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Tolstoy Lev Nikolaevich
Thoughts of wise people for every day

“During the serious illness of L. N. Tolstoy in January 1903, when his life hung by a thread and he could not devote himself to his usual work, he still found the strength to read the Gospel and, out of habit, every day tearing off the calendar that was in his bedroom, he read the collected there are sayings of various great people. But last year’s calendar came to an end, and Lev Nikolaevich, lacking anything else at hand, wanted to compose excerpts for himself from different thinkers for every day. Every day, while in bed, as much as his strength allowed, he made these extracts, and the result of this work was the book offered to readers.

This included selected thoughts of the following writers and sages: Epictetus, Diogenes, Marcus Aurelius, Socrates, Confucius, Buddha, Lao-Tse, Aristotle, Plato, St. Augustine and more modern ones: Pascal, Rousseau, Spinoza, Luther, Vauvenargues, Kant, Schiller, Bentham, Schopenhauer, Voltaire, Klinger, Thackeray, Dostoevsky, Vilmain, Ruskin, etc..».

"The Mediator", 1903

1st of January

One winter, Francis walked with his brother Leo from Peruza to Porzionkul; it was so cold that they were shivering from the cold, Francis called Brother Leo, who was walking ahead, and said to him: “Oh, Brother Leo, God grant that our brothers set an example of holy life throughout the whole earth; “Write down, however, that this is not complete joy.”

“And write down, brother Lev, that if our brothers heal the sick, cast out demons, make the blind see, or raise the dead for four days, write down that there will be no complete joy in this either.”

And, going even further, Francis said to Leo: “Write down again, brother Leo, that if our brothers knew all languages, all sciences and all scriptures, if they prophesied not only about the future, but knew all the secrets of the conscience and soul, “Write down that there is no complete joy in this either.”

Having gone even further, Francis again called Leo and said: “And write down again, brother Leo, sheep of God, that if we learned to speak in the tongues of angels, if we knew the course of the stars, and if all the treasures of the earth were revealed to us, and we knew If only all the secrets of the lives of birds, fish, all animals, people, trees, stones and waters, write down that this would not be complete joy.”

And, having walked a little more, Francis again called Brother Leo and said to him: “Write down also that if we were such preachers that we would convert all the pagans to the faith of Christ, write down that there would be no complete joy in this either.”

Then Brother Leo said to Francis: “What, Brother Francis, is perfect joy?”

And Francis answered: “But this is what. What if, when we come to Portsionküll, dirty, wet, numb from the cold and hungry, and ask to be let in, and the gatekeeper tells us: “Why are you tramps wandering around the world, seducing people, stealing the alms of poor people, get out of here?” ! - and will not open it to us. And if we then are not offended and with humility and love think that the gatekeeper is right, that God Himself inspired him to do this to us, and wet, cold and hungry we will stay in the snow and in the water until the morning without complaining to the gatekeeper, then, brother Leo , only then will there be complete joy.”

January 2

People find it difficult, worry and worry only when they are busy with external affairs that do not depend on them. In these cases, they anxiously ask themselves: “What will I do? Will something happen? What will come of this? How would this or that not happen? This happens to those who constantly worry about what does not belong to them.

On the contrary, a person who is busy with what depends on him and dedicates his life to the work of self-improvement will not worry himself so much. If he began to worry about whether he would be able to adhere to the truth and avoid lies, then I would say: calm down - what worries you is in your own hands; look only at your thoughts and actions and try to correct yourself in every possible way. Don’t say: “Will something happen?” Whatever happens, you will turn it into learning and benefit.

– What if I die fighting misfortune?

- Well, what? In that case, you will die the death of an honest man, doing what you should do. You still need to die, and death should find you doing something. I would be pleased if death found me doing something worthy of a person, doing something good and useful to all people; or that she would catch me while I was trying to correct myself. Then I could raise my hands to God and say to Him: “Lord! You know Yourself how much I took advantage of what You gave me to understand Your laws. Have I reproached you? Did you resent what happened to me? Have you shirked your duty? I thank You for the fact that I was born, for all Your gifts. I have used them quite a lot: take them back and dispose of them as You please - after all, they are Yours!

Could there be a better death? To survive to such a death, you do not need to lose much, although, it is true, you will gain a lot by doing so. If you want to keep what is not yours, then you will certainly lose what is yours.

Anyone who wants to have success in worldly affairs does not sleep all night long, constantly fussing and fussing, fawning on strong people and generally acting like a vile person. And in the end, what did he achieve with all this? He achieved that he is surrounded with some honors, that he is feared and that, having become a boss, he controls some actions. Don’t you really want to work hard to free yourself from all such worries and sleep peacefully, fearing nothing and not suffering from anything? Know that such peace of mind does not come for free.

(Epictetus)

January 3

Whether our life ends with carnal death is a question of the greatest importance, and it is rare that a person does not think about it. Depending on whether we believe or not in eternal life, our actions will be reasonable or meaningless. Any reasonable act is necessarily based on confidence in the immortality of true life.

Therefore, our first concern should be to disassemble and understand what is immortal in life. Some people work hard to understand this for themselves. They recognize that their whole life must depend on it.

Other people, although they doubt immortality, are sincerely tormented by their doubt and consider it their greatest misfortune. They spare nothing just to find out the truth, tirelessly seek it and consider this the most important thing in their lives.

But there are also people who don’t think about it at all. Their carelessness when it comes to themselves surprises, outrages and frightens me.

(Vlas Pascal)

4 January

Judge not lest ye be judged. For with whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not feel the plank in your own eye? Or how will you say to your brother: Let me take the speck out of your eye, but there is a beam in your eye? Hypocrite! First take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see how to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

(Mm. VII, 1–5)

It is easy to notice the errors of others, but difficult to notice your own; They love to understand the mistakes of their loved ones, but they hide their own, just as a rogue tries to hide his false dice.

A person is inclined to constantly blame others: he looks only at their mistakes, but his own passions grow more and more, removing him from improvement.

(Buddhist wisdom)

Do not judge your neighbor until you are in his place.

(Talmud)

5 January

One thing we know, or can know if we want, namely, that the heart and conscience of man are divine, that in the denial of evil and the recognition of good, man himself is an incarnate deity; that his joy in love, his suffering in anger, his indignation at the sight of injustice, his glory in self-sacrifice, are eternal, indisputable proofs of his unity with the supreme Sovereign; that in this, and not in bodily advantages and not in a greater variety of instincts, he himself is the ruler over the lower animate world. Since he denies or violates the dictates of his heart and conscience, he dishonors the name of the heavenly Father, and does not sanctify His name on earth; since he follows them, he sanctifies His name and receives from the fullness of His power.

(John Ruskin)

6th January

One whose faith is weak cannot arouse faith in others.

(Lao-Tse)

The sin of the whole world is, in essence, the sin of Judas. People do not disbelieve in their Christ, but sell Him.

(John Ruskin)

Jan. 7

Whoever has laid down his life in the light of understanding and serves it, there can be no desperate situations in life, he does not know the torment of conscience, is not afraid of loneliness and does not seek noisy society - he has a higher life, does not run away from people and does not chase after them. He is not confused by thoughts about how long his spirit is imprisoned in a fleshly shell; the actions of such a person will always be the same, even in view of his imminent death. For him, one concern is to live wisely in peaceful communication with people.

(Marcus Aurelius)

January 8

The pious, the people of action, say: glory to our youth, which has not disgraced our old age.

The penitents say: glory to our old age, redeeming our youth.

But both of them say: it is good for him who is sinless, but for those who have sinned, repent, correct yourself, and you will be forgiven.

(Talmud)

January 9

A person standing on tiptoes cannot stand for long. A person who exposes himself cannot shine. He who is satisfied with himself cannot become famous. He who boasts cannot have merit. He who is proud cannot rise. Before the court of reason, such people are like waste food and are disgusted by everyone. Therefore, he who has understanding does not rely on himself.

(Lao-Tse)

January 10

He who hates his neighbor, as it were, sheds human blood.

(Talmud)

The one whose anger has no boundaries, the one who is entwined with it like a dodder, will soon lead himself to where only his worst enemy would like to push him.

Freshly strained milk does not sour, an evil deed does not immediately bear fruit, but like a fire buried in warmth, it gradually burns and torments the madman.

(Buddhist wisdom)

January 11

And so someone came up and said to Him: Good Teacher! What good thing can I do to have eternal life? Jesus said to him: if you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come and follow Me.

(Mm. XIX, 16. 21)

How insensitive and indifferent a rich man can be to the grief of others.

(Talmud)

January 12

If you have done evil to your neighbor, even if it is small, consider it great, but if you have done him great good, consider it of little importance; Consider a small kindness shown to you by others to be great.

The blessing of God will descend on the one who gives to the poor; a double blessing rests on the one who meets and sees him off kindly.

(Talmud)

13th of January

The straight path or rule of behavior that must be followed is not far from people. If people set themselves a rule of behavior that is far from them, that is, that does not agree with their nature, then it should not be accepted as a rule of behavior. A carpenter hewing an ax handle has before him a model of what he is doing. Taking in his hands the ax handle of the ax he is using, he looks at it from both sides and, after making a new ax handle, examines both of them to see how similar they are; so a wise man, who has the same feelings for others as he has for himself, finds the right rule of behavior. He does not do to others what he does not want done to him.

(Confucius)

January 14

Every creature benefits not only from everything that is sent to it by Providence, but also at the very time when it is sent.

(Marcus Aurelius)

Oh, how happy we are, living without hatred of those who hate us; how happy we are if we live among those who hate!..

Oh, how happy we are, free from greed among the greedy. Among people consumed by greed, we live free from it!..

Oh, how happy we are, not calling anything ours. We are like the bright gods, imbued with holiness!..

(Buddhist wisdom)

January 15

Simplicity of life, language, and habits gives strength to a nation, while luxury of life, pretentiousness of language and effeminacy of habits lead to weakness and destruction.

(John Ruskin)

True political economy is one that teaches people not to desire, but to despise and destroy everything that leads to destruction.

(He's the same)

January 16

The horse is saved from the enemy by its fast running, and it is unhappy not when it cannot crow like a rooster, but when it has lost what it was given - its fast running.

The dog has a sense; when she is deprived of what is given to her - her flair, she is unhappy, and she is not unhappy when she cannot fly.

In the same way, a person becomes unhappy not when he cannot overcome a bear or a lion, or evil people, but when he loses what he has been given - kindness and prudence. Such and such a person is truly unhappy and worthy of pity.

It’s not a pity that a person was born or died, that he lost his money, house, estate: all this does not belong to a person. It’s a pity when a person loses his true property - his human dignity.

(Epictetus)

January 17

The whole world is subject to a single law, and all rational beings have a single mind. The truth is one, and for reasonable people the concept of perfection is also one.

(Marcus Aurelius)

All good things are nothing before the good of truth; all sweets are nothing before the sweetness of truth; the bliss of truth immeasurably surpasses all joys.

(Buddhist wisdom)

January 18

Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will wear. Is not the life more than food, and the body than clothing?

(Mm. VI, 25)

Don't worry about tomorrow, because you don't know what else will happen today.

Who has bread in a basket and says, “What will I eat tomorrow?” - he belongs to those of little faith.

He who created the day will also create food for it.

(Talmud)

January 19

When a sage adheres to the law of virtue, he hides it from the eyes of people and does not regret that it is not known to anyone.

(Confucius)

False shame is the devil's favorite weapon. He achieves more with it than even with false pride. With false pride he only encourages evil, and with false shame he paralyzes good.

(John Ruskin)

January 20th

Our life is a consequence of our thoughts: it is born in our heart, it comes from our thoughts. If a person speaks or acts with an evil thought, suffering relentlessly follows him, like a wheel following the heel of an ox pulling a cart.

Our life is a consequence of our thoughts: it is born in our heart, it is created by our thoughts. If a person speaks or acts with a good thought, joy follows him like a shadow that never leaves.

“He offended me, he triumphed over me, he enslaved me, he insulted me,” hatred will never fade away in a heart alarmed by such thoughts.

“He offended me, he triumphed over me, he enslaved me,” - whoever does not give refuge to such thoughts will forever drown out hatred in himself.

For what comes from hatred is not overcome by hatred: it is quenched by love - such is the eternal law.

(Buddhist wisdom)

January 21

He who is ashamed of the shameless and not ashamed of the shameless, following a false opinion, enters the evil path of destruction.

(Buddhist wisdom)

A commendable trait in a person is modesty, for a shy person will not soon sin.

(Talmud)

January 22

What strength is there in a person who always acts according to the will of God and is submissive to Him in everything!

(Marcus Aurelius)

The essence of love for God lies in the soul’s desire and attraction to the Creator in order to merge with His highest light.

(Talmud)

January 23

Everything that people admire so much, everything that they worry and fuss so much about to acquire, all this does not bring them the slightest happiness. While people are busy, they think that their good is in what they strive for. But as soon as they get what they want, they again begin to worry, lament and envy what they do not yet have.

And this is very understandable, because freedom is not achieved by satisfying one’s idle desires, but, on the contrary, by ridding oneself of such desires.

If you want to be sure that this is true, then put at least half as much effort into freeing yourself from your empty desires as you have hitherto spent on their fulfillment, and you will soon see that in this way you will receive much more peace and happiness .

Leave the company of rich and powerful people; stop pleasing noble and powerful people and imagining that you can get anything you need from them. Seek, on the contrary, from righteous and reasonable people what you can get from them and, I assure you, you will not leave them empty-handed if you only come to them with a pure heart and good thoughts.

If you don’t take my word for it, then at least for a while try to get close to such people, try to take at least a few steps towards true freedom. And then decide for yourself where you are drawn more: to good and freedom or to evil and slavery. There is nothing shameful in such an experience. Test yourself...

(Epictetus)

January 24

Be truthful even towards a child: fulfill what you promise to him, otherwise you will teach him to lie.

(Talmud)

Never teach a child anything of which you yourself are not sure, and if you want to instill something in him in his tender years, so that the purity of childhood and the power of the first combinations will imprint it on him, then be careful most of all that it is not a lie, about which you yourself know is a lie.

(John Ruskin)

The 25th of January

And when they came to the place called the forehead, they crucified Him and the villains there, one on the right and the other on the left. Jesus said: Father! forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.

(Luke XXIII, 33–34)

The human soul does not voluntarily, but by force, turn away from truth, moderation, justice and goodness; The more clearly you understand this, the more meekly you will treat people.

(Marcus Aurelius)

January 26

Can you reasonably be indignant at a person who is possessed by some disgusting disease? How is it his fault that you are disgusted by his presence? Treat moral illnesses in the same way.

“But,” you say, “man has a mind with the help of which he can recognize his vices.” It's right. Consequently, you also have reason and can, through reasonable behavior, bring your neighbor to an awareness of your shortcomings; so show your reason, manage to awaken a person’s conscience and heal his blindness without anger, impatience and arrogance.

(Marcus Aurelius)

January 27

In comparison with the world around him, man is nothing more than a weak reed; but he is a reed, gifted with understanding.

One little thing is enough to kill a person. And yet man is above all creatures, above everything earthly, because even when he dies he will realize with his mind that he is dying. A person can realize the insignificance of his body before nature. Nature is not aware of anything.

Our entire advantage lies in our ability to reason. Understanding alone elevates us above the rest of the world. Let us value and support our understanding, and it will illuminate our whole life, show us what is good and what is evil.

(Vlas Pascal)

28 January

He who subsequently covered up his former evil deeds with good ones shines in this dark world like a moon on a cloudy night.

(Buddhist wisdom)

It is good for a person who repents of sins while he is still courageous.

Repent before your strength leaves you, add oil before the lamp goes out.

(Talmud)

January 29

The truth in nothing is learned by talking, but only by work and observation. And when you master one truth, the other two will probably appear before you as beautiful as the first leaves of dicotyledonous plants.

(John Ruskin)

Childhood often holds in its weak fingers a truth that people cannot hold with their courageous hands and the discovery of which is the pride of later years.

(He's the same)

January 30

He who imagines truth in lies and sees lies in truth will never comprehend the truth and will rush in vain in delusions.

But the one who saw the lie in the lie and knew the truth in the truth is already close to the truth, and his path is correct.

Just as rain uncontrollably penetrates into a poorly covered building, so passions easily penetrate into a heart that is not protected by reflection.

(Buddhist wisdom)

January 31

Art is only in its proper place when it is subordinated to utility. His task is to teach, but to teach lovingly; and it is shameful, and not sublime, when it only pleases people, and does not help them discover the truth.

(John Ruskin)

People who speak colorfully and skillfully, with a pleasant manner, rarely possess the virtue of philanthropy.

(Chinese wisdom)

• Wise thoughts for every day - Try, give at least one chance to the impossible. Have you ever wondered how tired it is, this impossible thing, how it needs us.
• The only person you should compare yourself to is your past self. And the only person you should be better than is you.
• Every new day we make plans for the future. But the future has its own plans.
• In 20 years, you will regret more about what you didn't do than about what you did. Therefore, raise the anchors and sail away from the quiet harbor. Catch the fair wind in your sails. Use it. Dream. Make discoveries. (Mark Twain)
• Loneliness is not just like that... It is so that there is time to think...

• Never ask a person why he loves you: as soon as he thinks about it, it may turn out that there is nothing to love you for.
• Don't be afraid of changes - most often they happen exactly at the moment when they are needed.
• Accept everything when it comes to you, enjoy everything while it lasts, let go of everything when it has to go. (Nisargadatta Maharaj)
• The strong do as they please, and the weak suffer as they should.
• Let's thank the fools. Without them, it would be difficult for others to succeed.
• When someone is out of step, do not be so quick to judge him: perhaps he hears the sound of another march. (Henry Thoreau)
• One day you will find that you have only one problem left - yourself.
• Will is purposefulness combined with correct judgment. (Plato)
• The older and wiser a person is, the less he wants to sort things out. I just want to get up, wish him luck and leave.
• If you don’t give up when difficulties come your way, if you don’t run away from work, and if no matter what you don’t give up, the only thing you will ultimately achieve is guaranteed success. No options.
• I am sure that nothing will replace the book in the future, just as nothing could replace it in the past. (Isaac Asimov)
• He who knows people is prudent. He who knows himself is enlightened. He who conquers people is strong. He who conquers himself is powerful. (Lao Tzu)
• Forget about what other people think - and life will become easier.
• What you have every day, someone asks for every day. (Muhammad Okar)
• To see only a mass of water in the sea means not to see the sea at all. (Victor Hugo)
• Today you are where your thoughts yesterday took you. And tomorrow you will be where today’s thoughts lead you.
• You cannot have a true idea of ​​something that has not been experienced. (Voltaire)
• The speed of sound is a rather strange thing. Your parents tell you something when you’re twenty, but it only comes to fruition when you’re forty.
• Study while others are sleeping; work while others are hanging around; get ready while others play; and dream while others only wish.
• Wise Thoughts for Every Day - If you are going to one day create something great, remember that one day is today. (Steven Spielberg)
• When you no longer desire to possess, the whole world belongs to you. (Remarque)
• Be able to practice these five things in any situation: balance, generosity of soul, sincerity, conviction and kindness, and then you will know what a good life is. (Confucius)
• Do not be stingy with praise and recognition - they cost nothing to the one who expresses them, but are priceless to the one to whom they are addressed.
• The problem is that when you find a person with whom you feel good, then without him you feel bad.
• You cannot have two destinies at the same time - the fate of an unbridled fool and a moderate sage. You can't survive nightlife and be able to create something during the day. You cannot indulge in food and alcohol that destroy the body and still hope to have a body that functions with minimal disruption. A candle that burns at both ends may, of course, spread the brightest light, but the darkness that follows will be long.

Having noticed Kolesnik A. A.’s book “1000 wise thoughts for every day” (2013), dressed in a catchy cover, which became a bestseller, it is logical to ask the question: “What is wisdom?” Is it a quality of the mind or a gift that comes from above? There is no consensus on this topic to this day.

Who are the wise men?

Let us continue our study of this phenomenon, connecting it with individuals who were known to have wisdom. Which famous people were endowed with this gift? The names of many of them have reached us even through millennia: Pythagoras, Plato, Aristotle. Others were born in the Middle Ages - Leonardo da Vinci, Nostradamus. People who possessed wisdom adorned modern history, among them Isaac Newton and Leo Tolstoy. Obviously, it makes sense to dwell on the teachings of the last person who is closest to us mentally.

The aforementioned great Russian writer was both a recognized philosopher (“what a lump, what a seasoned man”) and an idol of millions of Russian people, many of whom even called themselves Tolstoyans. He formulated an original theory according to which wise thoughts for every day, if followed, can streamline and direct a person’s life to prosperity.

A book created on the edge of life and death

In 1902, the classic of Russian and world literature fell seriously ill. In this state, accompanied by terrible pain, the writer involuntarily summed up his entire life. While on bed rest, he fiercely and frantically fought the disease, while finding support in the works of the sages. This helped him not to despair. Being in a very difficult, painful state, Lev Nikolaevich extremely deeply perceived and measured with his mind and soul the quotes of the sages - the legacy they left for their descendants.

While suffering, he daily chose from hundreds of pages of what he read only those sayings that helped him win the fight against the disease. By grouping them, the classic was preparing to create his famous collection “Thoughts of Wise People for Every Day” after recovery. Tolstoy subsequently considered it “one of his most important works.” It was one of the most beloved creations, close to the soul of the classic himself. After writing, the book became a reference book for the count himself.

Information about the book “Thoughts of wise people for every day” (Leo Tolstoy)

The collection by L. N. Tolstoy was compiled in the period from January 1 to January 23, 1903. This is evidenced by an entry in the diary of his wife Sofia Tolstoy that her husband is healthy and groups quotes by day. The collection includes aphorisms chosen by Lev Nikolaevich himself; the list of authors and sources is presented in the following list:

• Al-Kharizi and Arabic wisdom;
• Bentham, Blackie and Brahminical Wisdom (Ramakrishna);
• Buddhist wisdom (“Voice of Silence”);
• W. Humboldt, Vlas Pascal;
• Vauvenargues, Goethe, Daniel;
• Goncharov, Dostoevsky;
• John Ruskin;
• Jean-Jacques Rousseau;
• Jean-Paul Richter;
• John the Evangelist;
• Kant, Carlyle;
• Chinese wisdom;
• Klinger, Confucius;
• Lao Tzu, Lubbock;
• Luke the Evangelist;
• Luther;
• Mahomet;
• Marcus Aurelius;
• Matvey Evangelist;
• Plato;
• Epistle of James;
• Ramakrishna;
• Rückert;
• Safir;
• Seneca, Spencer, Spinoza;
• Talmud;
• Thackeray;
• Thomas a Kempis;
• Franz Hartmann;
• Schiller, Schopenhauer;
• Epictetus;
• Juvenal;
• Dhammapada.

He signed his own statements in the collection with the initials “L.T.” Lev Tolstoy. He gleaned wise thoughts for every day from the following literary sources:

In 1906, Lev Nikolaevich began preparing the next edition of this book, supplementing it with new translated quotes. He liked this work, which the classic wrote in his diary: “This is a joyful job!” However, the updated edition was not destined to be published.

The nature of the wisdom of Count Tolstoy

Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy not only deeply perceived the wise thoughts for every day, he compared them with the huge layers of Russian life. The author of War and Peace knew how to separate the inevitable from the unattainable. Accept the first and refuse the second. However, his powerful mind was not cold at all.

Tolstoy, which is important, loved the world and, even being bedridden, was keenly interested in all its aspects. Despite the high title of a local nobleman, he led a very modest, almost ascetic life, devoid of any narcissism. At the same time, Tolstoy always found admiration in the people around him.

It is no secret that wise thoughts for every day come to a person who has previously prepared himself for this. In the chaos of the world, such a person is like a compass needle, constantly aimed at higher life goals. And neither transient values, nor vanity, nor deliberately misleading information can distract her from this direction. The ideas of Lev Nikolaevich served as such a compass for the Russian people.

Tolstoy about freedom

The writer considered human freedom as one of the necessary conditions for acquiring wisdom. Similar views were held by Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

For many supporters of the “state idea,” this looked utopian and paradoxical in the Russian Empire, endowed with a rigid vertical power structure.

However, the count’s teaching turned out to be correct. Freedom - according to Tolstoy's views - is a deeply personal concept, individual for each person. The writer teaches his followers how to find it, generously giving wise thoughts for every day to admirers of his teaching.

Lev Nikolaevich considered a person not free if his work and actions are caused by a root cause - an event that happened in the past. However, this person will be liberated if he understands the true nature of the present. It, from the position of a philosopher, is a unique point of intersection of the enslaving past and the ephemeral future. The Talmud also teaches this to its followers. Only a person who forces his mind to live only in the present - the only point on the time axis where there is freedom - and at the same time does not measure his life with the past, can become happy.

Today and tomorrow

The writer, like Epictetus, considered it harmful to human nature to be overly concerned about tomorrow, visualizing it, thinking about it, worrying about how to provide for it. He put forward a fundamental thesis: “Tomorrow, divorced from today, does not exist.”

From this thought it followed: it is necessary to care exclusively about your well-being in the present. And if its proper level is reached, then “it is always good.” Marcus Aurelius and John Ruskin thought in tune with the Russian philosopher.

Troubles or trials?

Lev Nikolayevich does not flirt with his admirers, arguing that truly achievable happiness is by no means a cloudless idyllic life: “A person is given the opportunity to develop only by overcoming trials.” A similar position is expressed by Lao Tzu, Vlas Pascal, and Klinger.

Therefore, a person’s identification of himself as happy depends, first of all, on his personal assessment of his life’s adversities. “Thus, happiness is a strictly subjective category,” says Leo Tolstoy (“Thoughts of Wise People for Every Day”).

The writer brings us to an important idea: the one who considers the adversities that happen to him to be troubles is far from happy. In turn, the one who perceives them as trials “grows”, overcoming troubles, and experiences happiness after overcoming: “The cross becomes easier if you willingly put your back under it.”

How can a person feel his worth?

Many people suffer, considering their lives not only filled with sorrows, but also perishable. The count, excommunicated from the church by ignoramuses in robes, who does not follow dogmas, but believes in God and is inspired to seek the origins of spirituality, still found them in the philosophy of Lao Tzu, who considers only dissatisfaction to be a real disaster.

In fairness, it is worth noting that the absolute majority of Russian people then supported this righteous man, who was unfairly subjected to anathema.

Some of the cornerstone ideas of human spirituality are outlined in his book, which contains wise thoughts for every day. Leo Tolstoy called for feeling life not only in the body, but also in the spirit, like Marcus Aurelius, John Ruskin, following quotes from the Talmud.

If a person developing himself comes to such a perception, then the next step in realizing his spirit is recognition, identification of his soul. And in it he will inevitably find something that “does not die.” The philosopher called on a person to “separate the corporeal from the incorporeal in his thoughts” in order to understand what lives in him forever. In this judgment, the count was close to the philosophy of the evangelists - Luke, John, Matthew.

Obviously, the basis for such conclusions could be the Brahmanical wisdom, which says that the eternal is that person who was, “is and will be, and whose hour will never strike.”

Attitude to being

Human society is paradoxical. It simultaneously increases its systematized knowledge and, at the same time, develops chaotically. This is written about in the Talmud, Leo Tolstoy understood and realized this.

Young people, receiving an education, mastering sciences built on strict logic and cause-and-effect relationships, involuntarily compare the life around them with their logic and are disappointed in the latter. Unfortunately, the information environment is filled with various human complaints. A person who succumbs to imposed decadent views involuntarily feels like a victim, immersed in a destructive, destructive environment.

Tolstoy analyzed a similar situation at the dawn of the last century, setting out selected wise thoughts for each day of the week. The classic firmly believes that a person’s very dissatisfaction with his life is ephemeral, apparent. In fact, a person may only have reasons to be dissatisfied with himself. The postulate proposed by Lev Nikolaevich is truly wise.

After all, finding the reason in the imperfection of the surrounding life, a person mentally begins to tear himself away from it. Isn’t that why, in fact, suicides happen? Having leaned towards the point of view of the Russian writer and seeing the reason in the imperfection of himself, he inevitably comes to the idea of ​​self-improvement and self-education. This approach will lead a person who does not complain, but strives, to a higher level of being.

How to overcome the hustle and bustle?

The vast majority of modern people live vainly. And this is no secret to anyone. There is also a common justification for this: the rhythm of life in the 21st century is immeasurably more intense than during the life of the classic. However, is it worth neglecting the words of the Russian sage, who gave his descendants diamonds of thoughts like the following: “Do not judge yourself, do not praise and do not argue. All sins begin in thoughts.”

Therefore, for our contemporary who uses the Internet, no, no, and it’s worth stopping in your search on aphorisms about life. He will definitely find at least 25 wise thoughts for every day from Leo Tolstoy. In the chaos of the present, it is important to measure your actions against some kind of compass. And, as you know, the compass of smart actions at all times has been and is wisdom, helping to “separate the wheat from the chaff.”

Following the words of the Russian sage, who gained this knowledge from Chinese wisdom and the Talmud, has helped many people correctly distribute their life goals and priorities. At any stage of life, in all life situations, it is useful to remember the words of Lev Nikolaevich: “A person has not only responsibilities to the environment and his neighbors, but also responsibilities to himself, to the spirit that lives in him.”

Conclusion

The hundred years that separate us from the life of the outstanding Russian writer and philosopher Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy have not made the thoughts he expressed for the instruction of his contemporaries and descendants fade. Wise thoughts for every day from Tolstoy are addressed to a person who strives to live happily and consciously, not to succumb to circumstances, to be a creator and not a destroyer, and to maintain spirituality.

Brief, clear, intelligible and, most importantly, positive. Quotes from great people for every day will help you look at your own life a little bit from the outside. An unusual angle of view, a somewhat unusual interpretation, may help you understand and evaluate the events happening to you a little differently. Maybe they will help you understand yourself. Or maybe not. In any case, they will cheer you up - after all, that’s why they are positive quotes for every day :)

Happiness is not having what you want, but desiring what you have.
Osho

Miracles are where people believe in them, and the more they believe, the more often they happen.
Denis Diderot

Act as if you are already happy and you will actually become happier.
Dale Carnegie

Wherever you can live, you can live well.
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus

I've missed over 9,000 times in my career. I lost almost 300 matches. 26 times I was entrusted with making the decisive shot and I missed. I have failed very often in my life. That's why I succeeded.
Michael Jordan

Success is moving from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.
Winston Churchill

If you're falling off a cliff into an abyss, why not try flying? What do you have to lose?
Max Fry, "The Chronicles of Echo"

Aim for the Moon... because even if you miss, you'll land on one of the stars
Les Brown

You are never given a desire without being given the strength to make it come true.
Richard Bach

When you really want something, the entire Universe will help make your wish come true.
Paulo Coelho

Well, have you received an additional positive charge? If it's not enough for you, let's continue. Positive quotes for every day will restore your self-confidence and give you answers to difficult questions. So here’s another portion of thoughts and sayings for inspiration and energy.

I think you should enjoy the race while you're on the horse.
Johnny Depp

If you don't make mistakes, it means you're not trying to do anything.
Coleman Hawkins

There are no disappointments in life - only lessons.
Jennifer Aniston

Everyone needs a chance to change for the better.
Jay Z

Without going too far, how do you know what you're capable of?
Thomas Stearns Eliot

If you hit the wrong note, continue playing without anyone noticing your mistake.
Joe Pass

You can't limit yourself. The more you dream, the more you will achieve.
Michael Phelps

Follow your heart. Be true to yourself. Never follow someone else's path, unless you get lost in the forest and find a path - then, of course, you should follow it.
Ellen DeGeneres

Keep your head high and swing your hips as you walk.
Christina Aguilera

I am grateful to fate for all my problems. As I overcame each one, I became stronger and more capable of solving the problems I had yet to face. Thanks to all these difficulties, I developed.
JC Penney

Remember that there is always more positive in life than negative. Sometimes all you need to do is take a fresh look at your life and realize that everything is in your hands. Make this your daily attitude, and let these positive statements serve as a kick (in a good way).

When you find yourself in a dead end, question everything except your ability to get out of it.
Twyla Tharp

Every problem is a chance to prove yourself.
Duke Ellington

Let bad times come and go. I enjoy every minute of the fight.
Mary Madsen

Do not worry. Do your work calmly, joyfully and carefree.
Henry Miller

You and only you are able to write the story of your life that you are destined to tell. And the world needs your story because it needs your voice.
Kerry Washington

In order to get what you want from life, it is absolutely necessary to take the first step: decide what exactly you want.
Ben Stein

To avoid criticism, you need to do nothing, say nothing and be nothing.
Elbert Hubbard

Life is a great value. It is given only once. Don't waste it on bad relationships, bad marriages, bad jobs, bad people. Spend your life wisely doing what you want to do.
Eric Idle

There is no reason not to follow your heart.
Steve Jobs

You can't be a kid who stands on a water slide and thinks for a long time about what to do. You must go down the chute.
Tina Fey

A selection of positive quotes about love for inspiration and funny quotes about everything for a smile

“During the serious illness of L. N. Tolstoy in January 1903, when his life hung by a thread and he could not devote himself to his usual work, he still found the strength to read the Gospel and, out of habit, every day tearing off the calendar that was in his bedroom, he read the collected there are sayings of various great people. But last year’s calendar came to an end, and Lev Nikolaevich, lacking anything else at hand, wanted to compose excerpts for himself from different thinkers for every day. Every day, while in bed, as much as his strength allowed, he made these extracts, and the result of this work was the book offered to readers.

This included selected thoughts of the following writers and sages: Epictetus, Diogenes, Marcus Aurelius, Socrates, Confucius, Buddha, Lao-Tse, Aristotle, Plato, St. Augustine and more modern ones: Pascal, Rousseau, Spinoza, Luther, Vauvenargues, Kant, Schiller, Bentham, Schopenhauer, Voltaire, Klinger, Thackeray, Dostoevsky, Vilmain, Ruskin, etc..».

"The Mediator", 1903

1st of January

One winter, Francis walked with his brother Leo from Peruza to Porzionkul; it was so cold that they were shivering from the cold, Francis called Brother Leo, who was walking ahead, and said to him: “Oh, Brother Leo, God grant that our brothers set an example of holy life throughout the whole earth; “Write down, however, that this is not complete joy.”

“And write down, brother Lev, that if our brothers heal the sick, cast out demons, make the blind see, or raise the dead for four days, write down that there will be no complete joy in this either.”

And, going even further, Francis said to Leo: “Write down again, brother Leo, that if our brothers knew all languages, all sciences and all scriptures, if they prophesied not only about the future, but knew all the secrets of the conscience and soul, “Write down that there is no complete joy in this either.”

Having gone even further, Francis again called Leo and said: “And write down again, brother Leo, sheep of God, that if we learned to speak in the tongues of angels, if we knew the course of the stars, and if all the treasures of the earth were revealed to us, and we knew If only all the secrets of the lives of birds, fish, all animals, people, trees, stones and waters, write down that this would not be complete joy.”

And, having walked a little more, Francis again called Brother Leo and said to him: “Write down also that if we were such preachers that we would convert all the pagans to the faith of Christ, write down that there would be no complete joy in this either.”

Then Brother Leo said to Francis: “What, Brother Francis, is perfect joy?”

And Francis answered: “But this is what. What if, when we come to Portsionküll, dirty, wet, numb from the cold and hungry, and ask to be let in, and the gatekeeper tells us: “Why are you tramps wandering around the world, seducing people, stealing the alms of poor people, get out of here?” ! - and will not open it to us. And if we then are not offended and with humility and love think that the gatekeeper is right, that God Himself inspired him to do this to us, and wet, cold and hungry we will stay in the snow and in the water until the morning without complaining to the gatekeeper, then, brother Leo , only then will there be complete joy.”

January 2

People find it difficult, worry and worry only when they are busy with external affairs that do not depend on them. In these cases, they anxiously ask themselves: “What will I do? Will something happen? What will come of this? How would this or that not happen? This happens to those who constantly worry about what does not belong to them.

On the contrary, a person who is busy with what depends on him and dedicates his life to the work of self-improvement will not worry himself so much. If he began to worry about whether he would be able to adhere to the truth and avoid lies, then I would say: calm down - what worries you is in your own hands; look only at your thoughts and actions and try to correct yourself in every possible way. Don’t say: “Will something happen?” Whatever happens, you will turn it into learning and benefit.

– What if I die fighting misfortune?

- Well, what? In that case, you will die the death of an honest man, doing what you should do. You still need to die, and death should find you doing something. I would be pleased if death found me doing something worthy of a person, doing something good and useful to all people; or that she would catch me while I was trying to correct myself. Then I could raise my hands to God and say to Him: “Lord! You know Yourself how much I took advantage of what You gave me to understand Your laws. Have I reproached you? Did you resent what happened to me? Have you shirked your duty? I thank You for the fact that I was born, for all Your gifts. I have used them quite a lot: take them back and dispose of them as You please - after all, they are Yours!

Could there be a better death? To survive to such a death, you do not need to lose much, although, it is true, you will gain a lot by doing so. If you want to keep what is not yours, then you will certainly lose what is yours.

Anyone who wants to have success in worldly affairs does not sleep all night long, constantly fussing and fussing, fawning on strong people and generally acting like a vile person. And in the end, what did he achieve with all this? He achieved that he is surrounded with some honors, that he is feared and that, having become a boss, he controls some actions. Don’t you really want to work hard to free yourself from all such worries and sleep peacefully, fearing nothing and not suffering from anything? Know that such peace of mind does not come for free.

(Epictetus)

January 3

Whether our life ends with carnal death is a question of the greatest importance, and it is rare that a person does not think about it. Depending on whether we believe or not in eternal life, our actions will be reasonable or meaningless. Any reasonable act is necessarily based on confidence in the immortality of true life.

Therefore, our first concern should be to disassemble and understand what is immortal in life. Some people work hard to understand this for themselves. They recognize that their whole life must depend on it.

Other people, although they doubt immortality, are sincerely tormented by their doubt and consider it their greatest misfortune. They spare nothing just to find out the truth, tirelessly seek it and consider this the most important thing in their lives.

But there are also people who don’t think about it at all. Their carelessness when it comes to themselves surprises, outrages and frightens me.

(Vlas Pascal)

4 January

Judge not lest ye be judged. For with whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not feel the plank in your own eye? Or how will you say to your brother: Let me take the speck out of your eye, but there is a beam in your eye? Hypocrite! First take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see how to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

(Mm. VII, 1–5)

It is easy to notice the errors of others, but difficult to notice your own; They love to understand the mistakes of their loved ones, but they hide their own, just as a rogue tries to hide his false dice.

A person is inclined to constantly blame others: he looks only at their mistakes, but his own passions grow more and more, removing him from improvement.

(Buddhist wisdom)

Do not judge your neighbor until you are in his place.

(Talmud)

5 January

One thing we know, or can know if we want, namely, that the heart and conscience of man are divine, that in the denial of evil and the recognition of good, man himself is an incarnate deity; that his joy in love, his suffering in anger, his indignation at the sight of injustice, his glory in self-sacrifice, are eternal, indisputable proofs of his unity with the supreme Sovereign; that in this, and not in bodily advantages and not in a greater variety of instincts, he himself is the ruler over the lower animate world. Since he denies or violates the dictates of his heart and conscience, he dishonors the name of the heavenly Father, and does not sanctify His name on earth; since he follows them, he sanctifies His name and receives from the fullness of His power.

(John Ruskin)

6th January

One whose faith is weak cannot arouse faith in others.

(Lao-Tse)

The sin of the whole world is, in essence, the sin of Judas. People do not disbelieve in their Christ, but sell Him.

(John Ruskin)

Jan. 7

Whoever has laid down his life in the light of understanding and serves it, there can be no desperate situations in life, he does not know the torment of conscience, is not afraid of loneliness and does not seek noisy society - he has a higher life, does not run away from people and does not chase after them. He is not confused by thoughts about how long his spirit is imprisoned in a fleshly shell; the actions of such a person will always be the same, even in view of his imminent death. For him, one concern is to live wisely in peaceful communication with people.

(Marcus Aurelius)

January 8

The pious, the people of action, say: glory to our youth, which has not disgraced our old age.

The penitents say: glory to our old age, redeeming our youth.

But both of them say: it is good for him who is sinless, but for those who have sinned, repent, correct yourself, and you will be forgiven.

(Talmud)

January 9

A person standing on tiptoes cannot stand for long. A person who exposes himself cannot shine. He who is satisfied with himself cannot become famous. He who boasts cannot have merit. He who is proud cannot rise. Before the court of reason, such people are like waste food and are disgusted by everyone. Therefore, he who has understanding does not rely on himself.

(Lao-Tse)

January 10

He who hates his neighbor, as it were, sheds human blood.

(Talmud)

The one whose anger has no boundaries, the one who is entwined with it like a dodder, will soon lead himself to where only his worst enemy would like to push him.

Freshly strained milk does not sour, an evil deed does not immediately bear fruit, but like a fire buried in warmth, it gradually burns and torments the madman.

(Buddhist wisdom)

January 11

And so someone came up and said to Him: Good Teacher! What good thing can I do to have eternal life? Jesus said to him: if you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come and follow Me.

(Mm. XIX, 16. 21)

How insensitive and indifferent a rich man can be to the grief of others.

(Talmud)

January 12

If you have done evil to your neighbor, even if it is small, consider it great, but if you have done him great good, consider it of little importance; Consider a small kindness shown to you by others to be great.

The blessing of God will descend on the one who gives to the poor; a double blessing rests on the one who meets and sees him off kindly.

(Talmud)

13th of January

The straight path or rule of behavior that must be followed is not far from people. If people set themselves a rule of behavior that is far from them, that is, that does not agree with their nature, then it should not be accepted as a rule of behavior. A carpenter hewing an ax handle has before him a model of what he is doing. Taking in his hands the ax handle of the ax he is using, he looks at it from both sides and, after making a new ax handle, examines both of them to see how similar they are; so a wise man, who has the same feelings for others as he has for himself, finds the right rule of behavior. He does not do to others what he does not want done to him.

(Confucius)

January 14

Every creature benefits not only from everything that is sent to it by Providence, but also at the very time when it is sent.

(Marcus Aurelius)

Oh, how happy we are, living without hatred of those who hate us; how happy we are if we live among those who hate!..

Oh, how happy we are, free from greed among the greedy. Among people consumed by greed, we live free from it!..

Oh, how happy we are, not calling anything ours. We are like the bright gods, imbued with holiness!..

(Buddhist wisdom)

January 15

Simplicity of life, language, and habits gives strength to a nation, while luxury of life, pretentiousness of language and effeminacy of habits lead to weakness and destruction.

(John Ruskin)

True political economy is one that teaches people not to desire, but to despise and destroy everything that leads to destruction.

(He's the same)

January 16

The horse is saved from the enemy by its fast running, and it is unhappy not when it cannot crow like a rooster, but when it has lost what it was given - its fast running.

The dog has a sense; when she is deprived of what is given to her - her flair, she is unhappy, and she is not unhappy when she cannot fly.

In the same way, a person becomes unhappy not when he cannot overcome a bear or a lion, or evil people, but when he loses what he has been given - kindness and prudence. Such and such a person is truly unhappy and worthy of pity.

It’s not a pity that a person was born or died, that he lost his money, house, estate: all this does not belong to a person. It’s a pity when a person loses his true property - his human dignity.

(Epictetus)

January 17

The whole world is subject to a single law, and all rational beings have a single mind. The truth is one, and for reasonable people the concept of perfection is also one.

(Marcus Aurelius)

All good things are nothing before the good of truth; all sweets are nothing before the sweetness of truth; the bliss of truth immeasurably surpasses all joys.

(Buddhist wisdom)

January 18

Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will wear. Is not the life more than food, and the body than clothing?

(Mm. VI, 25)

Don't worry about tomorrow, because you don't know what else will happen today.

Who has bread in a basket and says, “What will I eat tomorrow?” - he belongs to those of little faith.

He who created the day will also create food for it.

(Talmud)

January 19

When a sage adheres to the law of virtue, he hides it from the eyes of people and does not regret that it is not known to anyone.

(Confucius)

False shame is the devil's favorite weapon. He achieves more with it than even with false pride. With false pride he only encourages evil, and with false shame he paralyzes good.

(John Ruskin)

January 20th

Our life is a consequence of our thoughts: it is born in our heart, it comes from our thoughts. If a person speaks or acts with an evil thought, suffering relentlessly follows him, like a wheel following the heel of an ox pulling a cart.

Our life is a consequence of our thoughts: it is born in our heart, it is created by our thoughts. If a person speaks or acts with a good thought, joy follows him like a shadow that never leaves.

“He offended me, he triumphed over me, he enslaved me, he insulted me,” hatred will never fade away in a heart alarmed by such thoughts.

“He offended me, he triumphed over me, he enslaved me,” - whoever does not give refuge to such thoughts will forever drown out hatred in himself.

For what comes from hatred is not overcome by hatred: it is quenched by love - such is the eternal law.

(Buddhist wisdom)

January 21

He who is ashamed of the shameless and not ashamed of the shameless, following a false opinion, enters the evil path of destruction.

(Buddhist wisdom)

A commendable trait in a person is modesty, for a shy person will not soon sin.

(Talmud)

January 22

What strength is there in a person who always acts according to the will of God and is submissive to Him in everything!

(Marcus Aurelius)

The essence of love for God lies in the soul’s desire and attraction to the Creator in order to merge with His highest light.

(Talmud)

January 23

Everything that people admire so much, everything that they worry and fuss so much about to acquire, all this does not bring them the slightest happiness. While people are busy, they think that their good is in what they strive for. But as soon as they get what they want, they again begin to worry, lament and envy what they do not yet have.

And this is very understandable, because freedom is not achieved by satisfying one’s idle desires, but, on the contrary, by ridding oneself of such desires.

If you want to be sure that this is true, then put at least half as much effort into freeing yourself from your empty desires as you have hitherto spent on their fulfillment, and you will soon see that in this way you will receive much more peace and happiness .

Leave the company of rich and powerful people; stop pleasing noble and powerful people and imagining that you can get anything you need from them. Seek, on the contrary, from righteous and reasonable people what you can get from them and, I assure you, you will not leave them empty-handed if you only come to them with a pure heart and good thoughts.

If you don’t take my word for it, then at least for a while try to get close to such people, try to take at least a few steps towards true freedom. And then decide for yourself where you are drawn more: to good and freedom or to evil and slavery. There is nothing shameful in such an experience. Test yourself...

(Epictetus)

January 24

Be truthful even towards a child: fulfill what you promise to him, otherwise you will teach him to lie.

(Talmud)

Never teach a child anything of which you yourself are not sure, and if you want to instill something in him in his tender years, so that the purity of childhood and the power of the first combinations will imprint it on him, then be careful most of all that it is not a lie, about which you yourself know is a lie.

(John Ruskin)

The 25th of January

And when they came to the place called the forehead, they crucified Him and the villains there, one on the right and the other on the left. Jesus said: Father! forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.

(Luke XXIII, 33–34)

The human soul does not voluntarily, but by force, turn away from truth, moderation, justice and goodness; The more clearly you understand this, the more meekly you will treat people.

(Marcus Aurelius)

January 26

Can you reasonably be indignant at a person who is possessed by some disgusting disease? How is it his fault that you are disgusted by his presence? Treat moral illnesses in the same way.

“But,” you say, “man has a mind with the help of which he can recognize his vices.” It's right. Consequently, you also have reason and can, through reasonable behavior, bring your neighbor to an awareness of your shortcomings; so show your reason, manage to awaken a person’s conscience and heal his blindness without anger, impatience and arrogance.

(Marcus Aurelius)

January 27

In comparison with the world around him, man is nothing more than a weak reed; but he is a reed, gifted with understanding.

One little thing is enough to kill a person. And yet man is above all creatures, above everything earthly, because even when he dies he will realize with his mind that he is dying. A person can realize the insignificance of his body before nature. Nature is not aware of anything.

Our entire advantage lies in our ability to reason. Understanding alone elevates us above the rest of the world. Let us value and support our understanding, and it will illuminate our whole life, show us what is good and what is evil.

(Vlas Pascal)

28 January

He who subsequently covered up his former evil deeds with good ones shines in this dark world like a moon on a cloudy night.

(Buddhist wisdom)

It is good for a person who repents of sins while he is still courageous.

Repent before your strength leaves you, add oil before the lamp goes out.

(Talmud)

January 29

The truth in nothing is learned by talking, but only by work and observation. And when you master one truth, the other two will probably appear before you as beautiful as the first leaves of dicotyledonous plants.

(John Ruskin)

Childhood often holds in its weak fingers a truth that people cannot hold with their courageous hands and the discovery of which is the pride of later years.

(He's the same)

January 30

He who imagines truth in lies and sees lies in truth will never comprehend the truth and will rush in vain in delusions.

But the one who saw the lie in the lie and knew the truth in the truth is already close to the truth, and his path is correct.

Just as rain uncontrollably penetrates into a poorly covered building, so passions easily penetrate into a heart that is not protected by reflection.

(Buddhist wisdom)

January 31

Art is only in its proper place when it is subordinated to utility. His task is to teach, but to teach lovingly; and it is shameful, and not sublime, when it only pleases people, and does not help them discover the truth.

(John Ruskin)

People who speak colorfully and skillfully, with a pleasant manner, rarely possess the virtue of philanthropy.

(Chinese wisdom)