer
***
Yesterday is ashes; tomorrow is wood. Only today does the fire burn brightly.
-Old Eskimo proverb
***
Only the man without desire
Sees without seeing,
Speaks without speaking,
Knows without knowing.
-Ashtavakra Gita 18:90
***
Worship is like a work of art mastered only by the sincere, the learned scholars who practice what they know, who live and walk among people like everyone else, but in their hearts they seek freedom in the serenity of the wilderness. Because of this yearning they continue to grow until their spirits soar and become united with the numinous. About such God says, "Indeed they are the finest of human beings, cherished by us."
-Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jillani, "Fayuz E Yazdani"
***
While praying, listen to the words very carefully. When your heart is attentive, your entire being enters your prayer without your having to force it.
- Rebbe Nachman of Breslov
***
Like covering over with a false surface a hole full of fire, slipping thro' which the body is burnt, so is the fire of covetous desire. The wise man meddles not with it.
-Fo-Sho-Hing-Tsan-King
Saints are sinners who kept going.
-Robert Louis Stevenson
***
Narada enquired of the Lord of Love:
"What is the state of the illuminated man?"
The Lord replied: "Hard to reach is the state
Of the illuminated man. Only a few
Attain it. But even one is enough.
For he is the pure Self of the scriptures;
He is truly great because he serves me,
And I reveal myself through him always."
-Paramahamsa Upanishad
***
The Almighty Allah says: "For the righteous I have prepared that which no eyes have envisioned and no hearts conceived. Search all you want, no living soul shall ever perceive what ultimate bliss is concealed from them."
-The Prophet Muhammad (SAW), as reported by Abu Hurairah
***
Everything should be made as simple as possible--but not simpler.
- Albert Einstein
***
The more compassionate you are, the more generous you can be. The more generous you are, the more loving-friendliness you cultivate to help the world.
-Thich Nhat Hanh, "Buddhist Peacework"
-Robert Louis Stevenson
***
Narada enquired of the Lord of Love:
"What is the state of the illuminated man?"
The Lord replied: "Hard to reach is the state
Of the illuminated man. Only a few
Attain it. But even one is enough.
For he is the pure Self of the scriptures;
He is truly great because he serves me,
And I reveal myself through him always."
-Paramahamsa Upanishad
***
The Almighty Allah says: "For the righteous I have prepared that which no eyes have envisioned and no hearts conceived. Search all you want, no living soul shall ever perceive what ultimate bliss is concealed from them."
-The Prophet Muhammad (SAW), as reported by Abu Hurairah
***
Everything should be made as simple as possible--but not simpler.
- Albert Einstein
***
The more compassionate you are, the more generous you can be. The more generous you are, the more loving-friendliness you cultivate to help the world.
-Thich Nhat Hanh, "Buddhist Peacework"
No bird soars too high, if he soars with his own wings.
-William Blake
***
To those who have dispelled all doubt and perceive Truth,
Heaven is nearer than earth.
-Tirukkural 353
***
Believers! You are accountable only for your own souls. Those who go astray can never harm you if you are on the right path. All shall return to Allah in the end, where He will make known to you all that you earned.
-Qur'an, Al-Ma'idah, Surah 5:105
***
He who possesses both learning and piety is like an artist with his tools ready to hand.
- Rabbi Johanan b. Zakkai
***
Everywhere, truly,
those of integrity
stand apart.
They, the good,
don't chatter in hopes
of favor or gains.
When touched
now by pleasure,
now pain,
the wise give no sign
of high
or low.
-Dhammapada, 6, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
***
-William Blake
***
To those who have dispelled all doubt and perceive Truth,
Heaven is nearer than earth.
-Tirukkural 353
***
Believers! You are accountable only for your own souls. Those who go astray can never harm you if you are on the right path. All shall return to Allah in the end, where He will make known to you all that you earned.
-Qur'an, Al-Ma'idah, Surah 5:105
***
He who possesses both learning and piety is like an artist with his tools ready to hand.
- Rabbi Johanan b. Zakkai
***
Everywhere, truly,
those of integrity
stand apart.
They, the good,
don't chatter in hopes
of favor or gains.
When touched
now by pleasure,
now pain,
the wise give no sign
of high
or low.
-Dhammapada, 6, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
***
I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die.
-John 11:25-26 (Revised Standard Version)
***
You shall go out with joy and be led forth in peace. The mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
-Isaiah 55:12
***
Those who are deluded by the operation of the gunas become attached to the results of their action. Those who understand these truths should not unsettle the ignorant. Performing all actions for my sake, completely absorbed in the Self, and without expectations, fight! - but stay free from the fever of the ego.
-Bhagavad Gita 3:29-30
***
Yet I realized that my only hope of attaining eternal bliss was by detaching myself from all worldly desires, and by honouring God in every aspect of my life. I knew that I had to leave the mansion of deception, and set out with all vigour towards the house of God. I had to turn away from wealth and position, and flee from all the worldly obligations that consumed my time.
-Ghazali, “al-Munqidh min ad-Dalal”
***
Gossip kills three: the speaker, the spoken of, and the listener.
- Rabbi Samuel b. Nahman, Numbers Rabbah
***
How could it be permissible to form a cult, gather followers and cronies, dash off writings, and toil in pursuit of objects for love of honor and advantage?
-Tung-shan
-John 11:25-26 (Revised Standard Version)
***
You shall go out with joy and be led forth in peace. The mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
-Isaiah 55:12
***
Those who are deluded by the operation of the gunas become attached to the results of their action. Those who understand these truths should not unsettle the ignorant. Performing all actions for my sake, completely absorbed in the Self, and without expectations, fight! - but stay free from the fever of the ego.
-Bhagavad Gita 3:29-30
***
Yet I realized that my only hope of attaining eternal bliss was by detaching myself from all worldly desires, and by honouring God in every aspect of my life. I knew that I had to leave the mansion of deception, and set out with all vigour towards the house of God. I had to turn away from wealth and position, and flee from all the worldly obligations that consumed my time.
-Ghazali, “al-Munqidh min ad-Dalal”
***
Gossip kills three: the speaker, the spoken of, and the listener.
- Rabbi Samuel b. Nahman, Numbers Rabbah
***
How could it be permissible to form a cult, gather followers and cronies, dash off writings, and toil in pursuit of objects for love of honor and advantage?
-Tung-shan
Very high, very grand, and very wise is the ocean of God, the Water of Life. You went after the form and were lead astray. How can you see it? You abandoned the truth. Sometimes it is named "tree," sometimes "sun," sometimes "ocean," sometimes "cloud," one thing from which scores of discoveries arise, its slightest definition an everlasting life.
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
***
King of all days
Oh so highly exalted
Glorious in Heaven above
Humbly You came to the earth You created
All for love’s sake became poor
-Worship Song, "Light of the World"
***
A heart is not judged by how much you love, but by how much you are loved by others.
-The Wizard to the Tin Man (submitted by tranme)
***
Peace be to earth and to airy spaces!
Peace be to heaven, peace be to the waters,
peace to the plants and peace to the trees!
May all the Gods grant to me peace!
By this invocation of peace may be diffused!
-Atharva Veda
***
Holiness is the essence of all moral perfection.
- Kaufmann Kohler, "Jewish Theology"
***
If you are afraid of pain,
if you don't like it,
do nothing evil,
either openly or in secret.
For if you do,
even if you get up and run away
you won't escape its pain.
If you are afraid of pain,
if you don't like it,
take refuge in the Buddha,
the Dharma and the Sangha.
Train in the precepts.
This is good.
-Theri-Gatha, 246-249
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
***
King of all days
Oh so highly exalted
Glorious in Heaven above
Humbly You came to the earth You created
All for love’s sake became poor
-Worship Song, "Light of the World"
***
A heart is not judged by how much you love, but by how much you are loved by others.
-The Wizard to the Tin Man (submitted by tranme)
***
Peace be to earth and to airy spaces!
Peace be to heaven, peace be to the waters,
peace to the plants and peace to the trees!
May all the Gods grant to me peace!
By this invocation of peace may be diffused!
-Atharva Veda
***
Holiness is the essence of all moral perfection.
- Kaufmann Kohler, "Jewish Theology"
***
If you are afraid of pain,
if you don't like it,
do nothing evil,
either openly or in secret.
For if you do,
even if you get up and run away
you won't escape its pain.
If you are afraid of pain,
if you don't like it,
take refuge in the Buddha,
the Dharma and the Sangha.
Train in the precepts.
This is good.
-Theri-Gatha, 246-249
Wa kul-la Shay - in ahsaynahu fi Imamim-mubin
And we have vested everything in the Manifest Imam. (Holy Quran, 36:12)
***
How far that little candle shows his beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world.
-William Shakespeare
***
Knowledge born of the finest discrimination takes us to the farthest shore. It is intuitive, omniscient, and beyond all divisions of time and space.
-The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, 3:54
***
If any man was wronged by another and he neither rebukes, nor hates, nor bears a grudge against him, but forgives him with his whole heart, this is a saintly virtue...
- Code of Jewish Law
***
Guard against anger
erupting in body;
in body, be restrained.
Having abandoned bodily misconduct,
live conducting yourself well
in body.
Guard against anger
erupting in speech;
in speech, be restrained.
Having abandoned verbal misconduct,
live conducting yourself well
in speech.
-Dhammapada, 17, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
***
And we have vested everything in the Manifest Imam. (Holy Quran, 36:12)
***
How far that little candle shows his beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world.
-William Shakespeare
***
Knowledge born of the finest discrimination takes us to the farthest shore. It is intuitive, omniscient, and beyond all divisions of time and space.
-The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, 3:54
***
If any man was wronged by another and he neither rebukes, nor hates, nor bears a grudge against him, but forgives him with his whole heart, this is a saintly virtue...
- Code of Jewish Law
***
Guard against anger
erupting in body;
in body, be restrained.
Having abandoned bodily misconduct,
live conducting yourself well
in body.
Guard against anger
erupting in speech;
in speech, be restrained.
Having abandoned verbal misconduct,
live conducting yourself well
in speech.
-Dhammapada, 17, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
***
Sometimes, because we were friends, I rashly said, "Oh, Krishna!" "Say, friend!"—casual, careless remarks. Whatever I may have said lightly, whether we were playing or resting, alone or in company, sitting together or eating, if it was disrespectful, forgive me for it, O Krishna. I did not know the greatness of your nature, unchanging and imperishable.
-Bhagavad Gita 11:41-42
***
Whoever is sitting with friends
is in the midst of a flower garden,
though he may be in the fire.
Whoever sits with an enemy is in the fire,
even though he is in the midst of a garden.
-Rumi, "Mathnawi" [IV, 1976-1978]
***
I think that if God forgives us we must forgive ourselves.
-C.S. Lewis
***
The quality of a man's life is in direct proportion to his commitment to excellence, regardless of his chosen field of endeavor.
-Vince Lombardi
***
The virtue of angels is that they cannot deteriorate; their flaw is that they cannot improve. Humanity's flaw is that we can deteriorate; but our virtue is that we can improve.
- Hasidic saying
***
He who entirely cuts off his craving
by drying up its fierce and rapid flow,
--such a monk gives up the here and the beyond,
just as a serpent sheds its worn-out skin.
-Sutta Nipata
-Bhagavad Gita 11:41-42
***
Whoever is sitting with friends
is in the midst of a flower garden,
though he may be in the fire.
Whoever sits with an enemy is in the fire,
even though he is in the midst of a garden.
-Rumi, "Mathnawi" [IV, 1976-1978]
***
I think that if God forgives us we must forgive ourselves.
-C.S. Lewis
***
The quality of a man's life is in direct proportion to his commitment to excellence, regardless of his chosen field of endeavor.
-Vince Lombardi
***
The virtue of angels is that they cannot deteriorate; their flaw is that they cannot improve. Humanity's flaw is that we can deteriorate; but our virtue is that we can improve.
- Hasidic saying
***
He who entirely cuts off his craving
by drying up its fierce and rapid flow,
--such a monk gives up the here and the beyond,
just as a serpent sheds its worn-out skin.
-Sutta Nipata
Grace is when God gives us what we don't deserve and mercy is when God doesn't give us what we do deserve.
-Unknown
***
Each day comes bearing its own gifts. Untie the ribbons.
-Ruth Ann Schabacker
***
Those men who for others' disgrace and their own feel equally ashamed
Are regarded by the world as the abode of modesty.
The great would rather defend themselves with modesty's barricade
Than breach it to acquire the vast world itself.
-Tirukkural 102: 1015-1016
***
Consider the way for ordinary people. They should believe in the unity of God. They should expel from their minds all ideas of other gods, or other beings which are similar to God; they should know that God has no equals. Yet equally they should realize there are spiritual forces which are opposed to God. They should trust God, and fear all that are opposed to him.
-Junayd, “Tawhid”
***
The whole world is a very narrow bridge. And the most important thing is to not be afraid.
- Rabbi Nachman of Breslov
***
Drink deeply.
Live in serenity and joy.
The wise person delights in the truth
And follows the law of the awakened.
The farmer channels water to his land.
The fletcher whittles his arrows.
And the carpenter turns his wood.
So the wise direct their mind.
-Dhammapada, translated by Thomas Byrom
-Unknown
***
Each day comes bearing its own gifts. Untie the ribbons.
-Ruth Ann Schabacker
***
Those men who for others' disgrace and their own feel equally ashamed
Are regarded by the world as the abode of modesty.
The great would rather defend themselves with modesty's barricade
Than breach it to acquire the vast world itself.
-Tirukkural 102: 1015-1016
***
Consider the way for ordinary people. They should believe in the unity of God. They should expel from their minds all ideas of other gods, or other beings which are similar to God; they should know that God has no equals. Yet equally they should realize there are spiritual forces which are opposed to God. They should trust God, and fear all that are opposed to him.
-Junayd, “Tawhid”
***
The whole world is a very narrow bridge. And the most important thing is to not be afraid.
- Rabbi Nachman of Breslov
***
Drink deeply.
Live in serenity and joy.
The wise person delights in the truth
And follows the law of the awakened.
The farmer channels water to his land.
The fletcher whittles his arrows.
And the carpenter turns his wood.
So the wise direct their mind.
-Dhammapada, translated by Thomas Byrom
Your joy comes from how you think, the choices that we make in life.
-Joyce Meyer
***
All you need is deep within you waiting to unfold and reveal itself. All you have to do is be still and take time to seek for what is within, and you will surely find it.
-Eileen Caddy
***
The supreme Self, adored in the scriptures,
Can be realized through the path of yoga.
Subtler than the banyan seed, subtler
Than the tiniest grain, even subtler
Than the hundred-thousandth part of a hair,
This Self cannot be grasped, cannot be seen.
-Atma Upanishad
***
This religion is easy. Do not make it a rigor, or you shall be overcome. Be steadfast, seek the closeness of Allah, grow in virtue, and implore His appeasement day and night.
-The Prophet Muhammad, as reported by Abu Hurairah
***
The whole of the Torah is for promoting peace, as it is written, "Her ways are pleasant, and all her paths peaceful."
- Babylonian Talmud, Gittin 59b
***
It is a defect in language that words suggest permanent realities and people do not see through this deception. But mere words cannot create reality. Thus people speak of a final goal and believe it is real, but it is a form of words and the goal as such is without substance. The one who realizes the emptiness of objects and concepts does not depend on words. Perfect wisdom is beyond definition, and pathlessness is the way to it.
The wise one treads this path for the direct realization of impermanence and for the direct realization of understanding. This, then, is perfect wisdom. Such a one should tread this path knowing that attachment and attractions are neither good nor harmful, even enlightenment is neither good nor harmful, because perfect wisdom is not meant to promote good or harm for that person. However, even though there is no intention of good or harm, it does confer endless blessing.
-Prajnaparamita
-Joyce Meyer
***
All you need is deep within you waiting to unfold and reveal itself. All you have to do is be still and take time to seek for what is within, and you will surely find it.
-Eileen Caddy
***
The supreme Self, adored in the scriptures,
Can be realized through the path of yoga.
Subtler than the banyan seed, subtler
Than the tiniest grain, even subtler
Than the hundred-thousandth part of a hair,
This Self cannot be grasped, cannot be seen.
-Atma Upanishad
***
This religion is easy. Do not make it a rigor, or you shall be overcome. Be steadfast, seek the closeness of Allah, grow in virtue, and implore His appeasement day and night.
-The Prophet Muhammad, as reported by Abu Hurairah
***
The whole of the Torah is for promoting peace, as it is written, "Her ways are pleasant, and all her paths peaceful."
- Babylonian Talmud, Gittin 59b
***
It is a defect in language that words suggest permanent realities and people do not see through this deception. But mere words cannot create reality. Thus people speak of a final goal and believe it is real, but it is a form of words and the goal as such is without substance. The one who realizes the emptiness of objects and concepts does not depend on words. Perfect wisdom is beyond definition, and pathlessness is the way to it.
The wise one treads this path for the direct realization of impermanence and for the direct realization of understanding. This, then, is perfect wisdom. Such a one should tread this path knowing that attachment and attractions are neither good nor harmful, even enlightenment is neither good nor harmful, because perfect wisdom is not meant to promote good or harm for that person. However, even though there is no intention of good or harm, it does confer endless blessing.
-Prajnaparamita
The true, living faith, which the Holy Spirit instills into the heart, simply cannot be idle.
-Martin Luther
***
The trouble is, if you don't risk anything, you risk even more.
-Erica Jong
***
The six months of the northern path of the sun, the path of light, of fire, of day, of the bright fortnight, leads knowers of Brahman to the supreme goal. The six months of the southern path of the sun, the path of smoke, of night, of the dark fortnight, leads other souls to the light of the moon and rebirth.
-Bhagavad Gita 8:24-25
***
By the declining day, humankind is at a great disadvantage, save those who do good works, admonish one another to be forthright, and inspire each other to endure hardship.
-Qur'an, Al-'Asr, Surah 103:1-3
***
The Torah was given in the desert, teaching us that to merit Torah, a man must renounce himself like the desert.
- Pesikta de-Rab Kahana
***
If you have a reason, you don't need to shout.
-Zen proverb
-Martin Luther
***
The trouble is, if you don't risk anything, you risk even more.
-Erica Jong
***
The six months of the northern path of the sun, the path of light, of fire, of day, of the bright fortnight, leads knowers of Brahman to the supreme goal. The six months of the southern path of the sun, the path of smoke, of night, of the dark fortnight, leads other souls to the light of the moon and rebirth.
-Bhagavad Gita 8:24-25
***
By the declining day, humankind is at a great disadvantage, save those who do good works, admonish one another to be forthright, and inspire each other to endure hardship.
-Qur'an, Al-'Asr, Surah 103:1-3
***
The Torah was given in the desert, teaching us that to merit Torah, a man must renounce himself like the desert.
- Pesikta de-Rab Kahana
***
If you have a reason, you don't need to shout.
-Zen proverb
I have come as light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.
-John 12:46 (Revised Standard Version)
***
Praise and blame, gain and loss, pleasure and sorrow come and go like the wind. To be happy, rest like a giant tree in the midst of them all.
-Buddha
***
O God, it would be impossible for me to distance myself from you; it would be impossible for you to distance yourself from me. In the certainty of our relationship, proximity and distance are the same.
-Hallaj, “Tawasin”
***
There is no true justice unless mercy is part of it.
- The Zohar
***
He who has nothing
--in front, behind, in between--
the one with nothing
who clings to no thing:
he's what I call
a brahmin.
-Dhammapada 421-2, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
***
-John 12:46 (Revised Standard Version)
***
Praise and blame, gain and loss, pleasure and sorrow come and go like the wind. To be happy, rest like a giant tree in the midst of them all.
-Buddha
***
O God, it would be impossible for me to distance myself from you; it would be impossible for you to distance yourself from me. In the certainty of our relationship, proximity and distance are the same.
-Hallaj, “Tawasin”
***
There is no true justice unless mercy is part of it.
- The Zohar
***
He who has nothing
--in front, behind, in between--
the one with nothing
who clings to no thing:
he's what I call
a brahmin.
-Dhammapada 421-2, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
***
Age sort of forces you into loving and accepting yourself, because what are the options?
-Anne Lamott
***
Freedom is nothing else but a chance to be better.
-Albert Camus
***
Those who are free from arrogance, anger, and lust
Will prosper in great dignity.
-Tirukkural 431
***
We honored man by the gift of free will.
Half of him is honeybee, the other half snake.
True believers are stores of honey.
Stores of poison are those who do not believe.
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
***
There is no hope unmingled with fear, and no fear unmingled with hope.
- Baruch Spinoza, "Ethics"
***
Here, O Sariputra, form is emptiness and the very emptiness is form; emptiness does not differ from form, form does not differ from emptiness; whatever is form, that is emptiness, whatever is emptiness, that is form, the same is true of feelings, perceptions, impulses, and consciousness.
-Heart Sutra
***
-Anne Lamott
***
Freedom is nothing else but a chance to be better.
-Albert Camus
***
Those who are free from arrogance, anger, and lust
Will prosper in great dignity.
-Tirukkural 431
***
We honored man by the gift of free will.
Half of him is honeybee, the other half snake.
True believers are stores of honey.
Stores of poison are those who do not believe.
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
***
There is no hope unmingled with fear, and no fear unmingled with hope.
- Baruch Spinoza, "Ethics"
***
Here, O Sariputra, form is emptiness and the very emptiness is form; emptiness does not differ from form, form does not differ from emptiness; whatever is form, that is emptiness, whatever is emptiness, that is form, the same is true of feelings, perceptions, impulses, and consciousness.
-Heart Sutra
***
Where the will of God leads you, the grace of God will keep you.
-Unknown
***
Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy.
-Anne Frank
***
The wise see the Lord of Love in all food;
From food comes seed, and from seed all creatures.
They take the lunar path who live for sex;
But those who are self-controlled and truthful
Will go to the bright regions of the sun.
-Prashna Upanishad
***
I say to you that you must either believe the Quran or deny it. Some people were given spiritual knowledge before the Quran was revealed. When the Quran is recited to them, they exclaim: 'Glory be to our Lord; his promise has been fulfilled.' They fall down on their faces, and weep; and as they listen to the Quran, their humility increases.
-Qur'an, Al-Isra, Surah 17:107-109
***
True divine religion needs neither arms nor fingers for its use; it is all spirit and heart.
- Moses Mendelssohn
***
Life continues to create itself and fall away, and suffering returns, and delight arrives, if even for a moment--agony, peace, rapture.
-Sandy Boucher, "Hidden Spring"
***
-Unknown
***
Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy.
-Anne Frank
***
The wise see the Lord of Love in all food;
From food comes seed, and from seed all creatures.
They take the lunar path who live for sex;
But those who are self-controlled and truthful
Will go to the bright regions of the sun.
-Prashna Upanishad
***
I say to you that you must either believe the Quran or deny it. Some people were given spiritual knowledge before the Quran was revealed. When the Quran is recited to them, they exclaim: 'Glory be to our Lord; his promise has been fulfilled.' They fall down on their faces, and weep; and as they listen to the Quran, their humility increases.
-Qur'an, Al-Isra, Surah 17:107-109
***
True divine religion needs neither arms nor fingers for its use; it is all spirit and heart.
- Moses Mendelssohn
***
Life continues to create itself and fall away, and suffering returns, and delight arrives, if even for a moment--agony, peace, rapture.
-Sandy Boucher, "Hidden Spring"
***
Just as darkness retreats before light, so all anger and bitterness disappear for the fragrance of humility.
-John Climacus
***
In our era, the road to holiness necessarily passes through the world of action.
-Dag Hammarskjold
***
The sages call it Akshara, the Imperishable. It is neither big nor small, neither long nor short, neither hot nor cold, neither bright nor dark, neither air nor space. It is without attachment, without taste, smell, or touch, without eyes, ears, tongue, mouth, breath, or mind, without movement, without limitation, without inside or outside. It consumes nothing, and nothing consumes it.
In perfect accord with the will of the Imperishable, sun and moon make their orbits; heaven and earth remain in place; moments, hours, days, nights, fortnights, months, and seasons become years; rivers starting from the snow-clad mountains flow east and west, north and south, to the sea.
-Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
***
Within tears, find a hidden laughter;
seek treasure amid ruins, sincere one.
-Mathnawi [VI, 1586]
***
In the final analysis, for the believer there are no questions, and for the non-believer there are no answers.
- The Haffetz Hayyim
***
Here he grieves
he grieves hereafter.
In both worlds
the wrong-doer grieves.
He grieves, he's afflicted,
seeing the corruption
of his deeds.
Here he rejoices
he rejoices hereafter.
In both worlds
the merit-maker rejoices.
He rejoices, is jubilant,
seeing the purity
of his deeds.
-Dhammapada, 13-14, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
***
-John Climacus
***
In our era, the road to holiness necessarily passes through the world of action.
-Dag Hammarskjold
***
The sages call it Akshara, the Imperishable. It is neither big nor small, neither long nor short, neither hot nor cold, neither bright nor dark, neither air nor space. It is without attachment, without taste, smell, or touch, without eyes, ears, tongue, mouth, breath, or mind, without movement, without limitation, without inside or outside. It consumes nothing, and nothing consumes it.
In perfect accord with the will of the Imperishable, sun and moon make their orbits; heaven and earth remain in place; moments, hours, days, nights, fortnights, months, and seasons become years; rivers starting from the snow-clad mountains flow east and west, north and south, to the sea.
-Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
***
Within tears, find a hidden laughter;
seek treasure amid ruins, sincere one.
-Mathnawi [VI, 1586]
***
In the final analysis, for the believer there are no questions, and for the non-believer there are no answers.
- The Haffetz Hayyim
***
Here he grieves
he grieves hereafter.
In both worlds
the wrong-doer grieves.
He grieves, he's afflicted,
seeing the corruption
of his deeds.
Here he rejoices
he rejoices hereafter.
In both worlds
the merit-maker rejoices.
He rejoices, is jubilant,
seeing the purity
of his deeds.
-Dhammapada, 13-14, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
***
Since God offers to manage our affairs for us, let us once and for all hand them over to His infinite wisdom, in order to occupy ourselves only with Himself and what belongs to Him.
-J.P. de Caussade
***
People may fail many times, but they become failures only when they begin to blame someone else.
-Unknown
***
What is truthfulness? It is the speaking of words
Which are entirely free from harmful effects.
-Tirukkural 291
***
I never hear the call of prayer without remembering the trumpet blare on the Day of Resurrection. I never see the snow without remembering the fluttering scrolls of deeds being handed out. I never see a swarm of locusts without remembering the assembly on the Day of Judgment.
-Rabia, "Rabi'a the Mystic"
***
In seeking wisdom the first step is silence, the second: listening, the third: remembering, the fourth: practicing, the fifth: teaching others.
- Solomon Ibn Gabirol
***
In the unthinkable, inscrutable, ordinary nature of reality there is no difference between freedom and bondage. No matter what arises, when you perceive your original nature, the joy arises automatically--and what joy!
-Shabkar, "The Flight Of The Garuda"
***
-J.P. de Caussade
***
People may fail many times, but they become failures only when they begin to blame someone else.
-Unknown
***
What is truthfulness? It is the speaking of words
Which are entirely free from harmful effects.
-Tirukkural 291
***
I never hear the call of prayer without remembering the trumpet blare on the Day of Resurrection. I never see the snow without remembering the fluttering scrolls of deeds being handed out. I never see a swarm of locusts without remembering the assembly on the Day of Judgment.
-Rabia, "Rabi'a the Mystic"
***
In seeking wisdom the first step is silence, the second: listening, the third: remembering, the fourth: practicing, the fifth: teaching others.
- Solomon Ibn Gabirol
***
In the unthinkable, inscrutable, ordinary nature of reality there is no difference between freedom and bondage. No matter what arises, when you perceive your original nature, the joy arises automatically--and what joy!
-Shabkar, "The Flight Of The Garuda"
***
I found out...that my personal joy is not somebody else’s responsibility. It’s my responsibility.
-Joyce Meyer
***
'New' doesn't equate with 'happy,' or there wouldn't be any antique stores.
-Wilfred Ford
***
The Lord of Love, not larger than the thumb,
Is ever enshrined in the hearts of all.
Draw him clear out of the physical sheath,
As one draws the stalk from the munja grass.
Know thyself to be pure and immortal!
Know thyself to be pure and immortal!
-Katha Upanishad
***
There is a key for everything, and the key to Paradise is to love the poor.
-The Prophet Muhammad (SAW), as reported by Ibn Umar
***
Imagined woes pain none the less.
- Heinrich Heine, "City of Lucca"
***
It is easier to meditate than to actually do something for others. I feel that merely to meditate on compassion is to take the passive option. Our meditation should form the basis for action, for seizing the opportunity to do something.
-His Holiness the Dalai Lama
***
-Joyce Meyer
***
'New' doesn't equate with 'happy,' or there wouldn't be any antique stores.
-Wilfred Ford
***
The Lord of Love, not larger than the thumb,
Is ever enshrined in the hearts of all.
Draw him clear out of the physical sheath,
As one draws the stalk from the munja grass.
Know thyself to be pure and immortal!
Know thyself to be pure and immortal!
-Katha Upanishad
***
There is a key for everything, and the key to Paradise is to love the poor.
-The Prophet Muhammad (SAW), as reported by Ibn Umar
***
Imagined woes pain none the less.
- Heinrich Heine, "City of Lucca"
***
It is easier to meditate than to actually do something for others. I feel that merely to meditate on compassion is to take the passive option. Our meditation should form the basis for action, for seizing the opportunity to do something.
-His Holiness the Dalai Lama
***
We ought not to be weary of doing little things for the love of God, who regards not the greatness of the work, but the love with which it is performed.
-Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God
***
Be curious always! For knowledge will not acquire you: you must acquire it.
-Sudie Back
***
You have the right to work, but never to the fruit of work. You should never engage in action for the sake of reward, nor should you long for inaction. Perform work in this world…as a man established within himself - without selfish attachments, and alike in success and defeat. For yoga is perfect evenness of mind.
-Bhagavad Gita 2:47-48
***
Glory to God; let God be praised. He is high above all falsehood. The seven heavens, the earth below, and all which live on the earth and in the heavens, give glory to God. All creatures praise him--except some men and women, who do not understand his glory. God is benign and forgiving.
-Qur'an, Al-Isra, Surah 17:43-44
***
Heedful among the heedless,
wakeful among those asleep,
just as the fast horse advances,
leaving the weak behind:
so the wise.
-Dhammapada, 2, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
***
-Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God
***
Be curious always! For knowledge will not acquire you: you must acquire it.
-Sudie Back
***
You have the right to work, but never to the fruit of work. You should never engage in action for the sake of reward, nor should you long for inaction. Perform work in this world…as a man established within himself - without selfish attachments, and alike in success and defeat. For yoga is perfect evenness of mind.
-Bhagavad Gita 2:47-48
***
Glory to God; let God be praised. He is high above all falsehood. The seven heavens, the earth below, and all which live on the earth and in the heavens, give glory to God. All creatures praise him--except some men and women, who do not understand his glory. God is benign and forgiving.
-Qur'an, Al-Isra, Surah 17:43-44
***
Heedful among the heedless,
wakeful among those asleep,
just as the fast horse advances,
leaving the weak behind:
so the wise.
-Dhammapada, 2, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
***
If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
-Luke 9:23 (Revised Standard Version)
***
In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on.
-Robert Frost
***
The ego is like a stick dividing water in two. It creates the impression that you are one and I am another. When the ego vanishes you will realize that Brahman is your own inner consciousness.
-Ramakrishna
***
In finances, be strict with yourself, generous with others.
- Maimonides, "Yad: Deot"
Reprinted
***
My Lord, my desire in this world is to remember You above all other things of this world and the next and, out of all who are in that world, to be the one to meet with You alone. However, this is what I say: "Your will be done."
-Rabi'a, "Rabi'a the Mystic"
From "The Bounty of Allah."
***
Once, two very old brahmans, both 120 years old, came to see the Buddha. They sat down before him and said:
"We are brahmans, frail and old. We have not done anything noble or even particularly worthwhile. So now there is nothing to reduce our fear of death. Please show us a way to happiness."
The Buddha said: "Yes, brahmans, you are truly frail and old and now you are full of fear. This world is flooded with old age, sickness, and death. But if you can practice some insight into your deeds, some control over your words, and some contemplation of your thoughts, that will provide you with a refuge and a shelter.
"Your life is nearly over. No one is immune from old age and death. Remembering death and keeping it in your mind, practice performing good deeds that lead to happiness for others. One who perfoms good deeds and is thoughtful will become harmonious in body, speech, and mind. He will find that death is not to be feared but indeed brings happiness."
-Anguttara NIkaya
-Luke 9:23 (Revised Standard Version)
***
In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on.
-Robert Frost
***
The ego is like a stick dividing water in two. It creates the impression that you are one and I am another. When the ego vanishes you will realize that Brahman is your own inner consciousness.
-Ramakrishna
***
In finances, be strict with yourself, generous with others.
- Maimonides, "Yad: Deot"
Reprinted
***
My Lord, my desire in this world is to remember You above all other things of this world and the next and, out of all who are in that world, to be the one to meet with You alone. However, this is what I say: "Your will be done."
-Rabi'a, "Rabi'a the Mystic"
From "The Bounty of Allah."
***
Once, two very old brahmans, both 120 years old, came to see the Buddha. They sat down before him and said:
"We are brahmans, frail and old. We have not done anything noble or even particularly worthwhile. So now there is nothing to reduce our fear of death. Please show us a way to happiness."
The Buddha said: "Yes, brahmans, you are truly frail and old and now you are full of fear. This world is flooded with old age, sickness, and death. But if you can practice some insight into your deeds, some control over your words, and some contemplation of your thoughts, that will provide you with a refuge and a shelter.
"Your life is nearly over. No one is immune from old age and death. Remembering death and keeping it in your mind, practice performing good deeds that lead to happiness for others. One who perfoms good deeds and is thoughtful will become harmonious in body, speech, and mind. He will find that death is not to be feared but indeed brings happiness."
-Anguttara NIkaya
On the spiritual path, all the dreck and misery is transformed, maybe not that same day, but still transformed into spiritual fuel or insight.
-Anne Lamott
***
The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
***
The eradication of the craving for personal separateness is Liberation.
-Sankara
***
If you have no eyes, do not walk blindly;
take a staff in your hand.
If you have no staff of insight,
do not walk without a guide.
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
***
Our Rabbis taught: Gemilut Chesed (loving-kindness) is greater than charity in three ways. Charity is done with one's money, while loving-kindness may be done with one's money or with one's person [e.g., spending time with a sick person]. Charity is given only to the poor, while loving-kindness may be given both to the poor and to the rich [e.g., consoling one who is in mourning or depressed.] Charity is given only to the living, while loving-kindness may be shown to both the living and the dead [e.g., by arranging a proper burial for a person who died indigent].
- Babylonian Talmud, Sukkot 49b
***
Just as, O Bhikkhus, the Great Ocean has but one taste, the taste of salt, even so, O Bhikkhus, this doctrine has but one taste, the taste of Deliverance.
-Udana
-Anne Lamott
***
The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
***
The eradication of the craving for personal separateness is Liberation.
-Sankara
***
If you have no eyes, do not walk blindly;
take a staff in your hand.
If you have no staff of insight,
do not walk without a guide.
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
***
Our Rabbis taught: Gemilut Chesed (loving-kindness) is greater than charity in three ways. Charity is done with one's money, while loving-kindness may be done with one's money or with one's person [e.g., spending time with a sick person]. Charity is given only to the poor, while loving-kindness may be given both to the poor and to the rich [e.g., consoling one who is in mourning or depressed.] Charity is given only to the living, while loving-kindness may be shown to both the living and the dead [e.g., by arranging a proper burial for a person who died indigent].
- Babylonian Talmud, Sukkot 49b
***
Just as, O Bhikkhus, the Great Ocean has but one taste, the taste of salt, even so, O Bhikkhus, this doctrine has but one taste, the taste of Deliverance.
-Udana