In social institutions, the whole is always less than the sum of its parts. There will never be a state as good as its people, or a church worthy of its congregation, or a university equal to its faculty and students.

There is no such thing as a self-made man. We are made up of thousands of others. Everyone who has ever done a kind deed for us, or spoken one word of encouragement to us, has entered into the makeup of our character and our thoughts, as well as our success.

I had always loved beautiful and artistic things, though before leav

Exploration is really the essence of the human spirit.

The only business of the head in the world is to bow a ceaseless obeisance to the heart.

Though one sits in meditation in a particular place, the Self in him can exercise its influence far away. Though still, it moves everywhere…The Self cannot be known by anyone who desists not from unrighteous ways, controls not his senses, stills not his mind, and practices not meditation.

That which exists through itself is called The Eternal. The Eternal has neither name nor shape. It is the one essence, the one primal spirit. Essence and life cannot be seen. They are contained in the light of heaven. The light of heaven cannot be seen. It is contained in the two eyes.

If the thoughts are absolutely tranquil the heavenly heart can be seen. The heavenly heart lies between sun and moon (i.e. between the two eyes). It is the home of the inner light. To make light circulate is the deepest and most wonderful secret. The light is easy to move, but difficult to fix. If it is made to circulate long enought, then it crystallizes itself; that is the natural spirit body…

True thoughts have duration in themselves. If the thoughts endure, the seed is enduring; if the seed endures, the energy endures; if the energy endures, then will the spirit endure. The spirit is thought; thought is the heart; the heart is the fire; the fire is the Elixir.

Two stones build two houses, three stones build six houses, four build twenty-four houses, five build one hundred and twenty houses, six build seven hundred and twenty houses and seven build five thousand and forty houses. From thence further go and reckon what the mouth cannot express and the ear cannot hear.

Tomorrow is a satire on today, And shows its weakness.

A soul without reflection, like a pile Without inhabitant, to ruin runs.

By all means use some time to be alone.

Too low they build who build below the skies.

It takes vision and courage to create-it takes faith and courage to prove.

Selfishness is the only real atheism; aspiration, unselfishness, the only real religion.

One of my favorite philosophical tenets is that people will agree with you only if they already agree with you. You do not change people’s minds.

Choose silence of all virtues, for by it you hear other men’s imperfections, and conceal your own.

In Fame’s temple there is always a niche to be found for rich dunces, importunate scoundrels or successful butchers of the human race.

Before God manifested Himself, when all things were still hidden in Him… He began by forming an imperceptible point; that was His own thought. With this thought He then began to construct a mysterious and holy form… the Universe.

Every soul is subject to the trial of Transmigration…An individual does not know that he is called for assessment before entering this World as well as after leaving it. He does not know how many transformations and esoteric trials he has to pass through…and that souls revolve like a stone shot from a sling.

All souls must undergo transmigration and the souls of men revolve like a stone which is thrown from a sling, so many turns before the final release…Only those who have not completed their perfection must suffer the wheel of rebirth by being reborn into another human body.

To understand a holy unity, examine the flame rising from a candle. We see at first two kinds of light, one glistening white and one blue or black. The white light is above and rises in a straight line, the blue or black light is beneath and appears to be the source of the white; yet the two lights are so closely united they form one single flame. But the source formed by the blue or black light is, in turn, attached to the wick under it. The white light never changes, it always remains white; but several shades are distinguishable in the lower light. Moreover, the lower light moves in two opposite directions; above, it is connected to the white light, and below, it is attached to the burning matter; this matter continually consumes itself and rises toward the upper light. It is thus that all that is, reunites with the one unity.

The entire lower world was created in the likeness of the higher world. All that exists in the higher world appears like an image in this lower world; yet all this is but One.

Temptation is the fire that brings up the scum of the heart.