THE GREAT SOUL,
THE VIRTUES
&
LOVE
THE GREAT SOUL
Within every person a great soul lives.
It has been recognized by a thousand names around the world.
It has brought us all the magnificent works of the arts, sciences, and philosophies known in history.
It is life itself.
Such is the glory of the human spirit.
Deep in the heart of your heart, you find you are this great soul.
We all are.
 And yet the world is at war.
Tragedy and pain abound.
Freedom is at risk.
And catastrophe is in the air.
The time is now. We must seize the moment to change the world.
Most all of the suffering and slaughter upon the killing fields of earth, the millions over the millennia, has been wrought by men possessed by greed, the illusion of power and enslaved by ignorance. These are the men who never knew the truth that all men are created equal. The thought of separateness from, and superiority over, or inferiority under, our fellow human beings; it is this thought alone, this delusion, has laid the ground for all the horror in our history.
Now we are playing while the world is dying.
This will become the legacy of humankind unless we come to know the great soul.
There are people to fight, but there are also people to feed. We must reach out to those who have eyes to see, ears to hear, the minds to know and hearts to love.
To change the world, to overcome the madness, to achieve peace, we must change ourselves.
We must discover the great soul.
For this, we look to the virtues.
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THE VIRTUES
The virtues cross and encompass the boundaries of all nations, cultures, and philosophies. No one has a monopoly on them. They are non-sectarian. They reside equally in all of us.
The virtues are inherent to your true nature. You find them in the highest feeling of the deepest place in your heart.
Lovers leave you,
children go their own way,
friends forget you,
youth fades,
homes are sold,
jobs are lost,
fortunes vanish,
and wars are waged.
But you never lose your heart, the home of the virtues. You may lose touch with it, but it is never lost. And it is the knowing in your own heart that is your true guiding light.
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The virtues are most easily seen in times of tragedy and peril. We have seen how sudden disaster can transform common men and women into heroes. In these times we realize that the goodness, dignity and determination of the human soul are essential to our basic survival and well-being, and moreover, can take us to triumphs undreamt of.
Still, in everyday life, we also find:
There are those among us who are naturally radiant in purity.
We call them children.
There are those who give and give and go on giving.
We call them mothers.
There are those who work and protect and provide day after day, year after year.
We call them fathers.
And there are those rare and precious ones among us who are the living embodiment of all virtues.
We call them saints.
The virtues shine forth in the daily moments of your life, when you act from that most subtle voice inside that speaks toward respect and love, and you—
help someone in need,
do your job with care and attention,
open your mind to another’s point of view,
confront your challenges,
be accountable,
keep your word,
and let your heart break open to the world.
Offered repeatedly, these simple acts of virtue will transform you, your life, your family, your community, the world.
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To “live the good life,” is much more than any collection of possessions; it is to live a good life.
In our daily lives, the feelings and actions that pass between us do make a difference. Goodwill is catching; one uplifting deed really does inspire another. One good feeling can save a life.
When we live in virtue, we are offering a tremendous contribution to the world, no matter how small we may think is our sphere of influence. A single flame can light the greatest fire. And when we live forthrightly, without motive for recompense, something magical happens inside of us too. We purify our mind, build strong character and create good fortune. We find greater health and happiness. We attract blessings. And we grow in love.
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To each of us, a life has been given, and with it, truly an awesome and priceless responsibility—the freedom to choose how we live in the world and what we make of ourselves and our lives.
You do not have control over all that happens to you, but you do have control over how you respond and what you think and say and do. You are in charge. Where you put your attention, what action you take, is up to you.
Cultivating your virtue is choosing, with deep and honest contemplation, at every crossroad, over and over again, to do what you know is right, to live up to your best, to honor your higher calling. This is what the sages describe as conquering the self. It is the most difficult challenge anyone will ever face in life. Yet for those who earnestly and wholeheartedly accept this challenge, no other life can compare.
Fear not. The sages also say that you have all the power within yourself to live such a beautiful, magnificent, fulfilling life.
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Ask yourself, are all the blessings that are constantly showering upon you, the ones that you know, and the countless ones that you will never know, just for you to have a good time?
What are you going to do with all your good fortune?
How will you measure the worth of your life?
Will you heed the call of the forgotten, lost and abandoned love?
It is not a question of who or how many love you, but do you love yourself and how many do you love?
Your entire life is not invested, but spent searching for happiness outside yourself.
Don't wait until your deathbed, when you will surely know that all was dust but this: that the only thing that ever mattered in your life was love.
Give everything for love.
Dedicate your life to love.
And find it too in the heart of your heart.
The great soul, the virtues and love, these three are inseparable.
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“That which you are looking for is that which is looking.”
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- Saint Francis of Assissi
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“That which is you dwells above the mountain and roves with the wind.”
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- Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet
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“. . . a fella ain’t got a soul of his own, . . . he jus’ got a little piece of a great big soul.”
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- John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath |
There is a sweetness, a beauty, and a wonder inside you, a power to awaken that is beyond your imagination.
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The whole world, as all of creation, is one family of God. Look into the eyes of everyone you meet and see God shining out through them. Peace and happiness will never come without this recognition: The knowledge of the great soul dwelling in the heart of all is the root of all virtue. And the virtues are love manifest. See the least of us all as God's children, no matter how dark their minds may be, and whatever the destiny of our duty is in dealing with them. Still, see all men as your brother and all women as your sister.
I have the good fortune to have some progress in some of the following. I enjoin you to:
Challenge your delusions of what you think you know.
Rise above the vengeful, the vulgar and the vain.
Conquer your compulsion towards grief, fear and anger.
Banish envy, greed and gorging from the sanctity of your soul.
Abandon your pettiness, justifications and judgments.
Get in touch with the deepest and highest feeling in your heart.
Make a vow of self-control and become strong.
Wake up to the true purpose of your life.
Choose a path that leads to the mountain top.
Resolve to walk steadfast in your own truth.
Hold true to your highest dreams.
Become radiantly full of life.
Believe in humanity.
Give your heart to God.
Love yourself and others constantly.
Discover the great soul.
Live in virtue.
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