Contrary Ways

What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow: our life is the creation of our mind. If a man speaks or acts with an impure mind, suffering follows him as the wheel of the cart follows the beast that draws the cart.
What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow: our life is the creation of our mind. If a man speaks or acts with a pure mind, joy follows him as his own shadow.

“He insulted me, he hurt me, he defeated me, he robbed me.” Those who think such thoughts will not be free from hate.
“He insulted me, he hurt me, he defeated me, he robbed me.” Those who think not such thoughts will be free from hate.

For hate is not conquered by hate: hate is conquered by love. This is a law eternal.
Many do not know that we are here in this world to live in harmony. Those who know this do not fight against each other.
He who lives only for pleasures, and whose soul is not in harmony, who considers not the food he eats, is idle and has not the power of virtue — such a man is moved by MARA, is moved by selfish temptations, even as a weak tree is shaken by the wind.
But he who lives not for pleasures, and whose soul is in self-harmony, who eats or fasts with moderation, and has faith and the power of virtue — this man is not moved by temptations, as a great rock is not shaken by the wind.

If a man puts on the pure yellow robe with a soul which is impure, without self-harmony and truth, he is not worthy of the holy robe.
But he who is pure from sin and whose soul is strong in virtue, who has self-harmony and truth, is worthy of the holy robe.
Those who think the unreal is, and think the Real is not, they shall never reach the Truth, lost in the path of wrong thought.
But those who know the Real is, and know the unreal is not, they all indeed reach the Truth, safe on the path of right thought.

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