Someone Who Has Seen the Truth

You have heard it said*: "As unnecessary as a well is to a village on the banks of a river, so unnecessary are all the scriptures to someone who has seen the truth."

I say unto you that no truer statement can be said.



*The Bhagavad Gita

Before You Speak

You have heard it said*: “Before you speak let your words pass through three gates.
At the first gate, ask yourself: ‘Is it true.’
At the second gate ask: ‘Is it necessary.’
At the third gate ask: ‘Is it kind.’”

But I say unto you: "Before you speak let your words pass through three gates.

At the first gate, ask yourself: "Is it true."

At the second gate ask:  "Is it useful."

At the third gate ask:  "Is it kind."

* Sufi Saying

You Ought to Do the Right Thing

You have heard it said*:

“It's the action, not the fruit of the action, that's important. You have to do the right thing.  It may not be in your power, may not be in your time, that there'll be any fruit. But that doesn't mean you stop doing the right thing. You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result.”

But I say unto you:

"It is both the action and the fruit of the action that are important.  You ought to do the right thing that produces the right fruit.  It may not be in your power to produce the right fruit, or it may be that your action does not produce the right fruit in your time, but that does not mean you stop doing the right thing.  After all, you never know what results may come from your action.  However, if you do nothing, there will be a result and that result is likely to produce a bad fruit either for the external world around us or for the soul within yourself."

*Mohandas Gandhi

The Purpose of Life

 You have heard it said*: “The purpose of life is not to be happy.  It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” 

But I say unto you: "The purpose of life should not be the pursuit of happiness.  Instead, the purpose of life should be to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have one's life make some positive difference that verifies that you have lived and lived well."

*Ralph Waldo Emerson

Let Me Do It Now

You have heard it said*: 

“I expect to pass through this world but once.
Any good, therefore, that I can do,
or any kindness I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now.

Let me not defer or neglect it
for I shall not pass this way again.”

And I say unto you that no greater truth can be spoken.

* Quaker Proverb

If All Things Be Regarded With Love

You have heard it said*: "If all things be regarded with love, Heaven and Earth are one with me."

But I say unto you: "If all things be regarded with love, the Kingdom of Heaven and this Earth are one and the same."



*So-shi

Love Is Our True Destiny

You have heard it said*: "Love is our true destiny.  We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone -- we find it with another."

But I say unto you: "Love is our true destiny.  We cannot find the meaning of life by ourselves alone -- we can only find it with, and through, each other."


*Thomas Merton