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Welcome to http://outofbodytravel.org/ and all the features you'll find here including FREE downloads of over 115 E-Books/Magazines, Audio/Video/Music and Art about Out-of-Body Travel and other related subjects! In the spirit of remembering the great Prophets, Mystics, Saints and Sages from throughout the world and time, we have chosen to use this blog to make postings of special quotations from these great souls in the writings of the ancient sacred texts. As often as possible, I will be utilizing my extensive library of the better known and almost forgotten ancient sacred texts from all over the world to share with you a bit of the knowledge left behind by the Masters of every path. We hope you find this inspiring!

Many Thanks,
Marilynn Hughes

The Out-of-Body Travel Foundation!

http://outofbodytravel.org/

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Rev. G. Vale Owen

"It is a mistake to think that Angels, even of such estate as those two who went and rescued that poor woman, are unable to suffer. They do suffer, and that frequently. And it is possible for the malicious ones to hurt them when they venture into their regions. Theretically I cannot see why the evil ones should not now and then prevail so as to get them into their power. So well, however, are the powers of light and good organized, and so watchful, that I have not heard that this catastrophe has ever been known to actually happen. But their fight is a real fight, and fatiguing also. That is the second point. Even these high Angels can become fatigued. But neither their suffering nor their fatigue do they mind. It may sound a paradox, but it is nevertheless true, that it is a joy to them to suffer when some poor struggling soul is to be helped."
Life Beyond the Veil, Lowlands of Heaven, Vol. 1 Rev. G. Vale Owen, The Greater World Association, UK, 1922

Monday, April 14, 2008

Osho on Chuang Tzu

"Chaung Tzu was one of the most natural men the world has seen. He has not given any discipline, he has not given any doctrine, he has not given any catechism. He has simply explained one thing: that if you can be natural and ordinary, just like the birds and trees, you will blossom, you will have your wings open in the vast sky."
The Spiritual Path, Buddha, Zen, Tao, Tantra, Osho, Tao Part III (Buddhism: Taoism, Words of Osho)

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Heaven and Hell of Emanuel Swedenborg

"In the other life, a person never suffers punishment because of inherited evil, because it does not belong to him. That is, he is not at fault for being what he is in this respect. Rather, he suffers punishment because of the realized evil that does belong to him - that is, the amount of inherited evil that he has made his own by his life activities."
Heaven & Hell, Chapter 37, No. 342, Paragraph 3, Page 258, (Christianity, Swedenborgianism, Author: Emanuel Swedenborg)

Sri Ramakrishna, The Tablets of Baha'u'llah, The Talmud

"You may say that there are many errors and superstitions in another religion. I should reply: Suppose there are, every religion has errors. Everyone thinks that his watch alone gives the correct time. It is enough to have yearning for God."
The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, Chapter 4, Page 112, Paragraph 1, (Hinduism, Words of Sri Ramakrishna)
"The purpose of religion as revealed from the heaven of God's holy will is to establish unity and concord amongst the peoples of the world; make it not the cause of dissension and strife."
The Tablets of Baha'u'llah, Chapter 8, Ishra'q'at, The ninth Ishra'q, Paragraph 1, (Baha'i, Author: Baha'u'llah)
"Run not after rule."
The Talmudic Anthology, No. 146, Page 194, Stanza 6, Pesikta Rabbati, 22, (Judaism)

The Path of Purification of the Buddha

"Ignorance is an outstanding cause of kamma that leads to unhappy destinies . . . But craving for becoming is an outstanding cause of kamma that leads to happy destinies."
The Path of Purification, Chapter XVII, No. 39-40, (Buddhism, Theravadan)

The Zohar

"If one runs after that which is not his, it flies from him, and what is more, he loses his own as well."
The Zohar (Kaballah), Volume V, Korah (Numbers), Page 238, Paragraph 2, (Judaism)

Mother Teresa

"Many times a deep and fervent gaze upon Christ is the best prayer. I look upon Him, He looks upon me, is the most perfect prayer."
The Love of Christ, Part I, Page 6-7, Bottom and Top, (Christianity, Catholic, Words of Mother Teresa)
"A soul of prayer can make progress without recourse to words, by learning to listen, to be present to Christ, and to look toward Him."
The Love of Christ, Part I, Page 6, Paragraph 3, (Christianity, Catholic, Words of Mother Teresa)

The Talmud

"Everything is foreknown, but man is free."
The Talmudic Anthology, No. 97, Page 135, Stanza 4, (Judaism)

King James and New American Bible

"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him . . . To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne."
King James Bible, New Testament, Revelations 3:20-21, (Christianity, Words of Christ)
"If I ascend to heaven, Thou art there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, Thou art there."
New American Bible, Old Testament, Psalm 139:8 (Words of David)

Sahih Muslim of Muhammad

"Abu Huraira reported: The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) visited the grave of his mother and he wept, and moved others around him to tears, and said: I sought permission from my Lord to beg forgiveness for her but it was not granted to me, and I sought permission to visit her grave and it was granted to me. So visit the graves, for that makes you mindful of death."
Sahih Muslim (The Hadith), Volume II, Chapter CCCLIII, No. 2130, Page 463, Paragraph 2, (Islam)

The Talmud

"Silence is equivalent to confession."
The Talmudic Anthology, No. 189, Paragraph 1, Ketubot, 11, (Judaism)

Thich Naht Hahn

"To encounter a true master is said to be worth a century of studying his or her teaching, because in such a person we witness a living example of enlightenment. How can we encounter Jesus or the Buddha? It depends on us. Many who looked directly into the eyes of the Buddha or Jesus were not capable of seeing them . . . When a sage is present and you sit near him or her, you feel peace and light."
Living Buddha, Living Christ, Chapter 4, Page 52, Paragraph 1, Page 53, Top, (Buddhism, Mahayana, Words of Thich Naht Hahn)

Thich Naht Hahn

"To encounter a true master is said to be worth a century of studying his or her teaching, because in such a person we witness a living example of enlightenment. How can we encounter Jesus or the Buddha? It depends on us. Many who looked directly into the eyes of the Buddha or Jesus were not capable of seeing them . . . When a sage is present and you sit near him or her, you feel peace and light."
Living Buddha, Living Christ, Chapter 4, Page 52, Paragraph 1, Page 53, Top, (Buddhism, Mahayana, Words of Thich Naht Hahn)

Sri Ramakrishna

"God dwells in all beings. But you may be intimate only with good people; you must keep away from the evil-minded. God is even in the tiger; but you cannot embrace the tiger on that account."
The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, Chapter 1, Page 84, Paragraph 5, (Hinduism, Words of Sri Ramakrishna)

The First Dalai Lama

"The founder of our spiritual legacy, the mighty Buddha Shakyamuni, first gave birth to the altruistic aspiration to achieve highest enlightenment in order to be of maximum benefit to all living beings . . . All of his teachings can be subsumed under two categories: those of the Hinayana, or Smaller Vehicle; and those of the Mahayana, or Great Vehicle . . . In the first of these vehicles he revealed the means of achieving nirvana, or liberation from cyclic existence, which is accomplished through transcending the belief in a truly existent self . . . In the second category of teachings . . . the Buddha mainly emphasized the methods for eliminating the self-cherishing attitude and replacing it with universal love and compassion."
Training the Mind in the Great Way, Point One, Page 45-46, Bottom & Top, (Buddhism, Tibetan, Author: Gyalwa Gendun Druppa, The First Dalai Lama)

Heaven and Hell of Emanuel Swedenborg

"The evil within a person is hell within him . . ."
Heaven & Hell, Chapter 57, No. 547, Page 453, (Christianity, Swedenborgianism, Author: Emanuel Swedenborg)
"The worst people of all are the ones who have been involved in evil pursuits as a result of self-love, with an accompanying inward behavior stemming from deceit. This is because the deceit penetrates their thoughts and purposes too thoroughly and fills them with poison, destroying their whole spiritual life."
Heaven & Hell, Chapter 60, No. 578, Paragraph 1, Page 483, (Christianity, Swedenborgianism, Author: Emanuel Swedenborg)
"The only means of controlling and restraining these elements and keeping the hellish mob under restraint is the fear of punishment - no other means exists. For if it were not for the fear of punishment and torment, what is evil would plunge into rages and the whole place would fall apart, as happens to earthly kingdoms where there is no law or punishment."
Heaven & Hell, Chapter 60, No. 581, Page 485, (Christianity, Swedenborgianism, Author: Emanuel Swedenborg)
"We can determine the nature of hellish spirits' malice by looking at their unspeakable arts . . . These skills are virtually unknown in the world. One kind has to be with the misuse of correspondence; another with the misuse of the lowest elements of the Divine design; a third with the communication and inflow of thoughts and affections, using transformations, investigations, other spirits beyond themselves, and emissaries. A fourth kind involves working with hallucinations, a fifth, projection beyond themselves so that they seem to be present where their bodies are not. A sixth kind involves impersonation, persuasion and lies. An evil spirit comes by its very nature into the use of these skills when it has been released from its body. They are intrinsic to the nature of his evil . . . Hellish spirits torment each other with these skills in the hells."
Heaven & Hell, Chapter 60, No. 580, Page 484, (Christianity, Swedenborgianism, Author: Emanuel Swedenborg)

The Book of Enoch

"Wisdom is poured forth like water, and glory fails not before him for ever and ever; for potent is he in all the secrets of righteousness. But iniquity passes away like a shadow, and possesses not a fixed station."
The Book of Enoch, Chapter XLVIII, No.1, Page 55, (Judaism, Christianity)

New American Bible

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the Earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you."
New American Bible, New Testament, Matthew 5:3-12, (Christianity, Catholic, Words of Christ)

New American Bible

"For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God."
New American Bible, New Testament, John 3:19-21, (Christianity, Catholic, Words of Christ)

Divine Mercy of Saint Faustina Kowalska

"(Let) the greatest sinners place their trust in My mercy. They have the right before others to trust in the abyss of My mercy. My daughter, write about My mercy towards tormented souls. Souls that make an appeal to My mercy delight Me. To such souls I grant even more graces than they ask. I cannot punish even the greatest sinner if he makes an appeal to My compassion . . . before I come as a just judge, I first open wide the door of My mercy. He who refuses to pass through the door of My mercy must pass through the door of My justice . . ."
Divine Mercy, Notebook III, No. 1146, Page 420, (Christianity, Catholic, Words of Christ, Author: Sister M. Faustina Kowalska)

St. Jerome

"He renounces himself, and takes up his cross, who, from having been unchaste becomes chaste; from having been immoderate becomes temperate; from having been weak and timid becomes strong and courageous."
The Voice of the Saints, Contrition, Page 78, No. 3, (Christianity, Catholic,
Words of St. Jerome)

St. Augustine

"Wickedness makes a bad use not only of evil, but also of good. In the same way, holiness makes a good use not only of good, but also of evil. Thus, sinners make a bad use of the Law, although the Law is good, while saints make a good use of death, although death is an evil."
City of God, Book XIII, Page 274-275, Chapter 5, Paragraph 4, (Christianity, Catholic, Author: St. Augustine)

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

"Try to keep your heart reserved for God alone, that there may be no room for bitterness, gall, or voluntary repugnance to what God shall appoint. Never be absorbed in the failings of others, but pursue your own path, regarding nothing but that which may wound your conscience. The great secret of belonging to God is to neglect and pass by everything else."
The Spiritual Combat, Chapter 10, Page 218, Paragraph 3, (Christianity, Catholic, Author: Dom Lorenzo Scupoli)

The Kitab-I-Iqan of Baha'u'llah

"Each Manifestation of God hath a distinct individuality, a definitely prescribed mission, a predestined Revelation, and specially designated limitations. Each one of them is known by a different name, is characterized by a special attribute, fulfills a definite Mission, and is entrusted with a particular Revelation . . . It is because of this difference in their station and mission that the words and utterances flowing from these Wellsprings of divine knowledge appear to diverge and differ. Otherwise, in the eyes of them that are initiated into the mysteries of divine wisdom, all their utterances are in reality but the expressions of one truth."
The Kitab-I-Iqan, Page 176-177, (Baha'i, Author: Baha'u'llah)

Heaven and Hell of Emanuel Swedenborg

"They therefore want me to declare on their behalf that in all of heaven there is not a single angel who was created at the beginning, nor is there in hell any devil who was created an angel of light and cast down. Rather, all the individuals in both heaven and hell are from the human race. In heaven are the ones who lived in heavenly love and faith in the world; in hell are the ones who lived in hellish love and faith."
Heaven & Hell, Chapter 35, Page 233, Paragraph 3, (Christianity, Swedenborgianism, Author: Emanuel Swedenborg)

Dhammapada

"When the wise man casts off laxity through vigilance, he is like unto a man who, having ascended the high tower of wisdom, looks upon the sorrowing people with an afflicted heart. He beholds suffering ignorant men as a mountaineer beholds people in a valley."
Dhammapada, Canto II - On Vigilance, Page 15, No. 28, (Buddhism)

King James Bible

"What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?"
King James Bible, New Testament, Romans 8:31, (Christianity)

A Course in Miracles

"The messengers of fear are harshly ordered to seek out guilt, and cherish every scrap of evil and of sin that they can find, losing none of them on pain of death, and laying them respectfully before their lord and master. Perception cannot obey two masters . . . what fear would feed upon, love overlooks."
A Course in Miracles, Chapter 19, No. IV, Page 410, No. 11, (Christianity, Metaphysics)

The Essene Gospel of Peace

"Thou mayest step on the right path and walk in the presence of Angels. Thou mayest sing of the Earthly Mother by day and of the Heavenly Father by night, and through thy being may course the golden stream of the Law. But wouldst thou leave thy brothers to plunge through the gaping chasms of blood, as the pain-wracked earth shudders and groans under her chains of stone? Canst thou drink of the cup of eternal life, when thy brothers die of thirst?"
The Essene Gospel of Peace, Volume 2, Page 118, Stanza 1, (Christianity, Gnostic/Essene)

Heaven and Hell of Emanuel Swedenborg

"The power angels have in the spiritual world is so great that if I were to cite at this point everything I have seen, it would be beyond belief. If there is something left there that needs to be removed because it is in opposition to the Divine design, they raze and destroy it by a sheer force of will, with a look."
Heaven & Hell, Chapter 26, No. 229, (Christianity, Swedenborgianism, Author: Emanuel Swedenborg)

Wen-Tzu of Lao Tzu

"Governing things is not done by things, but by harmony. Governing harmony is not done by harmony, but by people. Governing people is not done by people, but by rulers. Governing rulers is not done by rulers, but by desires. Governing desires is not done by desires, but by virtue. Governing virtue is not done by virtue, but by the Way."
Wen-Tzu, No. 134, Page 130, Paragraph 1, (Buddhism, Taoism, Words of Lao Tsu)

Pythagorus

"Pythagorus said that, 'Those who do not punish bad men are really wishing that good men be injured."
The Pythagorean Sourcebook and Library, Select Pythagorean Sentences, No. 166, (Mystery Religions, Pythagorean)

The Emerald Tablets of Thoth the Atlantean

"In all space there is only ONE wisdom, though seeming divided, it is ONE in the ONE. All that exists comes forth from the LIGHT, and the LIGHT comes forth from the ALL."
The Emerald Tablets of Thoth the Atlantean, Tablet VII, Page 39, Paragraph 6, (Mystery Religions, Egyptian/Hermetic, Words of Thoth)

Chuang Tsu of Lao Tzu

"Beyond the six realms of heaven, earth, and the four directions, the sage accepts but does not discuss. Within the six realms, he discusses but does not pass judgment . . . When there is division, there is something which is not divided. When there is questioning, there is something beyond the question. Why is this? The sage keeps his wisdom to himself while ordinary men flaunt their knowledge in loud discussion."
Chuang Tsu, Chapter 2, Page 37, (Buddhism, Taoism, Words of Lao Tsu)

Thich Naht Hahn

"When we believe that ours is the only faith that contains the truth, violence and suffering will surely be the result."
Living Buddha, Living Christ, Chapter 1, Page 2, Paragraph 1, (Buddhism, Author: Thich Naht Hahn)

Tao Te Ching of Lao Tzu

"When the superior man hears the Way, he is scarcely able to put it into practice. When the middling man hears the Way, he appears now to preserve it, now to lose it. When the inferior man hears the Way, he laughs at it loudly. If he did not laugh, it would not be fit to be the Way."
Tao Te Ching, No. 3, Stanza 1, (Buddhism, Taoism, Words of Lao Tsu, Translation: Victor Mair)

St. Alphonsus Liguori

"It often happens that we pray God to deliver us from some dangerous temptation, and yet God does not hear us but permits the temptation to continue troubling us. In such a case, let us understand that God permits even this for our greater good. When a soul in temptation recommends itself to God, and by His aid resists, O how it then advances in perfection."
The Voice of the Saints, In Temptation, Page 68-69, (Christianity, Catholic, Words of St. Alphonsus Liguori)

Pythagorus

"It is not death, but a bad life, which destroys the soul."
The Pythagorean Sourcebook, Select Sentences of Sextus the Pythagorean, No. 91, (Mystery Religions, Pythagorean)

Bhagavad Gita

"Know that all states of being . . . are manifested by My energy. I am, in one sense, everything, but I am independent. I am not under the modes of material nature, for they, on the contrary, are within Me."
The Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 7, Text 12, (Hinduism, Translation: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada)

The Holy Bible, Revised Standard Version

"Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For our knowledge is imperfect and our prophecy is imperfect; but when the perfect comes, the imperfect will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood. So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love."
The Holy Bible, Revised Standard Version, 1 Corinthians 13: 4-13, (Christianity, Words of Paul)

The Nag Hammadi Library

"A veil exists between the world above and the realms that are below; and shadow came into being beneath the veil; and that shadow became matter; and that shadow was projected apart."
The Nag Hammadi Library, The Hypostasis of Archons, Page 167, Paragraph 7, (Christianity, Gnostic/Essene)

New American Bible

"Get up now, and stand on your feet, I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness of what you have seen (of me) and what you will be shown. I shall deliver you from this people and from the Gentiles to whom I send you, to open their eyes that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may obtain forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been consecrated by faith in me."
New American Bible, New Testament, Acts 26:16-18, (Christianity, Catholic, Words of Christ)

Paramahamsa Yogananda

"On the sleigh of incarnations we slide from dream to dream. Dreaming, in a chariot of astral light we roll from life to life. Dreaming, in a vibrant physical vessel tossed by alternating waves of birth and death, we sail uncharted seas. Becalmed waters of indifference, whirlpools of activity, eddies of laughter, inexorable swells of mighty outer events - dreams all! It was only in Thee I awoke! Then I realized that, thinking I was awake, I had been only dreaming."
Whispers from Eternity, Page 165, Paragraph 2-3, (Hinduism, Kriya Yoga, Words of Paramahansa Yogananda)

Mother Teresa

"We must feel the suffering of our people. To be transfigured we have to be
disfigured in our own sight."

The Love of Christ, Part III, Page 84, 18 July 1968, (Christianity, Catholic, Words of Mother Teresa)

Paramahamsa Yogananda

"Oh Lord of Law, may I wear my scars of trials like deserved medals of chastisement, presented to me by the sacred hands of Thy perfect justice."
Whispers from Eternity, Page 70, Paragraph 1, (Hinduism, Kriya Yoga, Words of Paramahansa Yogananda)

The Nag Hammadi Library

"My son, listen to my teaching which is good and useful, and end the sleep which weighs heavily upon you. Depart from the forgetfulness which fills you with darkness, since if you were unable to do anything I would not have said these things to you. But Christ has come in order to give you this gift. Why do you pursue the darkness when the light is at your disposal? Why do you drink stale water though sweet is available for you? Wisdom summons (you), yet you desire folly. Not by your own desire do you do these things, but it is the animal nature within you that does them."
The Nag Hammadi Library, The Teachings of Silvanus, Page 383, Paragraph 1, (Christianity, Gnostic/Essene)

Pistis Sophia

"Jesus continued again in the discourse and said unto his disciples: 'When I shall have gone into the Light, then herald it unto the whole world and say unto them: Cease not to seek day and night and remit not yourself until ye find the mysteries of the Light-kingdom, which will purify you and make you into refined light . . . '"
Pistis Sophia, Third Book, Page 213, Paragraph 1, (Christianity, Gnostic/Essene, Words of Christ)

Teachings of Lord Caitanya

"'A person who devotes his mind, body and speech to the service of the Lord, even though in the midst of a miserable life fraught with past misdeeds, is assured of liberation."
Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 26, Page 290, Paragraph 2, Quote from Srimad-Bhagavatam, (Hinduism, Author: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada)

A Buddhist Bible

"Faithful words are often not pleasant; pleasant words are often not faithful. Well informed men do not dispute; men who dispute are not well informed. The wise man is not always learned; the learned man is not always wise."
A Buddhist Bible, Tao Teh King, Chapter 81, Paragraph 1, (Buddhism, Taoism)

The Path of Discrimination of the Buddha

"When he gives attention to formations as impermanent, they appear to him as exhaustion, when he gives attentions to formations as painful, they appear to him as terror. When he gives attention to formations as not-self, they appear to him as voidness."
The Path of Discrimination, Treatise on Liberation, Page 258, Paragraph 6, (Buddhism, Theravadan)

The Changeless Nature of the Buddha

"There are five mistakes: faint-heartedness, contempt for those of lesser ability, to believe in the false, to speak about the true nature badly and to cherish oneself above all else. The ultimate true nature is always devoid of any thing compounded: so it is said that defilements, karma and their full ripening are like a cloud etc. The defilements are said to be like clouds."
The Changeless Nature, Buddha Nature, Page 70, No. 157-160, (Buddhism, Words of Arya Maitreya, Author: Acarya Asanga)
"Just as the disease needs to be diagnosed, its cause eliminated, a healthy state achieved and the remedy implemented, so also should suffering, its causes, its cessation and the path be known, removed, attained and undertaken."
The Changeless Nature, Buddha Activity, Page 134, No. 331, (Buddhism, Words of Arya Maitreya, Author: Acarya Asanga)

The Gospel of Thomas

"Jesus said, 'If you bring forth what is within you, what you have will save you. If you do not have that within you, what you do not have within you (will) kill you.'"
The Gospel of Thomas, No. 70, (Christianity, Gnostic/Essene, Words of Christ)

The Changeless Nature of the Buddha

"Suchness is said to be similar to the substance of gold because this
essence is immutable, perfectly pure and most noble."

The Changeless Nature, Buddha Nature, Page 66, No. 148, (Buddhism, Words of Arya Maitreya, Author: Acarya Asanga)
"It is uncreated and indivisible, utterly purged, purified of the two extremes, definitively liberated from the obscurations three - the defilements, ideational knowledge and blockages to meditative mastery: stainless, completely beyond concept, and through being the domain of the Yogi . . . essentially pure, it is clarity."
The Changeless Nature, Enlightenment, Page 90, No. 212-213, (Buddhism, Words of Arya Maitreya, Author: Acarya Asanga)

The Gospel of Thomas

"Jesus said, 'Fortunate are those who are alone and chosen, for you will find the kingdom. For you have come from it, and you will return there again.'"
The Gospel of Thomas, No. 49, (Christianity, Gnostic/Essene, Words of Christ)

New American Bible

"Beloved, we are God's children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure, as he is pure."
New American Bible, New Testament, 1 John 3:2, (Christianity, Catholic)

Teachings of Queen Kunti

"Of course it is bewildering, O soul of the universe, that You work, though You are inactive, and that You take birth, though You are the vital force and the unborn. You Yourself descend among animals, men, sages, and aquatics. Verily, this is bewildering."
Teachings of Queen Kunti, Chapter 13, (Hinduism)

Divine Mercy of Saint Faustina Kowalska

"Let the sinner not be afraid to approach Me. The flames of mercy are burning Me - clamoring to be spent. I want to pour them out upon these souls."
Divine Mercy, Notebook 1, Page 24, No. 50, (Christianity, Catholic, Words of Christ)

Marital Love of Emanuel Swedenborg

"No one can be withdrawn from his evil unless he has first been brought into it."
Marital Love, The Lust for Variety, No. 510, Emanuel Swedenborg, (Christianity, Swedenborgianism)
"True marital love increasingly unites two into one human being . . . And because true marital love persists to eternity, it follows that a wife becomes more a wife, and a husband more and more a husband. The ultimate reason is that in a marriage of true marital love each becomes a more and more interior human being."
Marital Love, No. 200, Page 277, Top, (Christianity, Swedenborgianism, Author: Emanuel Swedenborg)

Rabbi Eliyahu E. Dessler

"He does not crave the object of desire because of any intrinsic value it may possess, but simply because it is perceived as something beyond his reach."
Strive for Truth, Lovingkindness, Page 137, Paragraph 5, (Judaism, Author: Rabbi Eliyahu E. Dessler)

The Talmud

"A dream that is uninterpreted is like a letter that is unread."
The Talmudic Anthology, No. 66, Stanza 2, (Judaism)

The Nag Hammadi Library

"Hear me, you hearers, and learn of my words, you who know me. I am the hearing that is attainable to everything; I am the speech that cannot be grasped. I am the name of the sound and the sound of the name. I am the sign of the letter and the designation of the division."
The Nag Hammadi Library, The Thunder: Perfect Mind, Page 302, Stanza 3

St. Catherine of Siena

"See then how He returns, not in actual flesh and blood, but, as I have said, building the road of His doctrine, with His power, which road cannot be destroyed or taken away from him who wishes to follow it, because it is firm and stable, and proceeds from Me, who am immoveable."
The Dialogue of St. Catherine of Siena, A Treatise of Discretion, Page 88, Paragraph 1, (Christianity, Catholic, Author: St. Catherine of Siena)

Kahlil Gibran

"And with a great voice he said: When love beckons to you, follow him, though his ways are hard and steep. And when his wings enfold you yield to him, though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you. And when he speaks to you believe in him, though his voice may shatter your dreams as the north wind lays waste the garden."
The Prophet, On Love, Page 11, (Christianity, Author: Kahlil Gibran)

The Anugita

"The three qualities - goodness, passion, and darkness also - are always acting
unperceived."

The Anugita, Chapter XXIV, Page 331, Middle, (Hinduism)

Zen Master Dogen

"Mountains have been the abode of great sages from the limitless past to the limitless present. Wise people and sages all have mountains as their inner chamber, as their body and mind. Because of wise people and sages, mountains appear."
Moon in a Dewdrop, Mountain and Waters Sutra, No. 17, Page 105, Paragraph 1, (Buddhism, Zen, Words of Zen Master Dogen)

Book of Divine Works of Hildegard of Bingen

"Now I am overwhelmed that in accord with your instruction I assumed the garment of flesh and have to endure the fact that my own members, who are bound to me by the sacrament of baptism, should turn away from me and fall victim to the son of corruption and revere him. Yet I bring home again those among them who have fallen. But I reject those who remain rebellious and cling to evil."
Book of Divine Works, Vision Ten: 34, Page 260, Paragraph 2, (Christianity, Catholic, Author: Hildegard of Bingen, Words of Christ)

New American Bible

"Sometimes a way seems right to a man, but the end of it leads to death. Even in laughter the heart may be sad and the end of joy may be sorrow. The scoundrel
suffers the consequences of his ways . . ."

New American Bible, Old Testament, Proverbs, Chapter 14, Verse 12-14

Sri Ramakrishna

"People talk of errors and superstitions and pride themselves upon book-learning. But the sincere devotee finds the Loving Lord ever ready to lend him a helping hand. It matters not that he had been for a time walking along a wrong path. The Lord knows what he wants and in the end fulfills the desire of his heart."
Teachings of Sri Ramakrishna, Spiritual Practice, No. 451, (Hinduism, Words of Sri Ramakrishna)

Zen Master Dogen

"Buddha said, 'All things are ultimately liberated. There is nowhere that they abide.' You should know that even though all things are liberated and not tied to anything, they abide in their own phenomenal expression. However, when most human beings see water they only see that it flows unceasingly. This is a limited human view; there are actually many kinds of flowing."
Moon in a Dewdrop, Mountains and Waters Sutra, Sansui-Kyo, No. 13, (Buddhism, Zen, Words of Zen Master Dogen)

Paramahamsa Yogananda

"'So long as we are immersed in body consciousness, we are like strangers in a foreign country,' the Master said. 'Our native land is Omnipresence.'"
Sayings of Paramahansa Yogananda, Page 86, Stanza 2, (Hinduism, Kriya Yoga, Words of Paramahansa Yogananda)

The Talmud

"He who strives to attain that which is not for him loses that which was intended for him."
The Talmudic Anthology, No. 242, Stanza 1, (Judaism)

The Book of Enoch

"Approach not integrity with a double heart; nor be associated with double-minded men: but walk, my children, in righteousness, which will conduct you in good paths; and be truth your companion."
The Book of Enoch, Chapter XC. (Sect. XVIII), No. 5, Page 146, (Judaism, Christianity)

The Imitation of Christ of Thomas A Kempis

"Seek thou not what is pleasant and advantageous to thyself, but what is acceptable and honourable unto Me; for if thou judgest rightly, thou must choose and follow after My appointment rather than thine own desire . . . Already thou longest to be in the glorious liberty of the children of God . . . but the hour is not yet come there remaineth still another season, even a season of warfare, a season of labour and probation. Thou desirest to be filled with the Chief Good, but thou canst not attain it immediately. I AM that Good; wait for Me, until the Kingdom of God shall come."
The Imitation of Christ, The Third Book, Chapter XLIX, No. 3, (Christianity, Author: Thomas A Kempis)

Sri Ramakrishna

"The nearer you come to God the less you are disposed to question and reason When you come up to Him, when you behold Him as the Reality, then all noise, all disputations are at an end."
Teachings of Sri Ramakrishna, Disputation, No. 568, Paragraph 2, (Hinduism)

The Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life of Shantideva

"Through being attached to living beings I am completely obscured from the perfect reality, my disillusionment (with cyclic existence) perishes and in the end I am tortured by sorrow."
The Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life, Chapter 8, No. 7, (Buddhism, Tibetan, Author: Shantideva)

St. Augustine

"The holy angels gain a knowledge of God not by the spoken word but by the presence in their souls of that immutable Truth which is the only-begotten Word of God . . . Therefore, in the sense I have explained above, the knowledge which they have in Him is as clear as daylight, whereas what they have in themselves is like the twilight."
City of God, Chapter 29, Paragraph 1-2, (Christianity, Catholic, Author: St. Augustine)

Tao Te Ching of Lao Tzu

"When you wish to contract something, you must momentarily expand it; When you wish to weaken something, you must momentarily strengthen it; When you wish to reject something, you must momentarily join with it; When you wish to seize something, you must momentarily give it up. This is called 'subtle insight.'"
Tao Te Ching, No. 80, (Buddhism, Taoism, Words of Lao Tzu, Translation: Victor

The Nag Hammadi Library

"Woe to you who hope in the flesh and in the prison that will perish!"
The Nag Hammadi Library, The Book of Thomas the Contender, Page 205, Paragraph 1-2, (Christianity, Gnostic/Essene)

Sahih Muslim or Life of Muhammad

"(The story is) that while I was asleep (one night) there came to me a person (in the dream) who asked me to stand up. (So I stood up) and he caught hold of my hand and I walked along with him, and, lo, I found some paths on my left and I was about to set out upon them. Thereupon, he said to me: Do not set yourself on (them) for these are the paths of the leftists (denizens of hell-fire). Then there were paths leading to the right side, whereupon he said: Set yourself on these paths. We came across a hill and he said to me: Climb up, and I attempted to climb up that I fell upon my buttocks. I made several attempts (but failed to succeed). He led until he came to a pillar (so high) that its upper end touched the sky and its base was in the earth. And there was a handhold at its upper end. He said to me: Climb over it. I said: How can I climb upon it, as its upper end touches the sky? He caught hold of my hand and pushed me up and I found myself suspended with the handhold. He then struck the pillar and it fell down, but I remained attached to that handhold until it was morning . . ."
Sahih Muslim (The Hadith), Volume IV, Kitab Fada'il Al-Sahabah, Chapter MXXV, Page 1325, Paragraph 2, (Islam, Words of Mohammad)

Dhammapada

"There is no fire like passion; there is no stranglehold like hatred; there is no snare like delusion; there is no torrent like craving."
Dhammapada, Canto XVIII - Impurity, No. 251, (Buddhism)

New American Bible

"Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."
New American Bible, New Testament, Matthew 10:39, (Christianity, Catholic, Words of Christ)

The Imitation of Christ of Thomas A Kempis

"Thou must still be tried upon the earth, and be exercised in many things. Consolation shall from time to time be given thee, but abundant satisfying shall not be granted. Be strong therefore . . . thou must put on a new man, and be changed into another man."
The Imitation of Christ, The Third Book, Chapter XLIX, No. 4, (Christianity, Catholic, Author: Thomas A Kempis)

The Secret Doctrine of the Rosicrucians

"Many object to the doctrine of Re-Birth on the ground that the experiences of each life, not being remembered, must be useless and without value. This is an erroneous view of the subject, for while such experiences may not be fully remembered, yet they are not lost to us at all, but really form a part of the material of which our minds are composed. They exist in essence in the form of feelings, characteristics, attractions, repulsions, etc."
The Secret Doctrine of the Rosicrucians, Metempsychosis, Page 177, Paragraph 1, (Mystery Religions, Rosicrucian)

The Zohar

"When God created the universe, He ordained that this world should be served from the world above. Hence when mankind are virtuous and walk in the right path, God puts in motion the spirit of life from above . . ."
The Zohar, Volume 1, Bereshith, Page 186, Paragraph 1, (Judaism)

The Nag Hammadi Library

"In time Unity will perfect the spaces. It is within Unity that each one will attain himself; within knowledge he will purify himself from multiplicity into Unity, consuming matter within himself like fire, and darkness by light, death by life."
The Nag Hammadi Library, The Gospel of Truth, No. 25, Verse 9-20, (Christianity/Gnostic)

Heaven and Hell of Emanuel Swedneborg

"Heaven's peace, being something Divine which most deeply touches with blessedness the good itself which is in angels, does not reach their conscious perception except as follows: through a pleasure of heart when they are engaged in the good proper to their lives, through a sense of fitness when they hear something true that is in harmony with their good, and through an exhilaration of mind when they perceive their bonding."
Heaven & Hell, Chapter 32, No. 288, Page 211-212, Bottom & Top, (Christianity, Swedenborgianism, Author: Emanuel Swedenborg)

The Flower Ornament Scripture of the Buddha

"Concentration is their citadel, empty silence is their palace, with the armor of benevolence, the sword of wisdom, the bow of mindfulness, the arrows of insight, they spread the canopy of spiritual power on high and raise the banner of knowledge."
The Flower Ornament Scripture, Chapter 38, Detachment from the World, Page 1132, Stanza 2, (Buddhism, Mahayana)

Gershom Scholem

"The Holy Scriptures are like a large house with many, many rooms and that outside each door lies a key - but it is not the right one. To find the right keys that will open the doors - that is the great and arduous task."
On the Kabbalah and its Symbolism, Chapter 1, Page 12, Bottom, A Quote from Origen, Selecta in Psalmos, (Judaism, Author: Gershom Scholem)

The Dead Sea Scriptures

"Wisdom's voice rings out from behind the doors of the righteous; wherever the godly foregather (is heard) her song. Whenso they eat and are filled, the word is of her; when they drink in fellowship together, their talk is of the lore of the Most High; the aim of their discourse is to further the knowledge of His power . . . Bless ye, the Lord, who redeems the humble from the grasp of the proud."
The Dead Sea Scriptures, Poems from a Qumran Hymnal, II, No. 12-18, Page 220, (Christianity, Gnostic/Essene)

The Zohar

"They then went forth and created the upper world and the lower, the world of unification and the world of division."
The Zohar, Volume IV, P'Qude (Exodus), Page 299, Bottom, (Judaism)

Pistis Sophia

"Amen, I say unto you: The soul for which ye shall pray, if it indeed is in the dragon of the outer darkness, he will draw his tail out of his mouth and let go that soul. And moreover if it is in all the regions of the judgments of the rulers, amen, I say unto you: The receivers of Melchisedec will with haste snatch it away, whether the dragon let it go or it is in the judgments of the rulers; in a word, the receivers of Melchisedec will snatch it away out of all the regions in which it is, and will lead it into the region of the Midst before the Virgin of Light."
Pistis Sophia, Book Four, Page 271, Paragraph 2, (Christianity, Gnostic/Essene)

The Zohar

"But the wise, whose wisdom makes them full of eyes, pierce through the garment to the very essence of the word that is hidden thereby. And when the word is momentarily revealed in that first instant of which we have spoken, those whose eyes are wise can see it, though it is so soon hidden again . . . In the course of such passages a secret emerges from its sheath, and as soon as it has been revealed returns thereto and once more conceals itself therein."
The Zohar (Kaballah), Volume III, Mishpatim (Exodus), Page 300, Middle, (Judaism)

The Urantia Book

"The Adjusters accept a difficult assignment when they volunteer to indwell such composite beings as live on Urantia. But they have assumed the task of existing in your minds, there to receive the admonitions of the spiritual intelligences of the realms and then to undertake to redictate or translate these spiritual messages to the material mind."
The Urantia Book, Paper 108, No. 5, Paragraph 1, (Christianity, Urantia)

The Three Pure Land Sutras of the Buddha

"Between heaven and earth, the five realms are clearly distinguishable. They are vast and deep, extending boundlessly. In return for good or evil deeds, happiness or misery ensues. The result of one's karma must be borne by oneself alone and no one else can take one's place. This is the natural law. Misfortune follows evil deeds as their retribution, which is impossible to avoid."
The Three Pure Land Sutras, Larger Sutra, No. 39, Page 300, Paragraph 3, (Buddhism, Pure Land)

Heaven and Hell of Emanuel Swedenborg

"Man's intention and understanding are governed by the Lord through angels and spirits. And since this is true of his intention and understanding, it is true of everything bodily, since this stems from them. Believe it or not, man cannot take a single step without heaven's inflow."
Heaven & Hell, Chapter 26, No. 228, Page 166, Paragraph 3, (Christianity, Swedenborgianism, Author: Emanuel Swedenborg)

The Enneads of Plotinus

"If, then, the soul withdrew, sinking itself again into its primal unity, Time would disappear: the origin of Time, clearly, is to be traced to the first stir of the Soul's tendency towards the production of the sensible Universe with the consecutive act ensuing."
Plotinus: The Enneads, Seventh Tractate, Page 267, Paragraph 4, (Mystery Religions, Greek, Author: Plotinus)

The Kitab-I-Iqan of Baha'u'llah

"When a true seeker determineth to take the step of search in the path leading to the knowledge of the Ancient of Days, he must, before all else, cleanse and purify his heart, which is the seat of the revelation of the inner mysteries of God."
The Kitab-I-Iqan, Page 192, Paragraph 1, (Baha'i, Author: Baha'u'llah)

The Teachings of Lord Caitanya

"A person who is constantly engaged in devotional service to Krsna and who chants His holy name becomes so transcendentally attached to the chanting that his heart becomes softened without extraneous endeavor. When this happens, he exhibits transcendental ecstasies and sometimes laughs, sometimes cries, sings and dances - not exactly in an artistic way, but just like a madman."
The Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 19, Page 208, Paragraph 1, (Hinduism, Bhakti Yoga, Author: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada)

St. John of the Cross

"The entire matter of reaching union with God consists of purging the will of its appetites and feelings, so that from a human and lowly will it may be changed into the divine will, made identical with the will of God."
The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross, The Ascent of Mt. Carmel, Chapter 16, No. 3, Page 238, (Christianity, Catholic, Author: St. John of the Cross)

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

"The simple fact that Being is the never-changing, eternal phase of existence and that It pervades the diverse forms of phenomenal creation gives us the hope of bringing all the diversified phases of our lives into harmony by co-ordinating their values with the values of absolute Being."
The Science of Being and Art of Living, Part 3, Chapter 2, Page 121, Paragraph 3, (Hinduism, Transcendental Meditation, Author: Maharishi Mahesh Yogi)

A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life

"The host of thieves who are my own disturbing conceptions will search for a good opportunity; Having found it they will steal my virtue and destroy (the attainment of) life in a happy realm. Therefore I shall never let mindfulness depart from the doorway of my mind. If it goes, I should recall the misery of the lower realms and firmly re-establish it there."
A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life, Chapter V, No. 28-29, (Buddhism, Tibetan, Author: Shantideva)

The Secret Doctrine of the Rosicrucians

"Moreover, such individuals are 'universal' in their sympathies, and can feel with any form of life with which they come in contact . . . Many of the great illumined souls of the race, having this consciousness in at least some degree, find themselves 'at home' with all manners and conditions of mankind, and in many cases with the lower life forms, as well . . . It may be seen at once that when one has a feeling of fellowship with all Life (and such individuals have this to some degree), then there are created certain bonds and links of sympathy and unity which serve to unite the individual more or less strongly to all living things."
The Secret Doctrine of the Rosicrucians, Part VIII, The Three Higher Planes, Page 14, Paragraph 2, (Mystery Religions, Rosicrucian)

A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life

"When mindfulness is set with the purpose of guarding the doorway of the mind, then alertness will come about and even that which had gone will return. When, just as I am about (to act), I see that my mind is tainted (with defilement), at such a time I should remain unmoveable, like a piece of wood."
A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life, Chapter V, No. 28-29, (Buddhism, Tibetan, Author: Shantideva)

A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life

"Although they are similar in appearance, common people behold forms and other such things and conceive of them to be really existent; they do not understand them to be like an illusion. But since yogis do understand them to exist in such a way, it is here that the yogis and the common people disagree . . . Although it does not appear to the common person, because it appears to those yogis who have merely seen personal identitylessness, there is no mistake in its being a deceptive truth . . . Compared to the worldly view of things as permanent and so forth, the yogi's vision of momentariness is posited as a vision of Reality itself."
A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life, Chapter IX, Answers 5, 7, 8, (Buddhism, Tibetan, Author: Shantideva)

Divine Providence of Emanuel Swedenborg

"For maintenance is perpetual creation, and continuance is perpetual coming to be."
Divine Providence, Chapter 1, No. 3, Paragraph 2, (Christianity, Swedenborgianism, Author: Emanuel Swedenborg)

Shobogenzo-zuimonki of Zen Master Dogen

"If a lay person learning the Way still clings to wealth, covets comfortable housing, and keeps company with relatives, despite having the aspiration, he will confront many obstacles in learning the Way."
Shobogenzo-zuimonki, Book 3, No. 11, Paragraph 3, (Buddhism, Zen, Words of Zen Master Dogen)

The Udana of the Buddha

"So let one's mind be guarded. Let one's domain be right thought. By putting right view to the forefront . . . a bhikku will forsake all bad destinations."
The Udana, Chapter 4, 4.2, Page 57, Stanza 1, (Buddhism, Theravadan, Words of the Buddha)

A Buddhist Bible

"The Mahamati asked the Blessed One, saying: Blessed one, is the purification of the evil out-flowings of the mind which come from clinging to the notions of an objective world and an empirical soul, gradual or instantaneous? The Blessed One replied: There are three characteristic outflows of the mind, namely, the evil out-flowings that rise from thirst, grasping and attachment . . . and from becoming attached to it, are gradually purified and not instantaneously."
A Buddhist Bible, The Lankavatara Scripture, Chapter VIII, Page 325, Paragraph 3-4, (Buddhism)

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

"In a state where Being is fully maintained the process of experience becomes powerful, and the experience of the object becomes deeper and fuller than before. This art of being on the level of experience is natural in a fully integrated life where one is able to live all values of the transcendental, absolute bliss-consciousness of Being together with experiences of the various aspects of relative creation."
The Science of Being and Art of Living, Part 3, Chapter 2, Page 119, Paragraph 3, (Hinduism, Author: Maharishi Mahesh Yogi)

Divine Providence of Emanuel Swedenborg

"Love opens the minds interiors but fear closes them . . ."
Divine Providence, VII, No. 139, (Christianity, Swedenborgianism, Author: Emanuel Swedenborg)

The Secret Doctrine of the Rosicrucians

"The One Life, moreover, is not to be thought of as dividing and splitting itself up into bits, parts, and particles, in order to accomplish the process of Creation, and the Manifestation of the World. Instead, it is to be thought of as merely reflecting itself in the many individual mirrors of expression, just as the sun reflects itself as One in the millions of falling raindrops, or in a million tiny jars filled with water. There are millions of reflections of the One, but only the one One in reality."
The Secret Doctrine of the Rosicrucians, Part V, Page 64, Paragraph 2, (Mystery Religions, Rosicrucian)

The Wen-Tzu of Lao Tzu

"Those whose vital spirit is scattered outwardly and whose intellectual ruminations ramble inwardly cannot govern their bodies. When what the spirit employs is distant, then what it loses is nearby. So know the world without going out the door, know the weather without looking out the window; the further out it goes, the less knowledge is. This means that when pure sincerity emerges from within, spiritual energy moves in heaven."
Wen-Tzu, Further Teachings of Lao-tzu, No. 20, (Buddhism, Taoism, Words of Lao Tzu)

Confucius

"The Master said, A man can enlarge his Way; but there is no Way that can enlarge a man."
The Analects of Confucius, Book XV, No. 28, Page 199, (Buddhism, Confucianism, Words of Confucius)

Nahjul Balagha of Imam Ali Ibn Abu Talib

"Never begin a war yourself, God does not like blood-shed, fight only in defence."
Nahjul Balagha, The Author, 34 to 40 A.H., Page 55, No. 1, Imam Ali Ibn Abu Talib, (Islam)

The Wen-Tzu of Lao Tzu

"Only sages are effectively able to know strategy, so their words prove truthful and their expectations prove accurate."
Wen-Tzu, Understanding the Mysteries, No. 85, Paragraph 2, (Buddhism, Taoism, Words of Lao Tzu)

Tao Te Ching of Lao Tsu

"Therefore the sage is sharp but not cutting, pointed but not piercing, straightforward but not unrestrained, brilliant but not blinding."
Tao Te Ching, No. 58, (Buddhism, Taoism, Words of Lao Tsu, Translation: Gia Fu Feng and Jane English)

The Teachings of Lord Kapila

"The stage in which the consciousness of the living entity is attracted by the three modes of material nature is called conditional life. But when that same consciousness is attached to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one is situated in the consciousness of liberation."
The Teachings of Lord Kapila, Chapter Nine, Text 15, (Hinduism)

The Nag Hammadi Library

"From that which was deficient in itself there came those things which came into being from his thought and his arrogance, but from that which is perfect in him he left it and raised himself up."
The Nag Hammadi Library, The Tripartite Tractate, The Imperfect Begetting by the Logos, Page 73, Paragraph 6, (Christianity, Gnostic/Essene)

The Divine Pymander of Hermes

"For there is no part of the World void of the devil, which entering in privately, sowed the seed of his own proper operation, and the mind did make pregnant, or did bring forth that which was sown, Adulteries, Murders, Striking of Parents, Sacrileges, Impieties, Stranglings, throwing down headlong, and all other things, which are the works of Evil Demons."
The Divine Pymander of Hermes, Thirteenth Book, No. 44, (Mystery Religions, Egyptian/Hermetic, Words of Hermes)

The Denkoroku of the Buddha

"Simply give yourself over completely for the sake of your Enlightenment-seeking Eye; give up your life for the sake of the Teaching. How could you possibly arouse your will to realize enlightenment in the vain cause of fame and gain . . . just call to mind your own original intention to realize enlightenment and reflect upon whether this is what you are now concerned with or not."
The Denkoroku, Chapter 17, Saint Ragorata, (Buddhism, Zen)

Series of Texts on Reincarnation from Various World Traditions

"Jesus answered and said to him, 'Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.' Nicodemus said to him, 'How can a person once grown old be born again? Surely he cannot re-enter his mother's womb and be born again, can he?' Jesus answered, 'Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of flesh is flesh and what is born of spirit is spirit . . . Nicodemus answered and said to him, 'How can this happen?' Jesus answered and said to him, 'You are the teacher of Israel and you do not understand this? Amen, amen, I say to you, we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony. If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life."
New American Bible, New Testament, John 3:3-15, (Christianity, Catholic, Words of Christ)
"Is it not rational that souls should be introduced into bodies, in accordance with their merits and previous deeds . . ."
"Every soul . . . comes into this world strengthened by the victories or weakened by the defeats of its previous life. Its place in this world as a vessel appointed to honor or dishonor is determined by its previous merits or demerits. Its work in this world determines its place in the world which is to follow this."
Reincarnation - An East-West Anthology, Page 36, Early Church Fathers, Contra Celsum, De Principiis, (Christianity, Catholic, Words of Origen)
"It is absolutely necessary that the soul should be healed and purified, and if this does not take place during its life on earth it must be accomplished in future lives."
Reincarnation - An East-West Anthology, Christianity, Early Church Father, Page 36, (Christianity, Catholic, Words of St. Gregory)
"Mary answered and said unto the Saviour: 'My Lord, before thou didst come to the region of the rulers and before thou didst come down into the world, hath no soul entered into the Light?' The Saviour answered and said unto Mary: 'Amen, amen, I say unto you: Before I did come into the world, no soul hath entered into the Light. And now, therefore, when I am come, I have opened the gates of the Light and opened the ways which lead to the Light. And now, therefore, let him who shall do what is worthy of the mysteries, receive the mysteries and enter into the Light.' Mary continued and said: 'But, my Lord, I have heard that the prophets have entered into the Light.' The Saviour continued and said unto Mary: 'Amen, amen, I say unto you: No prophet hath entered into the Light; but the rulers of the aeons have discoursed with them out of the aeons and given them the mystery of the aeons. And when I came to the regions of the aeons, I have turned Elias and sent him into the body of John the Baptizer, and the rest also I turned into righteous bodies, which will find the mysteries of the Light, go on high and inherit the Light-kingdom . . . The rest of the patriarchs and of the righteous from the time of Adam unto now, who are in the aeons and all the orders of the rulers, when I came to the region of the aeons, I have through the Virgin of Light made to turn into bodies which will all be righteous,- those which will find the mysteries of the Light, enter in and inherit the Light-kingdom.' (Elias is the Greek form of Elijah)
Pistis Sophia, Fourth Book, Page 293-294, (Christianity, Gnostic/Essene, Words of Christ)
"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord."
King James Bible, Old Testament, Malachi 4:5, Old Testament, (Christianity)
"And his disciples asked him, saying, 'Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?' And Jesus answered and said unto them, 'Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. But I say unto you, that Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.' Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist."
King James Bible, New Testament, Matthew 17:10-13, (Christianity, Words of Christ)
"Naked I came forth from my mother's womb, and naked shall I go back again."
New American Bible, Old Testament, Job 2:21, (Christianity, Catholic)
"The victor I will make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will never leave it again."
New American Bible, New Testament, Revelations 3:12, (Christianity, Catholic)
"And then cometh Yaluham, the receiver of Sabaoth, the Adamas, who handeth the souls the cup of forgetfulness, and he bringeth a cup filled with the water of forgetfulness and handeth it to the soul, and it drinketh it and forgetteth all regions and all the regions to which it hath gone. And they cast it down into a body which will spend its time continually troubled in its heart. This is the chastisement of the curser."
Pistis Sophia, Sixth Book, Page 315, Paragraph 2, (Christianity, Gnostic/Essene, Words of Christ)
"And these hand it over to their receivers, in order that they may lead their souls out of the bodies, - they hand over to them the peculiarity of the seals, in order that they may know the time when they are to lead the souls out of the bodies, and in order that they may know the time when they are to bring to birth the body."
Pistis Sophia, Fourth Book, Page 288, Paragraph 1, (Christianity, Gnostic/Essene, Words of Christ)
"For many are the pleasant forms which exist in numerous sins, and incontinencies, and disgraceful passions, and fleeting pleasures, which men embrace until they become sober and go up to their resting place. And they will find me there, and they will live, and they will not die again."
The Nag Hammadi Library, The Thunder: Perfect Mind, Page 303, Stanza 2, (Christianity, Gnostic/Essene)
"Whoever knows that he has lived before, and sees heaven and hell, and has arrived at the destruction of birth, him I call a brahman."
The Group of Discourses II, III. The Great Chapter, 647, Page 73, No. 647, (Buddhism, Theravadan)
"I mind not if I must pass through sextillions of lives, undergoing the throes of birth and the pangs of death; leaving behind me a heap of my mangled fleshly forms - if at last I find thee."
Whispers from Eternity, Page 21, Paragraph 2, (Hinduism, Kriya Yoga, Words of Paramahansa Yogananda)
"A single soul can be reincarnated a number of times in different bodies, and in this manner, it can rectify the damage done in previous incarnations. Similarly, it can also achieve perfection that was not attained in its previous incarnations. The soul is then ultimately judged at the end of all these incarnations. Its judgment will depend on everything that took place in all its incarnations, as well as its status as an individual in each one."
The Way of God, Part II, Chapter 3, No. 10, Paragraph 2-3, (Judaism, Author: Rabbi Moshe Chayim Luzzatto)
"The first light that God created was so bright that the worlds could not endure it. God therefore made another light as a vestment to this one, and so with all the other lights, until all the worlds could endure the light without being dissolved. Hence grades were evolved and lights were wrapped in one another . . ."
The Zohar (Kaballah), Volume V, Balak (Numbers), Page 301, Bottom, (Judaism)
"You were without life and He gave you life? Again, He will cause you to die and again bring you to life, then you shall be brought back to Him."
The Holy Quran, Part 1, Chapter 2, Section 3, No. 28, (Islam, Words of Mohammed)
"I died as a mineral and became a plant, I died as a plant and rose to animal, I died as animal and I was man. Why should I fear? When was I less by dying?"
Coming Back, Chapter 1, Page 4, (Hinduism), Quotation from Rumi, Poet and Mystic by R.A. Nicholson, 1950, Page 103, (Islam, Words of Sufi Poet Rumi)
"In the third chapter of St. John, in the verses three to nine, we find another incident which clearly refers to the rebirth of the Soul. Here Jesus is telling how important it is for a man to be born again in order that he may enter the Kingdom of God. Nothing is said as to how many times or how often a person must be reborn in order to purge the being of its sins and attain that purification which would admit one to the Spiritual Kingdom."
Mansions of the Soul, Chapter XII, Page 169, Paragraph 2, (Mystery Religions, Rosicrucian, Author: H. Spencer Lewis)

The Tibetan Book of the Great Liberation

"When exhaustively contemplated, these teachings merge in at-one-ment with the scholarly seeker who has sought them, although the seeker himself when sought cannot be found."
The Tibetan Book of the Great Liberation, The Seeing of Reality, The Yoga of the Nirvanic Path, Page 224, Paragraph 1, (Buddhism, Tibetan)

The Imitation of Christ of Thomas A Kempis

"First keep thyself in peace, and then shalt thou be able to be a peacemaker towards others. A peaceable man doeth more good than a well-learned."
The Imitation of Christ, Second Book, Chapter III, Paragraph 1, (Christianity, Author: Thomas A. Kempis)

Paramahamsa Yogananda

"No longer is my consciousness limited to a phial of flesh, corked with ignorance. No more did I move through Thine Ocean of Spirit day and night, years, incarnations - so close, yet without contacting the Sea. No longer do I thoughtlessly dwell in Thee, knowing and feeling Thee not."
Whispers from Eternity, Page 163, Paragraph 1, (Hinduism, Kriya Yoga, Words of Paramahansa Yogananda)

The Imitation of Christ of Thomas A Kempis

"He who knoweth things as they are and not as they are said or seem to be, he truly is wise, and is taught of God more than of men. He who knoweth how to walk from within, and to set little value upon outward things, requireth not places nor waiteth for seasons, for holding his intercourse with God."
The Imitation of Christ, Second Book, Chapter 1, No. 7, (Christianity, Author: Thomas A Kempis)

Tao Te Ching of Lao Tzu

"The sage dwells in affairs of nonaction, carries out a doctrine without words. He lets the myriad creatures rise up but does not instigate them; He acts but does not presume; He completes his work but does not dwell on it."
Tao Te Ching, No. 46, (Buddhism, Taoism, Words of Lao Tzu, Translation: Victor H. Mair)

New American Bible

"Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen . . . By faith we understand that the universe was ordered by the word of God, so that what is visible came into being through the invisible."
New American Bible, New Testament, Hebrews 11:1, (Christianity, Catholic)

Zen Master Dogen

"When you find your place where you are, practice occurs, actualizing the fundamental point."
Moon in a Dewdrop, Actualizing Fundamental Point (Genjo Koan), No. 11, (Buddhism, Zen, Words of Zen Master Dogen)

New American Bible

"Therefore, we are not discouraged; rather; although our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to what is seen but to what is unseen; for what is seen is transitory, but what is unseen is eternal."
New American Bible, New Testament, 2 Corinthians 4:16, (Christianity, Catholic)

Baruch Spinoza

"From the intuitive kind of knowledge arises the highest possible mental acquiescence."
The Ethics of Spinoza, On the Power of the Intellect, The Strength of the Mind, Page 153, (Judaism, Author: Baruch Spinoza)

A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life

"There is nobody who lives happily with anger. Hence the enemy, anger, creates sufferings such as these, but whoever assiduously overcomes it finds happiness now and hereafter."
A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life, Chapter VI, No. 5-6, (Buddhism, Tibetan, Author: Shantideva)

Black Elk

"The door of the lodge is soon opened for the second time, representing the coming of the purifying Power of the north, and also we see the light which destroys darkness, just as wisdom drives away ignorance."
The Sacred Pipe, Black Elk's Account of the Seven Rites of the Oglala Sioux, Chapter III, Inipi, Page 40, Paragraph 3, (Tribal, Oglala Sioux, Words of Black Elk)

The Word of the Buddha

"The world, however, is given to pleasure, delighted with pleasure, enchanted with pleasure. Truly, such beings will hardly understand the law of conditionality, the Dependent Origination of everything; incomprehensible to them will also be the end of all formations, the forsaking of every substratum of rebirth, the fading away of craving, detachment, extinction, Nibbana."
The Word of the Buddha, Page 2, Paragraph 2, (Buddhism, Theravadan, Author: Nyanatiloka)

The Tibetan Book of the Dead

"Do not cling, in fondness and weakness, to this life. Even though thou clingest out of weakness, thou hast not the power to remain here. Thou wilt gain nothing more than wandering in this Sangsara (illusion). Be not attached (to this world); . . ."
The Tibetan Book of the Dead, Book I, Part II, Page 103, Paragraph 2, (Buddhism, Tibetan)

The Flower Ornament Scripture of the Buddha

"Some lands are dirty, some are pure; Pleasant or painful, each is different. This comes from the inconceivable ocean of acts: Cyclic phenomena are always like this."
The Flower Ornament Scripture, Chapter 4, The Formation of the Worlds, Page 190, Stanza 3, (Buddhism, Mahayana)

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

"For whoever has the courage to conquer his passions, to subdue his appetites, and repulse even the least motions of his own will, performs an action more meritorious in the sight of God than if, without this, he should tear his flesh with the sharpest disciplines, fast with greater austerity than the ancient Fathers of the Desert, or convert multitudes of sinners."
The Spiritual Combat, Chapter 1, Page 6, Paragraph 3, (Christianity, Catholic, Author: Dom Lorenzo Scupoli)

Sepher Yezirah

"God has also set the one over against the other; the good against the evil, and the evil against the good; the good proceeds from the good, and the evil from the evil; the good purifies the bad, and the bad the good . . . "
Sepher Yezirah, Chapter VI, Section V, (Judaism)

Bhagavad Gita

"Hazardous and slow is the path to the Unrevealed, difficult for physical man to tread. But they for whom I am the supreme goal, who do all work renouncing self for me and meditate on me with single-hearted devotion, these I will swiftly rescue from the fragment's cycle of birth and death, for their consciousness has entered me."
The Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 12, No.'s 5-7, (Hinduism, Words of Krishna, Translation: Eknath Easwaran)

Pistis Sophia

"A man in this world will not be able to be pure of sins; for if he is pure of one, he will not be able to be pure of another . . . For this cause, therefore, I have rent myself asunder and have brought the mysteries into the world, because all are under sin and all are in need of the gift of the mysteries."
Pistis Sophia, Fourth Book, Page 292, Paragraph 2, (Christianity, Gnostic/Essene, Words of Christ)

The Tibetan Book of the Dead

"O now, when the Dream Bardo upon me is dawning! Abandoning the inordinate corpse-like sleeping of the sleep of stupidity, May the consciousness undistractedly be kept in its natural state; Grasping the (true nature of) dreams, (may I) train (myself) in the Clear Light of Miraculous Transformation: Acting not like the brutes in slothfulness, May the blending of the practising of the sleep (state) and actual (or waking) experience be highly valued (by me)."
The Tibetan Book of the Dead, The Appendix, III. The Root Verses of the Six Bardos, No. 2, (Buddhism, Tibetan)

The Tablets of Baha'u'llah

"Thy letter from which the fragrance of reunion was inhaled hath been received. Praised be God that following the firm decree of separation, the breeze of nearness and communion hath been stirred and the soil of the heart is refreshed with the waters of joy and gladness."
The Tablets of Baha'u'llah, No. 11, Lawh-I-Maqsud, Page 163, Paragraph 1, (Baha'i, Author: Baha'u'llah

Blessed John of Avila and St. Gerard Majella

"Your life consists in drawing nearer to God. To do this, you must endeavour to detach yourself from visible things and remember that in a short time they will be taken from you."
The Voice of the Saints, Chapter 2, Page 13, Stanza 3, (Christianity, Catholic, Words of Blessed John of Avila)
"Consider the shortness of time, the length of eternity, and reflect how everything here below comes to an end and passes by."
The Voice of the Saints, Chapter 2, Page 12, Stanza 4, (Christianity, Catholic, Words of St. Gerard Majella)

The Flower Ornament Scripture of the Buddha

"Sentient beings are muddled by afflictions, their conceptions and inclinations are not the same; According to their mental states they perform inconceivably many acts, thereby forming the oceans of all lands."
The Flower Ornament Scripture, Chapter 4, The Formation of the Worlds, Page 186, Stanza 2, (Buddhism, Mahayana)

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

"All earthly things, except those absolutely necessary, must die through our complete disregard for them, even though they are not wrong in themselves. We must control our minds and not permit them to wander aimlessly about."
The Spiritual Combat, Chapter 9, Page 23, Paragraph 2, (Christianity, Catholic, Author: Dom Lorenzo Scupoli)

The Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys of Baha'u'llah

"Hence, one of the Prophets of God hath asked: 'O my Lord, how shall we reach unto Thee?' And the answer came, 'Leave thyself behind, and then approach me."
The Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys, The Third Valley, Page 55, Paragraph 2, (Baha'i, Author: Baha'u'llah)

Path to Deliverance of the Buddha

"All life and all existence here, with all its joys and all its woe, rests on a single state of mind, and quick passes that moment by . . . Out of the unseen did they rise, into the unseen do they pass, just as the lightning flashes forth, so do they flash and pass away."
Path to Deliverance, C Wisdom (Panna), Page 175, Middle, Stanza 1 and 6, (Buddhism, Theravadan, Author: Nyanatiloka)

Sri Ramakrishna

"All worship and spiritual discipline are directed to one end alone, namely, to get rid of worldly attachment. The more you meditate on God, the less you will be attached to the trifling things of the world."
The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, Chapter 33, Page 653, Bottom, (Hinduism, Words of Sri Ramakrishna)

The Upanishads

"The immature run after sense pleasures and fall into the widespread net of death. But the wise, knowing the Self as deathless, Seek not the changeless in the world of change."
The Upanishads, Katha Upanishad, Part II, (I), No. 2, Paragraph 2, Page 90, (Hinduism, Translation: Eknath Easwaran)

The Talmud

"If a man wishes to travel a certain road, Heaven guides him to it."
The Talmudic Anthology, No. 108, Paragraph 7, Makkot, 10, (Judaism)

Paramahamsa Yogananda

"The caravan of my prayers is moving toward Thee. It has been delayed now and
then by blinding sandstorms of despondency."

Whispers from Eternity, Page 117, Paragraph 1, (Hinduism, Kriya Yoga, Author: Paramahansa Yogananda)

The Udana of the Buddha

"Trivial thoughts, insignificant thoughts, when followed they distract the mind. Not understanding those thoughts the roaming mind runs back and forth. But by understanding those thoughts, one ardent and mindful restrains the mind. An awakened one has to overcome them completely so they do not arise to distract the mind."
The Udana, Chapter 4, 4.1 Meghiya, Page 56, Stanza 1, (Buddhism, Theravadan, Words of the Buddha)

Paramahamsa Yogananda

"Thought is inexhaustible. Since the world began, thoughts in unimaginable numbers have passed through the ether. One could not begin to count them . . ."
Man's Eternal Quest, Universality of Yoga, Page 22, Paragraph 3, (Hinduism, Kriya Yoga, Author: Paramahansa Yogananda)

New American Bible

"The kingdom of God is not a matter of talk, but of power."
New American Bible, New Testament, 1 Corinthians 4:20, (Christianity, Catholic, Words of the Apostle Paul)

Rabbi Moshe Chayim Luzzatto

"God also decreed that the bond between the body and the divine soul should be somewhat loosened while man sleeps . . . The freed portions of the soul can then move about in the spiritual realm wherever they are allowed."
The Way of God, Part III, Chapter I, No. 6, Paragraphs 4-5, Page 183, (Judaism, Author: Rabbi Moshe Chayim Luzzatto)

King James Bible

"In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction."
King James Bible, Old Testament, Job 33:15-16, (Christianity)

New American Bible

"I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike."
New American Bible, New Testament, Matthew 11:25, (Christianity, Catholic, Words of Christ)

Series of Texts on the Purification of the Soul from Darkness to Light in Various World Traditions

"Blessed are they who wash their robes so as to have the right to the tree of life and enter the city through its gates."
New American Bible, New Testament, Revelations 22:14, (Christianity, Catholic, Words of Christ)
"Christian Soul! If you seek to reach the loftiest peak of perfection, and to unite yourself so intimately with God that you become one in spirit with Him, you must first know the true nature of perfection of spirituality in order to succeed in the most sublime undertaking that can be expressed or imagined."
The Spiritual Combat, Chapter 1, Paragraph 1, (Christianity, Catholic, Author: Dom Lorenzo Scupoli)
"I, Thoth, have ever sought wisdom, searching in darkness, and searching in Light. Long in my youth I traveled the pathway, seeking ever new knowledge to gain, until after much striving, one of the THREE, to me brought the LIGHT. Brought HE to me the commands of the Dweller, called me from darkness into the LIGHT. . . Each soul on earth that loosens its fetters, shall soon be made free from the bondage of night."
The Emerald Tablets of Thoth the Atlantean, Tablet V, Page 28, Paragraph 5-6, (Mystery Religions, Egyptian/Hermetic, Author: Thoth)
"Then, the crown prince Manjusri said to the Licchavi Vimalakirti, 'Noble sir, how does the bodhisattva follow the way to attain the qualities of the Buddha?' Vimalakirti replied, 'Manjusri, when the bodhisattva follows the wrong way, he follows the way to attain the qualities of the Buddha.' . . . . Manjusri: 'Noble sir, one who stays in the fixed determination of the vision of the uncreated is not capable of conceiving the spirit of unexcelled perfect enlightenment. However, one who lives among created things, in the mines of passions . . . is indeed capable of conceiving the spirit of unexcelled perfect enlightenment . . . For example, noble sir, without going out into the great ocean, it is impossible to find precious, priceless pearls. Likewise, without going into the ocean of passions, it is impossible to obtain the mind of omniscience."
The Holy Teaching of Vimalakirti, Chapter 8, Page 64-66, (Buddhism, Mahayana)
"God therefore arranged and decreed the creation of concepts of both perfection and deficiency, as well as a creature with equal access to both. This creature would then be given the means to earn perfection and avoid deficiency."
The Way of God, Part I, Chapter 2, No. 2, Paragraph 4, (Judaism, Author: Rabbi Moshe Chayim Luzzatto)
"One must deliver himself with the help of his mind, and not degrade himself. The mind is the friend of the conditioned soul, and his enemy as well. For him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so, his mind will remain the greatest enemy."
The Bhagavad Gita As It Is, Chapter 6, Dhyana Yoga, Text 5-6, (Hinduism, Words of Krishna
"Allah causes the night and the day to succeed one another. Surely
there is a lesson in this for those who have sight."

The Holy Qur'an, Part XVIII, Chapter 24, Section, 6, Verse 44, (Islam, Author: Mohammad)
"'Announce the praises' of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."
New American Bible, New Testament, 1 Peter 2:9-10 American Bible (Christianity, Catholic, Words of the Apostle Peter)
"As the door of the lodge is opened, all the men cry: 'Hi ho! Hi ho! Thanks!' and the men are all happy, for they have come forth from the darkness and are now living in the Light."
The Sacred Pipe, Chapter III, Page 42, Paragraph 2, (Tribal, Oglala Sioux)

Rabbeinu Yonah of Gerona

"How much more reprehensible are those whose thoughts and deeds are concentrated upon their bodily desires and the time's vanities, whose souls do not ponder the fear of God nor draw it intimately into the fabric of their heart and of their innermost being, nor into their regularly appointed contemplations . . ."
The Gates of Repentance, Second Gate, IX, First Paragraph, (Judaism, Author: Rabbeinu Yonah of Gerona)

King James Bible

"And he said unto me, 'My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.' Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities,
that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

King James Bible, New Testament, Galatians 1 12:9, (Christianity, Words of Christ)

The Essene Gospel of Peace

"You suffer, for Satan and his diseases torment your bodies. But fear not, for their power over you will quickly end . . . by your fasting and your prayer, you have called back the lord of your body and his angels. And now Satan torments you so grievously, for he feels that the end is come. But let not your hearts tremble, for soon will the angels of God appear, to occupy again their abodes and rededicate them as temples of God."
The Essene Gospel of Peace, Book Four, Page 30-31, Bottom & Top, (Christianity, Gnostic/Essene, Words of Christ)

Dhammapada

"Do not think lightly of evil, saying, 'It will not come to me.' By the constant fall of waterdrops, a pitcher is filled; likewise the unwise person, accumulating evil little by little, becomes full of evil."
Dhammapada, Canto IX, No. 121, Page 51, (Buddhism)
"Do not think lightly of merit, saying, 'It will not come to me.' By the constant fall of waterdrops, a pitcher is filled; likewise the wise person, accumulating merit little by little, becomes full of merit."
Dhammapada, Canto IX, No. 122, Page 51, (Buddhism)

Divine Mercy of Saint Faustina Kowalska

"Before I come as the just Judge, I am coming first as the King of Mercy."
Divine Mercy, Notebook 1, Page 42, No. 83, (Christianity, Catholic, Words of Christ, Author: Sister M. Faustina Kowalska)

Mother Teresa

"At death we will not be judged by the amount of work we did but by the love we put into it. And this love must come from self-sacrifice and be felt until it hurts."
The Love of Christ, Part II, Page 55, Paragraph 7, (Christianity, Catholic, Words of Mother Teresa)

The First Dalai Lama

"Many people, when moved by fear, run to mountains, jungles, hermitages, shrines and trees in search of safety and asylum. But these are no real refuge and they afford no real protection . . . But if sometime someone turns for refuge to the buddha's, the dharma and the sangha . . . this is the real refuge."
Training the Mind in the Great Way, Point 1, Page 87-88, (Buddhism, Tibetan, Author: Gyalwa Gendun Druppa, the 1st Dalai Lama)
(Buddha's - Enlightened Ones, Dharma - Teachings, Sangha - Community of the Faithful)

Dhammapada

"A single word full of meaning, hearing which one becomes at peace, is better than a thousand words which are empty of meaning."
Dhammapada, Canto VIII, No. 100, Page 43, (Buddhism)

St. Augustine

"The devil is only permitted to tempt thee as much as is profitable for thy exercise and trial, and in order that thou, who didst not know thyself, mayest find out what thou art."
The Voice of the Saints, In Temptation, Page 64, No. 3, (Christianity, Catholic, Words of St. Augustine)

St. Thomas of Villanova

"Dismiss all anger and look into yourself a little. Remember that he of whom you are speaking is your brother, and, as he is in the way of salvation, God can make him a Saint, in spite of his present weakness."
The Voice of the Saints, In Temptation, Page 68, No. 1, (Christianity, Catholic, Words of St. Thomas of Villanova)

The Upanishads

"The dreaming mind recalls past impressions. It sees again what has been seen; it hears again what has been heard, enjoys again what has been enjoyed in many places. Seen and unseen, heard and unheard, enjoyed and unenjoyed, the real and the unreal, the mind sees all; the mind sees all."
The Upanishads, Prashna Upanishad, Stanza 5, Page 164, (Hinduism, Translation: Eknath Easwaran)

The Zohar

"'How careful men should be,' he said, 'to abstain from sin and to watch their actions, for at many periods the world is judged and every day deeds are placed in the balance and examined on high and recorded before the Almighty; and when the deeds of men are not approved before the King, wrath arises and judgment is awakened. But if when the executioners of judgment are ready to strike and wrath impends, there is found in the generation a righteous man who is inscribed above, then God looks upon him and His wrath is mollified."
The Zohar (Kaballah), Volume V, Korah (Numbers), Page 239, Paragraph 3, (Judaism)

Divine Mercy of St. Faustina Kowalska

"My Heart was moved by great mercy towards you, My dearest child, when I saw you torn to shreds because of the pain you suffered in repenting for your sins . . . I see every abasement of your soul, and nothing escapes my attention. I lift up the humble even to my very throne, because I want it so."
Divine Mercy, Notebook 1, Page 134, No. 282, (Christianity, Catholic, Words of Christ, Author: Sister M. Faustina Kowalska)

The Talmud

"People say: be the first to tell the low thing about thee."
The Talmudic Anthology, No. 146, Humility, Page 195, No. 2, Baba Kamma, 92, (Judaism)
"A man who has obeyed one commandment is helped by Heaven to obey many commandments."
The Talmudic Anthology, No. 108, Paragraph 7, Mekilta Beshallah, (Judaism)

St. Padre Pio

"They, however, heavy with sleep, hardly hear the voice of Jesus, they barely perceive Him as a faint shadow, so much so that they are not aware of His countenance all disfigured from the internal agony which tortures Him."
The Agony of Jesus, II, Page 22, Paragraph 2, (Christianity, Catholic, Author: Padre Pio)

Paramahamsa Yogananda

"This life is a master novel, written by God, and man would go crazy if he tried to understand it by reason alone. That is why I tell you to meditate more. Enlarge the magic cup of your intuition and then you will be able to hold the ocean of infinite wisdom."
Sayings of Paramahansa Yogananda, Page 66, Article 2, Paragraph 2, (Hinduism, Kriya Yoga, Words of Paramahansa Yogananda)

Sri Ramakrishna

"To live in the world or to leave it, depends upon the Will of God. Therefore work, leaving everything to Him. What else can you do?"
Teachings of Sri Ramakrishna, The Worldly Minded, Page 96, No. 276, (Hinduism, Words of Sri Ramakrishna)

The Tablets of Baha'u'llah

"The Great Being saith: O well beloved ones! The tabernacle of unity hath been raised; regard ye not one another as strangers. Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch."
The Tablets of Baha'u'llah, Chapter 11, Lawh-I-Maqsud, Page 164, Top, (Baha'i, Author: Baha'u'llah)

St. Catherine of Siena

"'Thanks be to Thee, Eternal Father, who hast in Thy House many mansions.' And he rejoices more in the different ways of holiness which he sees, than if he were to see all travelling by one road, because, in this way, he perceives the greatness of My Goodness become more manifest, and thus, rejoicing draws from all the fragrance of the rose."
The Dialogue of St. Catherine of Siena, A Treatise of Prayer, Page 217, Top, (Christianity, Catholic, Author: St. Catherine of Siena)

Dhammapada

"During the past, this mind of mine roamed freely as it liked, as it desired, at its own pleasure. But today, I shall fully keep it in check, even as the elephant driver with the point of a goad controls an unruly elephant in rut."
Dhammapada, Canto XXIII, No. 326, Page 129, (Buddhism)

The Talmud

"If silence be good for wise men, how much better must it be for fools!"
The Talmudic Anthology, No. 323, Stanza 5, Peshahim, 98b, (Judaism)

Tahara Halashon

"Man's power of speech is a spiritual force and it has great effect in the higher spheres. Consequently, the damage wrought by improper speech in the higher worlds is severe and awesome. And the greater the damage, the greater is the punishment."
Taharas Halashon, Chapter 2, Page 28, Shmiras Halashon, Sha'ar Hazchirah, Chapter 1, (Judaism)

New American Bible

"I tell you, on the day of judgement people will render an account for every careless word they speak. By your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."
New American Bible, New Testament, Matthew 12:36-37, (Christianity, Catholic, Words of Christ)

St. John Vianney

"St. James tells us that this virtue comes from Heaven and that we shall never have it unless we ask it of God. We should, therefore, frequently ask God to give us purity in our eyes, in our speech and in all our actions."
The Voice of the Saints, The Challenge of Chastity, Page 59, (Christianity, Catholic, Words of St. John Vianney)

Paramahamsa Yogananda

"A number of intellectuals who quote prophets are like victrolas. Just as a machine plays records of sacred writings without understanding their meaning, so many scholars who repeat Holy Writ are unaware of its true significance. They do not see the deep, life-transforming values of the scriptures. From their reading such men gain, not God-realization, but only a knowledge of words. They become proud and argumentative . . . That is why I tell all of you to read less and to meditate more."
Sayings of Paramahansa Yogananda, Page 51, Stanza 2, (Hinduism, Kriya Yoga, Words of Paramahansa Yogananda)

St. Augustine

"But, since things appear similar to each other in many ways, we should not imagine there is any precept that we must believe that, because a thing has a certain analogical meaning in one place, it always has this meaning."
The Fathers of the Church Volume 2, Christian Instruction, Chapter 25, No. 35, (Christianity, Catholic, Author: St. Augustine)

Paramahamsa Yogananda

"Past wrong actions have left seeds in your mind . . . You cannot achieve emancipation until you have burned the seeds of past actions in the fires of wisdom and meditation. If you want to destroy the bad effects of past actions, meditate. What you have done you can undo . . . When your present efforts become more powerful than the karma of past actions, you are free."
Sayings of Paramahansa Yogananda, Page 108, Stanza 1, (Hinduism, Kriya Yoga, Words of Paramahansa Yogananda)

Rabbi Moshe Chayim Luzzatto

"The idea behind the trait of Cleanliness is that a person be completely clean of bad traits and of sins, not only those which are recognized as such, but also those which are rationalized, which, when we look at them honestly, we find to be sanctioned only because of the heart's being still partially afflicted by lust and not entirely free of it, so as to incline us towards a relaxation of standards. The man who is entirely free of this affliction and clean of any trace of evil which lust leaves behind it will come to possess perfectly clean vision and pure discrimination, and will not be swayed in any direction by desire, but will recognize as evil, and withdraw from every sin that he had committed, though it were the slightest of the slight."
The Path of the Just, Chapter X, Paragraph 1, (Judaism, Author: Rabbi Moshe Chayim Luzzatto)

The Zohar

"Have we not been taught that 'hebel' (breath) is the basis of the world above and the world below . . . Every action done here below, if it is done with the intention of serving the Holy King, produces a 'breath' in the world above, and there is no breath which has no voice; and this voice ascends and crowns itself in the supernal world and becomes an intercessor before the Holy One, blessed be He."
The Zohar (Kabbalah), Volume III, Beshalah (Exodus), Page 184, Middle, (Judaism)

Paramahamsa Yogananda

"A million distractions, disguised as Thee, constantly delude us. Come, O Perfect Joy, into the waiting temple of our devotion! Be Thou the Pole-star during our wanderings in the night of ignorance, leading us safely to our haven in Thee."
Whispers from Eternity, Page 103, Stanza 3, (Hinduism, Kriya Yoga, Words of Paramahansa Yogananda)

The Mystical City of God of Venerable Mary of Agreda

"From the very moment in which mortals begin to have use of their reason, each one of them is followed by many watchful and relentless demons. For as soon as souls are in a position to raise their thoughts to the knowledge of their God and commence the practice of the virtues infused by Baptism, these demons, with incredible fury and astuteness, seek to root out the divine seed; and if they cannot succeed in this, they try to hinder its growth, and prevent it from bringing forth fruit by engaging men in vicious, useless, or trifling things."
The Mystical City of God (Abrid.), The Transfixion, Chapter II, Page 403-404, (Christianity, Catholic, Words of Mary)

Dialogues of the Buddha

"The Palace of Righteousness, Ananda, was surrounded by a double railing. One railing was of gold, and one was of silver. The golden railing had its posts of gold, and its cross bars and its figure head of silver. The silver railing had its posts of silver, and its cross bars and its figure-head of gold."
Dialogues of the Buddha II, XVII The Great King of Glory, Page 214, Stanza 28

Rabbi Eliyahu E. Dessler

"Repentance only occurs when a person abandons his sins and evil deeds. Abandonment does not depend on knowledge alone but on will. Repentance is complete only when one changes the internal balance of his desires. He no longer sins because he has succeeded in making his desire to return stronger than the desire to sin."
Strive for Truth, Lovingkindness, Page 156, Paragraph 2, (Judaism, Author: Rabbi Eliyahu E. Dessler)

Sutta Pitaka or The Path to Deliverance of the Buddha

"Through the total fading away and extinction of Ignorance, however, the Karma-formations become extinguished; through extinction of the Karma-formation: Consciousness (in a new birth); through extinction of Consciousness: Mind and Corporeality; through extinction of Mind and Corporeality: the Six Bases; through extinction of the Six Bases: Impression; through extinction of Impression: Feeling; through extinction of Feeling: Craving; through extinction of Craving: Clinging; through extinction of Clinging: the Process of Becoming; through extinction of the Process of Becoming (Karma-Process): Rebirth; through extinction of Rebirth: Decay and Death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair. Thus takes place the extinction of this whole mass of suffering."
Path to Deliverance C Wisdom, S XII 17, Page 154, Paragraph 1 (Sutta Pitaka from the Pali Canon, Translation by Nyanatiloka)

King James Bible

"Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh in all . . . For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues; But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, divine to every man severally as he will. For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ . . . For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole body were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him . . . But now are they many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you . . . And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular."
King James Bible, 1 Corinthians 12:4-27 (Christianity: Words of St. Paul)