Religious Thought 294

“This lover of love sings: "Mother! Mother! Mother! Who can fathom your mystery, Your eternal play of love with love? You are divine madness, O goddess, Your love the brilliant crown of madness. Please make this poor poet madly wealthy with the infinite treasure of your love."”

- Ramprasad

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“There is no evil like hatred. And no fortitude like patience.”

- Santideva, "Bodhicaryavatara"

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“When we are ignorant we live in His prison; when we become prudent we live in His palace; when we fall asleep we become intoxicated; when we are awakened we are in His hands. ”
- Rumi

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“The weakness in our Christian life is that we do not take time to believe that this Divine Love really does delight in us. Love will awaken your faith and strengthen it. Occupy yourself with that love; worship it; wait for it. ”

- Andrew Murray

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“Vision looks inward and becomes duty. Vision looks outward and becomes aspiration. Vision looks upward and becomes faith.”

- Rabbi Stephen S. Wise

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Religious Thought 293

“Love your true Self, Which is naturally happy And peaceful and bright! Awaken to your own nature, And all delusion melts like a dream. ”

- Ashtavakra Gita 18:1

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Gone to the beyond of becoming, you let go of in front, let go of behind, let go of between. With a heart everywhere let go, you don't come again to birth & aging.”

- Dhammapada, 24, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

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“In order to think about God, you may compare him with other beings; but remember that he is incomparable. In this way you will live in the house of truth.”

- Ibn Arabi, "Fusus al-hikam

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“Make the habit to remember God, not only during your prayers, but at every hour and minute of the day, for He is everywhere present. ”

- St. Theophan the Recluse, "What Is the Spiritual Life"

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“Man never acts in a manner more resembling God than when he bestows benefits.”

- Philo, Special Laws

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Religious Thought 292

“The adorable one who is seated In the heart rules the breath of life. Unto him all the senses pay their homage. When the dweller in the body breaks out In the freedom from the bonds of flesh, what remains? For this Self is supreme!”

- Katha Upanishad

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“Although there are countless teachings that instruct how to obtain enlightenment in a future life, almost all of them are nothing more than expedients. As the ultimate instruction there is simply no teaching that is superior to the true practice of the awakening to one's own nature.”

- Hakuin, "Zen Master Hakuin"

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“The intelligent person sees with the heart the result from the beginning; the one lacking in knowledge only discovers it at the end. ”
- Rumi
- Mathnawi [V, 2570]

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“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. ”

- John 15:18-19 (Revised Standard Version

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“God is of no importance unless he is of extreme importance.”

- Abraham Joshua Heschel, "Man's Quest for God"

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Religious Thought 291

“"The body does this, not I." "My nature is purity." With these thoughts, Whatever he does, He does nothing. But he pretends not to know. He finds freedom in this life, But he acts like an ordinary man. Yet he is not a fool. Happy and bright, He thrives in the world.”

- Ashtavakra Gita 18:25-26

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“The world is apprehended by way of the mind The world is acted upon by way of the mind And all good things and bad Exist in the world by way of the mind.”

- Samyutta Nikaya

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“By the mercy of God Paradise has eight doors one of those is the door of repentance, child. All the others are sometimes open, sometimes shut; but the door of repentance is never closed. Come seize the opportunity: the door is open; carry your baggage there at once.”
- Rumi
- Mathnawi [IV, 2506-2508

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“The resurrection gives my life meaning and direction and the opportunity to start over no matter what my circumstances.”

- Robert Flatt

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“Disaster comes only because of ignorance.”

- Judah HaNasi, Talmud: Baba Bathra

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