Many / One

A database of 11,000+ illuminated guiding quotations in 40 categories from 600+ inspired books by our most brilliant and influential authors.
Compiled by JoAnn Kite

SHOW detailed search and navigation | Quotes | References | JoAnn

1		"The exterior acts of virtue proceed from interior choice." Thomas Aquinas, In Ethics II, L. 5, p. 136 Sheer Joy, Conversations with Thomas Aquinas on Creation Spirituality (Matthew Fox)

2		"We as individuals can undertake to cultivate our intuitive nature and so develop moral insight." Gertrude Reif Hughes, Introduction Intuitive Thinking As A Spiritual Path: A Philosophy of Freedom (Rudolf Steiner)

3		"Giving is the highest expression of potency. In the very act of giving, I experience my strength, my wealth, my power. This experience of heightened vitality and potency fills me with joy." Erich Fromm, 'The Art of Loving' Shadows of the Sacred: Seeing Through Spiritual Illusions (Frances Vaughan, Ph.D.)

4		"The mind is drawn quite naturally to the ideal of Truth; the heart or our values, is quite naturally drawn to the ideal of Beauty; the guts or will is quite naturally drawn to the ideal of the Good." Keith Critchlow, 'Twelve Criteria for Sacred Architecture' Homage to Pythagoras, Rediscovering Sacred Science (Christopher Bamford, editor)

5		"There is a profound relationship between creativity and quality of human character." Creative Vision for Art and for Life (Richard Guggenheimer)

6		"Through active virtue desire is brought under control and anger is bridled." St. Theodoros the Great Ascetic, 'A Century of Spiritual Texts' The Philokalia, volume 2 (various authors, compiled by St. Nikodimos of the Holy Mountain)

7		"Ethics is rooted in the dynamism of love." The Unity of Reality (Michael vonBruck)

8		"Tsze-kung asked, saying, 'Is there one word which may serve as a rule of practice for all one's life? The Master said, 'Is not Reciprocity such a word? What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others." Confucius (551-479 bce), Chinese sage, 'Analects' The Great Thoughts (George Seldes, compiler)

9		"Moral existence is a response to the Lord's loving initiative. It is the acknowledgement and homage given to God and a worship of thanksgiving. It is cooperation with the plan God pursues in history." Catechism of the Catholic Church (Various)

10		"Always be kinder than the situation demands. Earth's greatest Teachers and Sages have taught this." Basic Theosophy (Geoffrey Hodson)

11		"As Aristotle says, 'man is a civic animal', wherefore he is required not only to be useful to himself but also to others." Dante Tarot Revelations (Joseph Campbell & Richard Roberts)

12		"Sublime virtue is profound, is immense…It will bring about a state of universal freedom." Lao Tsze (c. 604-531bc) Wisdom for Life (Lynette Evans, editor)

13		"Confucius regarded ethical values and ideals as grounded not simply in human nature as such but rather in the superhuman realm, in 'Heaven' or Ultimate Reality." The Nature and Truth of the Great Religions (August Karl Reischauer)

14		"Being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions." John Locke (1629-1695) The Great Ideas, A Syntopicon, vol. 1 (Mortimer J. Adler, editor)

15		"To those who are good to me I am good; and to those who are not good to me I am also good; and thus all get to be good." Tao The Ching The Ancient Wisdom (Annie Besant)

16		"To obey the laws of nature is the only safe and sure road to the spiritual evolution of the senses of the soul." Encyclopedia of Ancient and Forbidden Knowledge (Zolar)

17		"The elders told us that this is the road of life that we are walking down. We're supposed to be holding up one another, supporting each other, having our arm underneath our brother's arms while walking down the road of life." Reuben Snake, Winnebago medicine man The Way Things Are (Huston Smith, edited by Phil Cousineau)

18		"Free will in man includes as its most relevant part man's ethical behavior." Erwin Schroedinger (1887-1961), 'Why Not Talk Physics?' Quantum Questions, Mystical Writings of the World's Great Physicists (Ken Wilber, editor)

19		"The urge for service to others is very much on the upswing, in terms of people's general orientation to life. Many people…are finding an inner void that can only be filled through creating some focus of contribution to the greater whole of humanity. This urge to serve – this need to help heal the planet and its people – will require the implementation of the Law of Right Human Relations." Soul Centered Astrology, A Key to Your Expanding Self (Alan Oken)

20		"The ethic of relation of man to man is not something apart by itself: it is only a particular relation which results from the universal one." Albert Schweitzer The Lion Christian Quotation Collection (Hannah Ward & Jennifer Wild, compilers)

21		"Light is given to the sun not to shine alone on itself but also on the whole earth. So too, God wills that all our gifts of wealth, power, knowledge should benefit others." Thomas Aquinas, In 2 Cor, ch. 1, p. 301 Sheer Joy, Conversations with Thomas Aquinas on Creation Spirituality (Matthew Fox)

22		"Virtue is a gift from God implanted in our nature." St. John of Damascus, 'Exposition of the Orthodox Faith' (8th century) The Book of Catholic Quotations (John Chapin, Editor)

23		"By his reason, man recognizes the voice of God which urges him to do what is good and avoid what is evil. Everyone is obliged to follow this law, which makes itself heard in conscience and is fulfilled in the love of God and of neighbor. Living a moral life bears witness to the dignity of the person." Catechism of the Catholic Church (Various)

24		"By kindness alone can man ratify the fact of the unity of Life." Basic Theosophy (Geoffrey Hodson)

25		"'Selflessness emphasizes relationships through recognition of the interdependency of all things', as one contemporary Zen master has said." In Silence: Why We Pray (Donald Spoto, Ph.D.)