“Talking and reasoning does not even have one thousandth the influence a true example has. All lessons about how to behave are worthless when children see the opposite in real life.”
Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom (Page 373)
“Terrible is the situation of those who cannot perceive spiritual growth in themselves. They can see only physical life, which will disappear in time. When you understand your spiritual being and live with it, then instead of despairing you understand the joy that can never be destroyed, which always grows.”
Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom (Page 371)
“If you raise people to praise only wealth, power, and glory, then naturally they will praise only these things. If you raise people to love the feeling of love, they will start to live in love.”
Mee-Tee, via A Calendar of Wisdom (Page 363)
“It is not the blaming of evil but the glorifying of goodness that creates harmony in our life.”
Lucy Malory, via A Calendar of Wisdom (Page 359)
“Everything in this world blooms, grows, and returns to its roots. Returning to one’s roots means becoming united with nature; becoming united with nature involves eternity. The destruction of your body holds no danger in itself.”
Lao-Tzu, via A Calendar of Wisdom (Page 354)
“The future is only an illusion inferred from our present state. What is important is not the length of life, but the depth of life. What is most important is not to make life longer, but to take your soul out of time, as every sublime act does. Only then does your life become fulfilled. And do not ask yourself questions about time. Jesus did not explain a thing about the eternity of life, but his influence brought people to the eternal.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson, via A Calendar of Wisdom (Page 345)
“Good books are a good influence. Good art is a good influence. Prayer is an influence as well. But the strongest influence is the example of a good life. A good life becomes a blessing for people, not only for those who live good lives but those who can see, know, and understand such lives.”
Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom (Page 343)
“Never build, but always plant: in the case of the first, nature will interfere and destroy the creation of your work, but in the case of the second, nature will help you, causing growth in everything you planted. The same thing happens in your spiritual life: those things which are in harmony with the eternal laws of human nature will grow, but those things which correspond to the temporal wishes of people will not.”
Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom (Page 339)
“The more busy you are with the improvement of your inner life, the more active you become in social life, helping other people.”
Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom (Page 339)
“Every man becomes what he teaches others to be. Those who gain victory over themselves will gain victory over others. It is most difficult to achieve victory over oneself. Every man has power only over himself.”
Dhammapada, via A Calendar of Wisdom (Page 336)
“Be attentive to the present. Only in the present time can we understand eternity.”
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, via A Calendar of Wisdom (Page 334)
“There are many people who claim to be teachers of others who should themselves be taught first of all.”
Eastern Wisdom, via A Calendar of Wisdom (Page 326)
“You cannot send away a bad thought when it appears in your mind, but you can create other thoughts which will weaken or destroy this bad thought. For example, I may imagine that your friend or neighbor has some drawback, and I may not be able to banish this thought, but when I concentrate on the thought that criticizing another person is bad because I am not perfect, and he has the same God within him as I have within me, then I cannot stop loving this person.”
Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom (Page 322)
“Only in the storm can you see the art of the real sailor; only on the battlefield can you see the bravery of a soldier. The courage of a simple person can be seen in how he copes with the difficult and dangerous situations in life.”
Daniel Achinski, via A Calendar of Wisdom (Page 314)
“Do not believe that in religion you cannot trust your intellect. The force of our intellect must support the foundations of every real faith.”
William Ellery Channing, via A Calendar of Wisdom (Page 313)
“The majority of people want to do something unusual and difficult in order to improve their lives, but they would be better to purify their wishes, and improve their inner selves.”
Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom (Page 312)
“The purpose of your life is not to do as the majority does, but to live according to the inner law which you understand in yourself. Do not act against your conscience or against truth. Live like this, and you will fulfill the task of your life.”
Marcus Aurelius, via A Calendar of Wisdom (Page 309)
“Complete outer calmness is impossible. But when there are some calm periods, we should appreciate them and make them last longer. This is the time when useful thoughts appear; they become stronger and guide us in life.”
Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom (Page 307)
A person who loves himself has the advantage of having very few competitors.”
Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom (Page 297)
“Real love refers not just to love for a particular person but to the spiritual state of loving everyone.”
Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom (Page 290)