Topics · Life & Self
Wisdom about breaking free.
Wisdom for cravings, habits and starting again.
Discussions
Community rules
- Speak from experience. Say what you lived and what you learned. Advice without a story is easy to ignore.
- Be kind to the person. Disagree with an idea as much as you like. Never with someone’s worth.
- Not a substitute for care. Nothing here is medical, legal or financial advice. In crisis, reach out to local services.
- No selling. No promotion, referral links or pitching your course.
From the library
Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity, and quicken me in Thy ways.
Without contentment, no one is sated.
Self is the lord of self, who else could be the lord? With self well subdued, a man finds a lord such as few can find.
Does anyone bathe hastily? Do not say that he does it ill, but hastily. Does anyone drink much wine? Do not say that he does ill, but that he drinks a great deal.
Such as are thy habitual thoughts, such also will be the character of thy mind; for the soul is dyed by the thoughts.
Who is mighty? He who controls his passions
Stand firm therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and don’t be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.
But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we certainly can’t carry anything out. But having food and clothing, we will be content with that.
I know how to be humbled, and I also know how to abound. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret both to be filled and to be hungry, both to abound and to be in need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
But since we belong to the day, let’s be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet, the hope of salvation.
Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report: if there is any virtue and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry, and slander be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you.
Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy; though I am fallen, I shall arise; though I sit in darkness, the LORD is a light unto me.
It is not thy duty to complete the work, but neither art thou free to desist from it
Hasten to do even a slight precept, and flee from transgression; for one virtue leads to another, and transgression draws transgression in its train
O ye who believe! Strong drink and games of chance and idols and divining arrows are only an infamy of Satan's handiwork. Leave it aside in order that ye may succeed.
Allah would make the burden light for you, for man was created weak.
And those who, when they spend, are neither prodigal nor grudging; and there is ever a firm station between the two
Those who spend (of that which Allah hath given them) in ease and in adversity, those who control their wrath and are forgiving toward mankind; Allah loveth the good
Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and be modest. That is purer for them. Lo! Allah is aware of what they do.
But as for him who feared to stand before his Lord and restrained his soul from lust, Lo! the Garden will be his home.
Lo! good deeds annul ill-deeds.
If one Ponders on objects of the sense, there springs Attraction; from attraction grows desire, Desire flames to fierce passion, passion breeds Recklessness; then the memory, all betrayed, Lets noble purpose go, and saps the mind, Till purpose, mind, and man are all undone.
Let each man raise The Self by Soul, not trample down his Self, Since Soul that is Self's friend may grow Self's foe. Soul is Self's friend when Self doth rule o'er Self, But Self turns enemy if Soul's own self Hates Self as not itself.
Nay, Arjuna! call That the true piety which most removes Earth-aches and ills, where one is moderate In eating and in resting, and in sport; Measured in wish and act; sleeping betimes, Waking betimes for duty.
But, as often as the heart Breaks, wild and wavering, from control, so oft Let him re-curb it, let him rein it back To the soul's governance
Hero long-armed! beyond denial, hard Man's heart is to restrain, and wavering; Yet may it grow restrained by habit, Prince! By wont of self-command. This Yog, I say, Cometh not lightly to th' ungoverned ones; But he who will be master of himself Shall win it, if he stoutly strive thereto.
He is not lost, thou Son of Pritha! No! Nor earth, nor heaven is forfeit, even for him, Because no heart that holds one right desire Treadeth the road of loss!
This that irks, Thy sense-life, thrilling to the elements, Bringing thee heat and cold, sorrows and joys, 'Tis brief and mutable! Bear with it, Prince!
Yea, the world is strong, But what discerns it stronger, and the mind Strongest; and high o'er all the ruling Soul.
Thus it is: we do not receive a short life, but we make it a short one, and we are not poor in days, but wasteful of them.
Despair not of the mercy of Allah, Who forgiveth all sins. Lo! He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.
Who is content Needs fear no shame. Who knows to stop Incurs no blame. From danger free Long live shall he.
He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.
The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that are bowed down.
Farid! Do good deeds for evil and harbour not wrath in thy mind.
He who formerly was reckless and afterwards became sober, brightens up this world, like the moon when freed from clouds.
Provide things relating to the body no further than absolute need requires, as meat, drink, clothing, house, retinue. But cut off everything that looks toward show and luxury.
One man prays thus: How shall I be able to lie with that woman? Do thou pray thus: How shall I not desire to lie with her? Another prays thus: How shall I be released from this? Pray thou: How shall I not desire to be released?
Who is rich? He who rejoices in his portion
For regulating the human (in our constitution) and rendering the (proper) service to the heavenly, there is nothing like moderation.
He giveth power to the faint; and to him that hath no might He increaseth strength.
Numberless sins he forgives in an instant. Nanak the Master is ever Merciful.
He who holds back rising anger like a rolling chariot, him I call a real driver; other people are but holding the reins.
If you are dazzled by the semblance of any promised pleasure, guard yourself against being bewildered by it; but let the affair wait your leisure, and procure yourself some delay.
Be not disgusted, nor discouraged, nor dissatisfied, if thou dost not succeed in doing everything according to right principles, but when thou hast failed, return back again, and be content if the greater part of what thou doest is consistent with man's nature, and love this to which thou returnest
The partial becomes complete; the crooked, straight; the empty, full; the worn out, new. He whose (desires) are few gets them; he whose (desires) are many goes astray.