In Praise of Virtue

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That which is primarily good, and which is no other than The Good itself, is superior to all things which in any way whatever participate of good.

Proclus, Elements 8

 

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Good counsel for spiritual living...

 

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Man is unjust, but God is just; and finally justice triumphs.

Longfellow.

 

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When a wise person has acquired great wealth, he makes himself happy and pleased. He makes his mother and father, spouse and children, servants, workers, staff, friends and relatives happy and pleased. He gives gifts to monks and nuns. He collects merit in order to be reborn in heaven. Because he makes proper use of his wealth, rulers or thieves don’t take it, fire doesn’t burn it, floods don’t sweep it away, and enemies don’t take it. Since his wealth is properly utilized, it’s used, not wasted.

Buddha, Aputtaka Sutta

 

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You have given your entire treasure to the world: if you gave the only-begotten from your bosom and from the throne of your Being for the benefit of all, what further do you have which you have not given to your creation? The world has become mingled with God, and creation and Creator have become one!

Isaac the Syrian (d. 700?)

 

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Our world is not divided by race, color, gender, or religion. Our world is divided into wise people and fools. And fools divide themselves by race, color, gender, or religion.

Mohamad Safa

 

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Men must love the truth before they thoroughly believe it.

Robert South 1634-1719

 

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Truth is so obscure in these times, and falsehood so established, that unless we love the truth, we cannot know it.

Pascal 1623-62

 

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Authority intoxicates
And makes mere sots of magistrates.
The fumes of it invade the brain
And make men giddy, proud and vain.
By this the fool commands the wise;
The noble with the base complies.
The sot assumes the role of wit
And cowards make the base submit.

Samuel Butler (d.1902)

 

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No religion can be absolutely true, and none can be absolutely false. A religion is true in proportion as it supplies spiritual, moral and intellectual needs, and helps the development of mankind in these respects. It is false in proportion as it hinders that development, and offends the spiritual, moral and intellectual portion of man’s nature.

HP Blavatsky

 

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Just as on a dark night black with clouds,
The sudden lightning glares and all is clearly shown,
Likewise rarely, through the Buddhas’ power,
Virtuous thoughts rise, brief and transient, in the world.

Virtue, thus, is weak; and always
Evil is of great and overwhelming strength.
Except for perfect bodhichitta,
What other virtue is there that can lay it low.

Shantideva, from his Way of the Bodhisattva

 

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Truth eludes us if we do not concentrate with total attention on its pursuit. And even while it eludes us, the illusion still lingers of knowing it, and that leads to many misunderstandings.

Solzhenitsyn

 

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Key verses from chapter 5:13-14 of Shantideva's Bodhisattva Guide:

"Where would there be leather enough to cover the entire world?
The earth is covered over merely with the leather of my sandals.

Likewise, I am unable to restrain external phenomena, but I shall
restrain my own mind. What need is there to restrain anything else?"

 

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Who meditates oppression, his dwelling is overturned.

Babylonian Hymn to Samas.

 

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197. Ah, how happily we live,
Without hatred among those who hate!
Without hatred we dwell
Among people who hate.
198. Ah, how happily we live,
Healthy among the sick!
Healthy we dwell
Among people who are sick.
199. Ah, how happily we live,
Carefree among the careworn!
Carefree we dwell
Among people who are careworn.

Buddha, from Happiness chapter of Dhammapada

 

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What the people wanted was a government which would provide a comfortable life for them, and with this as the foremost object ideas of freedom and self-reliance and service to the community were obscured to the point of disappearing. Athens was more and more looked on as a cooperative business, possessed of great wealth, in which all citizens had a right to share... Athens had reached the point of rejecting independence, and the freedom she now wanted was freedom from responsibility. There could be only one result...If men insisted on being free from the burden of a life that was self-dependent and also responsible for the common good, they would cease to be free at all. Responsibility was the price every man must pay for freedom. It was to be had on no other terms.

Edith Hamilton (d. 1963)

 

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If we want to learn to have genuine wisdom, we must first cut off desire. How do we cut off desire? By not fighting, not being greedy, not seeking, not being selfish, not pursuing personal advantage, and not lying. These six great principles are the Dharma jewels for cutting off desire and obtaining genuine wisdom.

Master Hsuan Hua, Spring Sun, Lotus Flower

 

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Life should be chiefly service. Without that ideal, the intelligence that God has given you is not reaching out toward its goal. When in service you forget the little self, you will feel the big Self of Spirit.

Rather than be always striving for personal happiness, try to make others happy. In being of spiritual, mental, and material service to others, you will find your own needs fulfilled. As you forget self in service to others, you will find that, without seeking it, your own cup of happiness will be full.

Swami Yogananda

 

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Incessant falls teach men to reform, and distress rouses their strength. Life springs from calamity, and death from ease. Mencius.

 

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Whoever is kind to the cruel will end up being cruel to the kind.

Midrash