In Praise of Virtue

[Skull]

He who in the present state
Vanquishes as much as possible
A corporeal life, through the exercise of
The cathartic virtues,
Passes in reality into
The fortunate islands of the soul,
And lives surrounded with
The bright splendours of truth
And wisdom proceeding from
The sun of good.

Thomas Taylor, Essay on the Eleusian and Bacchic Mysteries

 

[.oldschool]

 

[Skull]

In the present stages of spiritual experience, the believer's interior comfort, and his exterior lustre, greatly depend on the position of his heart toward the uncreated sun of righteousness. How obscure and benighted are our views, and how languid our exercise of grace, when an unbelieving, a worldly, or a careless spirit, interrupts our walk with God! But, if the out-goings of our souls are to him, and if the in-pourings of his blessed influence be felt, we glow, we kindle, we burn, we shine.

Augustus M. Toplady (d. 1778)

 

[Skull]

Most of people’s activities are valueless, if not downright destructive. Dominated by desire and fear, ceasing to do evil precedes beginning to do good. Hence the need for stopping all activities for a time, to investigate one’s urges and their motives.

Nisargadatta (d. 1981)

 

[Skull]

The Demon of commerce is preparing with his extended savage arm to crush the votaries of truth, and depopulate the divine retreats of philosophy. Rise then ye liberal few, and vindicate the dignity of ancient wisdom. Bring truth from her silent and sacred concealments, and vigorously repel the growing empire of barbaric taste, which bids fair to extinguish the celestial fire of philosophy and to bury the divine light of mind, in the sordid gloom of sense....

There yet remains an inheritance for the lovers of wisdom in the regions of intellect, those fortunate islands of truth, where all is tranquil and serene, beyond the power of chance, and the reach of change. Let us then fly from hence my friends, to those delightful realms, for there, while connected with body, we may find a retreat from the storms and tempests of a corporeal life. Let us build for ourselves the raft of virtue, and departing from this region of sense, like Ulysses from the charms of Calypso, direct our course by the light of ideas, those bright intellectual stars, through the dark ocean of a material nature, until we arrive at our father's land. For there having divested ourselves of the torn garments of mortality, as much as our union with body will permit, we may resume our natural appearance: and may each of us at length recover the ruined empire of his soul.

Thomas Taylor (d. 1835)

 

[Skull]

I have known a vast quantity of nonsense talked about bad men not looking you in the face.
Don't trust that idea.
Dishonesty will stare honesty out of countenance any day in the week, if there is anything to be got by it.

Dickens

 

[Skull]

The Voice of Christ

I taught the prophets from the beginning, and even to this day I continue to speak to
all men. But many are hardened. Many are deaf to My voice. Most men listen more willingly
to the world than to God. They are more ready to follow the appetite of their flesh than the
good pleasure of God. The world, which promises small and passing things, is served with
great eagerness: I promise great and eternal things and the hearts of men grow dull. Who
is there that serves and obeys Me in all things with as great care as that with which the world
and its masters are served?

“Be thou ashamed, O Sidon, for the sea speaketh.” [Isa. 23:4] And if you ask why, listen to the
cause: for a small gain they travel far; for eternal life many will scarcely lift a foot from the
ground. They seek a petty reward, and sometimes fight shamefully in law courts for a single
piece of money. They are not afraid to work day and night for a trifle or an empty promise.
But, for an unchanging good, for a reward beyond estimate, for the greatest honor and for
glory everlasting, it must be said to their shame that men begrudge even the least fatigue.
Be ashamed, then, lazy and complaining servant, that they should be found more eager for
perdition than you are for life, that they rejoice more in vanity than you in truth.

Sometimes indeed their expectations fail them, but My promise never deceives, nor
does it send away empty-handed him who trusts in Me. What I have promised I will give.
What I have said I will fulfill, if only a man remain faithful in My love to the end. I am the
rewarder of all the good, the strong approver of all who are devoted to Me.

Write My words in your heart and meditate on them earnestly, for in time of temptation
they will be very necessary. What you do not understand when you read, you will learn in
the day of visitation. I am wont to visit My elect in two ways—by temptation and by consolation.
To them I read two lessons daily—one reproving their vices, the other exhorting them
to progress in virtue. He who has My words and despises them has that which shall condemn
him on the last day.

From Book III, Imitation of Christ

 

[Skull]

An outline of Damascius' seven degrees of virtue:

Platonic Philosophy

 

[Skull]

Equanimity, which means “even-mindedness,” gives to love
an even, unchanging firmness and loyalty. It endows it with
the great virtue of patience. Equanimity furnishes
compassion with an even, unwavering courage and
fearlessness, enabling it to face the awesome abyss of misery
and despair which confront boundless compassion again
and again. To the active side of compassion, equanimity is
the calm and firm hand led by wisdom— indispensable to
those who want to practice the difficult art of helping
others. And here again equanimity means patience, the
patient devotion to the work of compassion.

In these and other ways equanimity may be said to be the
crown and culmination of the other three sublime states.

Nyanaponika on using Equanimity to counteract evil & foster good.

 

[Skull]

For to say “Look to God” is not helpful without some instruction as to what this looking imports: it might very well be said that one can “look” and still sacrifice no pleasure, still be the slave of impulse, repeating the word God but held in the grip of every passion and making no effort to master any. Virtue, advancing towards the Term and, linked with thought, occupying a Soul makes God manifest: God on the lips, without a good conduct of life, is a word.

Plotinus Enneads 2.9.15

 

[anynameyouwish]

There are many virtues found in all spiritual traditions. This thread will present some. The reasons or explanations for valuing virtues differ, but the practice is more important for most of we humans.

Whatever is right springs from one of four sources. It consists either in the perception and skilful treatment of the truth; or in maintaining good fellowship with men, giving to every one his due, and keeping faith in contracts and promises; or in the greatness and strength of a lofty and unconquered mind; or in the order and measure that constitute moderation and temperance.

Cicero

one mans virtue is another mans trump

 

[Skull]

I would advise all in general, that they would take into serious consideration the true and genuine ends of knowledge; that they seek it not either for pleasure, or contention, or contempt of others, or for profit, or fame, or for honour and promotion, or such-like adulterate or inferior ends; but for merit and emolument of life, that they may regulate and perfect the same in charity.

Francis Bacon

​

 

[Skull]

Lord, make clear to us our guiding Soul, for we take courage knowing our Divine Source.

Golden Verses of Pythagoras

 

[Skull]

We are members of one great body, planted by nature in a mutual love, and fitted for a social life. We must consider that we were born for the good of the whole.

Seneca.

 

[Skull]

That which we call self-sacrifice is in reality the proclamation of our own universal nature.

George W. Russell

 

[HenryBHough]

Virtue is a good thing.

Virtue signaling destroys the value of any alleged virtue that might have been present.

I guess that's why liberals do the signaling without bothering to have any virtue to trumpet.

 

[Skull]

Virtue is a good thing.

Virtue signaling destroys the value of any alleged virtue that might have been present.

I guess that's why liberals do the signaling without bothering to have any virtue to trumpet.

I suspect that many or most Leftists are clueless what virtue means. Their signaling is only that - letting their fellow travelers know that they are solidly with the Party. Obedience is their one & only note to sing.

 

[.oldschool]

 

[Skull]

Isa Upanishad, verse 4

THAT One, though motionless, is swifter
than the mind. The senses can never
overtake It, for It ever goes before. Though
immovable, It travels faster than those who
run. By It the all-pervading air sustains all living beings.

This verse explains the character of the Atman or Self.
A finite object can be taken from one place and put
in another, but it can only occupy one space at a time.
The Atman, however, is present everywhere; hence,
though one may run with the greatest swiftness to overtake
It, already It is there before him.
Even the all-pervading air must be supported by this
Self, since It is infinite; and as nothing can live without
breathing air, all living things must draw their life from
the Cosmic Self.

Comment by Swami Paramananda

 

[Skull]

A video presentation of The Man Worthwhile...