How good it is to feel guilty, to be humiliated, to know it and not be bitter. It's possible. And as necessary. How bad it is to think that you are right, that you are above others and rejoice! It's really bad and I'm going through it. It is detrimental to real life.
You strive to arouse the love of people and you do not succeed. The only way to achieve this goal is to awaken the love of God in you, the consciousness of your unity with God, and you will reach the goal, if not active love, at least you will free yourself from the lack of love, from bad feelings towards people. I remembered the vet, the way I used to make fun of him, and I felt ashamed, guilty. (How many benefits does writing this journal bring me, I am talking to my soul, as Marcus Aurelius used to say.) Love must not be aroused, it only removes what prevents it from manifesting, that is, what prevents the self from manifesting, the true self.
Old age is good at least because it makes the care of tomorrow disappear. For the old man there is no future, therefore all care, all efforts are transferred to the present, that is, to real life.
We all justify ourselves, and for our soul, on the contrary, we should feel guilty. We have to learn this. In order to learn, we must enjoy the occasions when we can plead guilty. Just look, and you will always find the opportunity.
You like to be strong, agile, smart, able to do anything, and you exercise your strength, agility in all kinds of activities. But there is one activity more important than all others, which, if we succeed in accomplishing it, brings us the greatest joy, and therefore it is good to practice it especially. This activity is the closeness to God within yourself.
The body of man separates him from the Whole through space, and the whole body unites man with the Whole through time. In space man is separated from the whole world, in time he is united with the Whole.
Morality means only to understand yourself as a manifestation of God: the son, His servant, and therefore to understand the meaning of life in the fulfillment of His will. Immorality means to understand yourself as a servant of your person, your family, your country, your race or mankind.
I didn't even blink and I fell into temptation, I began to attribute special importance to myself as the founder of a philosophical-religious school, I began to give importance to this fact, I wanted this thing to be true, as if does it have any meaning for my life. All this matters, but not for, but against my life, I stifle it, pervert it.
I thought that when I meet people I must always remember that life is only in the present. How little I want! To live only in the present means to live only with God and through God.
When you meet any man you must remember that before you was God. when and where was true prayer. Because at the entrance to the church there are beggars, and we pass by them towards the icons, towards the words, towards the service.
What a bad habit, when meeting someone to start with a joke. In man was God, and God is not to be trifled with. Every time you see someone, talk to them wholeheartedly.
My body is not me, my mind is not me. It is not me nor my consciousness. I, my real "I" is that thing of which I am aware. For I possess the consciousness of my spiritual, divine essence. I do not understand this essence, but it alone is my true "I".
The doctrine of the future life does more harm than good to the good life in this world. "We have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren." * Believe in the future life, the life beyond the grave, and you will not live joyfully, but on the contrary, tormented. Do not believe in the eternal life to come, but recognize this eternal life, and you will live peacefully and joyfully in this life.
Death is also good because it frees from their "I" those who have understood the narrowness, the lack of freedom of this separation from the Whole that is due to the "I".
The bell, letters have arrived... From an old habit I am waiting for something from the outside: a pleasant person is coming, some good news in a letter. I wait and at the same time I know very well that nothing good can come to me from outside. I cannot even think of who outside, what man and what news could bring me real joy. What can make me happy? What can I wish for? Only one thing, which I can offer myself: an increasing closeness to God, merging with Him. I'm not in a good mood; what joy can I give myself? I can offer myself a joy, even now, and a great one: to overcome this disposition, to use it to learn even during it not to interrupt communication with God.
The essence of religion is to see not only yourself and those with whom you are connected, but the All, the infinite All, and your relationship with this All, with God. That's religion.
The essence of life, its good, towards which man naturally strives is the increase of love and, as a result, the increase of the good of his life and the life of all. How come people don't understand this, how come I didn't understand it either! For it was only said: "Come to Me, you who are weary and burdened..." *
The concern of the whole life, apart from the inner work, is only one: to increase love in people by deeds and words, by persuasion.
They used to be Saint Francis, now they are Darwins. The new generation now not only does not believe in any religion, but believes that any religion is nonsense, a trifle.
Humility is the basis of everything, of virtue and reason. There is nothing more beneficial to the soul than to remember that you are an insignificant blob in time and space whose strength lies only in the understanding of this insignificance.
Mind is born only of humility. Stupidity, however, is born only from fuming. However great the intellectual capacities, the humble man is always dissatisfied, he seeks; the smug one thinks he knows everything and doesn't delve deeper.
In the bodily state, you want to eat, sleep, you are happy or bored, but man is alone; in deeds, in communication with people, you unite with some beings; in contemplation you unite with all the people of the past and the future.
There is no greater soul joy in the world than the state of necessary, tender love.
Everything is. There is no space, no body, no time, no movement. And here, in this All outside of space and time, without body and movement, man appears and feels a particle separated from All, and this separation is represented by the body in space. But one also feels part of Everything, and this consciousness of belonging to Everything is realized by moving in time.
Kant is considered an abstract philosopher, but he is a great teacher of religion.
Only people who live before God can have true frankness. Men who live before men have walked and will walk with tricks.
It is wrong to think that the purpose of life is to serve God. The purpose of life is good. But since God wanted to bestow good on people, then people, reaching their good, do what God wants from them, fulfill His will.
Freedom of will in the bodily state was almost non-existent: you burned yourself, you jump to one side, you haven't slept for two days, you fall asleep. The freedom to choose facts is already greater: to go, not to go? To go to one job or another. Freedom of choice of thought is even greater, almost total.
A lady speaks in horror and trembles at the thought of murder, but she still asks for support for that life which is impossible without murder.
I read about a blind mute who enjoys life, thanks God for it and writes that the purpose of man is to be happy, satisfied and to help others to enjoy life through their joy and life.