Sermons to the son

Mitheyma of Airom-Bar

Enon I

Listen to me, son: be reasonable. This is what the mind is for, find the way in life via it. It is like eyes. No one will go forward if he sees an abyss before him. How can you get over it without eyes? Who will start a long and difficult journey with his eyes closed? Reasonableness is like eyes, but it is better. A man without eyes is still a man – and who is he without reasonableness? A man is mad or stupid if he follows his lifepath having closed the eyes of reasonableness, isn’t he? Nothing can be done if you are not reasonable. Everything can be done differently, but only one way is the best. Whoever, without thinking, takes the first thing that comes across, is the same as the one choosing one edible berry from a pile of poisonous ones with his eyes closed. Nothing good will come of it. Reasonableness is the quality of a worthy man who takes care and does his best not to harm himself or others. Reasonableness is taking care of good mentally. It can’t be that a person, being reasonable in one thing, is not reasonable in another. A person who is reasonable only to himself is a bad person, who does not care about others at all. A person who is not reasonable to himself, but wishes to be reasonable to others, will not succeed – for this is the same as trying to feed others, while not being able to feed himself. A blind man will not show the way to a sighted person, and certainly not to another blind person. It is a great skill to pass the impulses of the heart through the gates of reason, and at the same time not to cool the heart. Reasonableness will show you, son, what to do and why. Reasonableness is the ability to choose the best. And for a man, the best is what is worthy of him. First of all, choose a worthy deed for yourself. A worthy deed is done for the sake of a worthy goal. A goal is worthy when it is beneficial. And the greater the benefit, the more worthy the goal. Having chosen a worthy deed, choose a worthy way of doing it. And a worthy way does not defile the good goal with evil. Reasonableness is needed to know what to do and how. Choosing a bad goal, you will turn any way into a bad one, and choosing a bad way, you will not achieve a good goal. Without reasonableness, one cannot truly live a life with dignity. Without it, all other virtues are like fire built on water. What is the use of them if they do not have a decent application? Every act of a reasonable person is an accomplishment of good. Son, it is a real misfortune when a person dies recklessly, thus he destroys the great power of life in vain. If a reasonable person goes to his death, he only does it for the sake of such a deed that is worth it. Reasonableness is needed both to live with dignity and to die with dignity. And if you live unworthily and die recklessly, then there is no need to be born. Listen to me, son: be reasonable.

ENON II

Listen to me, son: be diligent. Diligence is the food of all work. Whatever you do, do it with diligence, for otherwise there is no reason to start. Whoever has chosen a worthy deed for himself, full of benefit, is glad of this deed, and will do his best to accomplish it in the best way. A neglectful person is a destroyer of good deeds, an accomplice of destruction, an adversary of people, a shame of the human race. A diligent person is a creator of good, a supporter of people, a benefactor of the world. Every deed of yours is your life. It is sorrowful when it is destroyed because of negligence, isn’t it? And who are you, if through negligence you have ruined someone else’s work, which is full of many benefits? And how do you feel if someone ruined your work, for which you used your strength and your very life, through negligence? Negligence – is a great evil, as well as diligence – is a great blessing. A diligent person is a person who wishes to be diligent. This is a desire of the one who realizes the good and usefulness of his work, and who is genuinely kind to others. Good deeds are done for the benefit of people; therefore, the one who is kind and caring is truly diligent. Beware of choosing a bad deed for yourself, lest you defile your diligence by turning it into evil. Genuine diligence is the scourge of vices, for its sake they are overcome and thrown away, like an unnecessary burden that hinders on the way. Diligence improves a person, as health drives out ailments. Many virtues are born from it, like healthy children from a healthy mother. A diligent person is loved and honored because for everyone his desire for good is clear. Even his enemies respect him, for a worthy enemy is better than a worthless friend. Without diligence, a person is not good for any deed. Such a person is as bad for himself, as for others. Everything good people do – everything is done through diligence. Whether to raise children, grow a crop, dig a well, build a city, plant a garden, defend against an enemy, compile a chronicle – everything is done through diligence, and not otherwise. A state is flourishing when people are diligent. Diligence gives a person strength and skill and makes his life worthy. Listen to me, son: be diligent.

ENON III

Listen to me, son: be loyal. Choose wisely; having chosen, be loyal to what you have chosen. If you choose a deed for yourself, stick to it. Whoever chose a deed for himself, and then abandoned it and chose another, and then abandoned both, and again chose another, is worth nothing, for he is not good for anything. He has nothing and is not good for anything, not useful; nothing is dear to him, nor is he dear to anything. There is no use of him anywhere – and even in himself. Loyalty is the quality of a truly worthy man, and without it, there is no such man at all. The loyal one is stronger than a rock. Such a person will keep himself in order; he will not collapse, will not rot; and for everything, whatever he does, he will provide unshakable support. A person is the core part of every deed; if he is unshakable, then the work will be done in the right way. Such a person is a role model and support for others. Without loyalty, there is no sense in diligence, courage, intelligence, or strength. The loyal person is precious and honored, for he is one of the best people. He is like the sun, steadily rising every day and not extinguished; and no one is afraid that it will cease to warm the world. It is great merit to be loyal, and it is a great happiness to have a loyal one by your side. A loyal person is the embodiment of reliability and fortitude. Be loyal to the work you have chosen, the mentor you have chosen, the friend you have chosen, the woman you have chosen, the lord you have chosen, and the one you have allowed to trust you. Remember this, son: there is no measure for loyalty. Neither labor, nor suffering, nor even death – nothing stands above loyalty. Loyalty is something worth working for, suffering for, and dying for. If someone saved his life through disloyalty, what is in it now, and who needs it like that? Having saved his life in this way, he died anyway, because his life is no longer good for anything. A healthy seed grows into a healthy fruit, and it is better to have no seed than to have a rotten one. Why live if you do not live with dignity? There is neither measure nor worthy reward for loyalty. No treasure is a reward for it. Even life is not a sufficient reward for loyalty, for can loyalty be rewarded with what can be sacrificed for it? Only reciprocal loyalty is worthy of loyalty. And this is the only thing that can be used to reward loyalty: giving it a truly high meaning. Loyalty is rewarded when it is not in vain. And it is not in vain when it is not directed to the false, insignificant or bad. Look for a worthy aim for your loyalty, and do not abuse someone else’s loyalty with an insignificant, evil, or deceptive aim. Abusing someone else’s loyalty in this way is the same as wiping one’s bottom with the sun. And there is only one situation when you can transgress loyalty: when you promised to be loyal to one, but it turned out to be another. But in this case, beware of making a mistake, so as not to make a mistake and not to become a scoundrel. Do not promise to be loyal to what you doubt, and do not break your promise to be loyal just because of a single doubt. And if you are loyal, then be loyal in everything – because true loyalty does not know big and little. If a person is not loyal in only one little thing, he is not loyal in anything. If there is one crack in a rock, then other cracks will go from it; and that rock is no longer a rock, but dust. And this is what you should understand, son: loyalty is not in the words but conscience and will. The word can be deceitful, but conscience and will cannot. The word needs them, and they don’t need it. An oath of loyalty is nothing more than a story about what is true even without an oath. If you are loyal, then be loyal not only to the word but to the loyalty itself. The image of the sun is not yet the sun; the promise of loyalty is not loyalty itself. If you have made up your mind to be loyal, then be loyal. Not loyalty follows the word, but the word follows loyalty. Its beginning is not in a word but a person. An oath of loyalty is not for the speaker, but the listener. And remember that true loyalty cannot be obliged by force, and it cannot be taken away by force. Listen to me, son: be loyal.

ENON IV

Listen to me, son: be patient. Without patience, other virtues are like birds without wings. Impatient one cannot be diligent. And how can an impatient person be loyal if he does not know how to endure adversity or something he does not like? There are no deeds that are done quickly and easily; but to the impatient, labor is worse than torture, and waiting is worse than death. Such a person is unreliable and not helpful in anything. A patient person is reliable in every deed. You can always rely on him: what is needed, he will do, and what is not necessary, he will not do. Such a person will learn what is necessary, and teach another, and will not rush where it is not necessary, and will wait for the best, whether it is about time or something else. Time always helps him, for it takes away what it does not need, and one day it delivers what is needed. And there is no better guardian of secrets than a patient person. Everyone can trust him without fear, for it is more likely to learn a secret from a stone than from him. He will not give away the secret by his will nor by duress; and will not betray even if he is tortured. And he is not susceptible to bribery, because he knows how to endure poverty and misery. He will always finish his work; he will not give up; therefore, he is worthy of all praise. In a dispute or litigation, he is not dangerous, because he knows how to restrain anger, he owns the weapon, not the other way round. And he is not a slave to his vices, but he knows how to overcome the craving for the bad and vile. It is much easier for a patient person to correct himself than for an impatient one. When caring for others, he is the best, because he can endure his adversity for the benefit of others. He is terrible to the enemy, because neither time, nor profit, nor suffering can stop him. A bad person, if he is patient, is not so bad. Even from a fool, if he is patient, there is not much harm. You should know, son, that patience grows strength in a person. The more patient a person is, the stronger his spirit; and the stronger the spirit, the more patient and unwavering a person is, and the more likely he will achieve what he wants. Listen to me, son: be patient.

ENON V

Listen to me, son: be brave. Without courage, one cannot be a worthy man, for there will always be an adversary for a worthy cause, and without courage, it cannot be overcome. There is no good deed for a coward. Every worthy man is a warrior: and without courage, there is no warrior. How can a coward oppose an enemy if only a rumor about an enemy makes him run shamefully? Both women are brave, and children: how can a man be not brave? A coward is afraid of an enemy, and adversity, and labor. He will give up any deed out of fear of difficulties, or fear of failure. But in any deed, you need courage: without it, you can’t even put food in your mouth. A coward is never loyal: he will betray out of fear – although, perhaps, he would not want to betray. His reasonableness is ruled by fear, so it is one-eyed. The coward is unhappy: he has neither joy nor honor in anything. He is even afraid of himself; for he is the worst adversary for himself, and there is no rest for him. All his life he is running from adversity, but he cannot escape: therefore, life itself is suffering for him. He is weak, and he can’t take strength from anywhere. A brave person is strong in his courage. A coward is pathetic, and a brave person is majestic. Whatever he is, courage gives him such greatness that a brave tramp, even a hungry and crippled one, is more majestic than a cowardly ruler. A brave person by his very death does his job more faithfully than a coward does by his life. But courage is not recklessness. Decide, son, what deed is worthy of courage, and do not be a coward doing it. It is true that if a deed is unworthy of courage, it is unworthy doing. Courage is a victory in itself, and without this victory, it is impossible to win in any struggle. A brave person is not the one who is not afraid, but the one who does not give fear power over himself. The one who overcomes cowardice and does what should be done is a truly brave man. Therefore, every coward can become brave. And here’s another bad thing about cowardice: it is like an illness. Where there is one coward, he can turn many into cowards. However, a truly brave man is not susceptible to this disease, because his courage stems from a strong spirit, and not from an impulse of feelings. And one brave man is more likely to turn many into brave men than a coward into cowards. A brave man is the pride of people, the power of good. Death has no power over him, for it cannot lead him through fear on an unworthy path. Listen to me, son: be brave.

ENON VI

Listen to me, son: be modest. A modest person does not defile himself with disproportionate desires. You should know what is proper for you and desire what is proper. A little person who knows his proper place is worth a great one who knows his place in honor; none of them is worse than the other. The one who has two people under the command, and the one who has six thousand under the command, are equal in honor, for each of them is great in his place. Know your place, son; and to know it, remember more about things you cannot do, rather than things you can do. This is the best way to maintain modestly. He who desires to ascend and achieve what is desired should seek what he doesn’t have in himself, rather than what he has. If everything is appropriate, and only one thing is not appropriate: it is enough for you to bring yourself to reason and give up your inclinations. The blade can be good in everything, but you cannot put it into a more luxurious sheath if it does not fit in size even a tiny bit. How much evil is there among people because they do not know modesty? How much meanness, betrayal, and grief! How many torments are received from themselves by those who, not knowing how to be modest, wish to ascend despite their due! A modest one does not torment himself; what he possesses always happens to him in joy and pleasure, and not in suffering. Immodesty indeed has no limit. An immodest person has disproportionate desires- and having achieved, he always wants even more. He could swallow the sky if he could, but even this would not be enough. Do not expect loyalty from an immodest person, because he is loyal only to his desire to ascend. He will give everything to be exalted, he will surpass everything. He sees nothing behind his striving – not even himself. He is not good for any deed; such people ruin themselves and their deeds. A modest person is reliable; and if he is not greedy and cowardly, then you will hardly find a more loyal person. It is immodest to desire too much, but it is also wrong to decline what is proper. Praising oneself verbally above what is proper is a lie; but the denial of the existing, the humiliation of oneself verbally despite the Truth is also a lie. A modest person does not want anything that doesn’t belong to him, but he does not humiliate himself either. No one can belittle him, for even having taken away his property, he will not take away dignity and merit. Remember, son, that modesty is understanding one’s place – not too high or too low. The place is not just anywhere but in a person. The measure of this place is not wealth or power, but dignity. If someone is lower than what he deserves, he should not be ashamed but should be patient and work. A modest person does not harm, for he knows how to measure his strength. He hurts no one for he does not have his eyes on what is appropriate for others. A modest person will more accurately discern in another person what he is worthy and what he is not. Modesty is a bridle for many vices and food for many virtues. Only a wise man will see a proper place for a modest person, through this he will create many benefits. No one does his duty better than a modest person who knows his place. Such will never fall; but if he can be exalted properly, he will be exalted. Where there is modesty, there is no enmity, but the steadfastness of honest duty flourishes. Only a modest person deserves the best, and only a modest person can be truly fair to himself and others. Listen to me, son: be modest.

ENON VII

Listen to me, son: be moderate. Moderation is similar to modesty. Its essence is not to desire too much – and if necessary, then be able to give up what is necessary. A person, even being modest, maybe immoderate in other desires. One is immoderate in food, the other in covetousness, or greed, or in curiosity, or something else. A person who is immoderate in anything is vulnerable; he’s wearing a bib with holes in it. What he is immoderate in is like bait for a beast for him; there is a trap and a hunter for him. He is so unreliable because he has no power over himself; he is ready to exchange everything for what is sweet to him. A moderate person, on contrary, is not greedy or lustful, and his life is easier, and he does not torment himself. He is reliable because he is not susceptible to bribery and other baits. And he is strong in spirit because he knows how to endure inconvenience and hardship. A moderate person, even if he is deprived of what is necessary, will not be broken, and will not lose dignity, and will not commit evil deeds. This is good for people – because he would rather give something to another than take something away from him. A moderate person knows no greed, and therefore there are no thieves among such; even something seductive can be trusted to him without hesitation. He is good at carrying out important affairs in the state. From moderation can grow steadfastness, generosity, and peace of spirit and mind. It is like a healing medicine: many ailments of conscience are healed through it. Moderation can be learned as good art, and another person can be taught; the more strength you put into it, the more strength you will gain. Truly, few people know the real needs of man: and they are very moderate. Therefore, it is possible to learn moderation through knowledge and will; and some are taught by misfortune. Here’s the point: you need to know people. A person who knows more about things we can do without than about our urgent needs is a better teacher of moderation. A moderate person is not helpful for an evil person but is not an obstacle for a good person. Listen to me, son: be moderate.

ENON VIII

Listen to me, son: be cautious. Caution is needed to avoid unintended evil. What is more grievous than when a person, wanting to do something useful, inadvertently does evil, harm, and grief? Truly, indiscretion is a seed of trouble. Even a good person, if he is careless, is like a villain in his deeds. He harms others and himself. A cautious person, if he is not angry by himself, will not cause any harm or offense to anyone. Such a person is nice to talk with and reliable in any deed because he does his best not to hurt others and not to ruin the deed. There is no messenger better than a cautious man. And he will look after the children well, and he will also instruct them in caution. Caution is a child of reasonableness, and if someone is unreasonable but cautious then he is most likely cowardly. Caution is a despot of vices; another, out of caution, will not do evil, even though he wanted to. No deed can be done well without caution; therefore, it is necessary for a worthy man who does not want failure and shame. Carelessness is a sign of stupidity – for where can a fool understand the benefits of caution? And this is what is true: if someone is careless in any deed, then it means that he does not want success for that deed. No matter what a person does, if he is cautious, then it means that he cares about success, has a great mind and a conscience. Such a person does not live in vain and tries to avoid meaningless death. You should know, son, that carelessness is not a sign of courage, but only stupidity. A cautious person does not look for accidental and useless death; however, he does not run from a necessary and worthy death. He will save himself and others from troubles that can be avoided: therefore, he is a good friend. Much can be entrusted to him, for he will not act rashly, and will save or fulfill the entrusted. A careless person is not suitable for a state, nor an army, nor trade, nor for craft, nor hunting. A cautious person is good everywhere if he is not a coward. Caution is not a matter of feeling, but a matter of mind; that is why it can work as honesty and conscience. Without caution, there is little use in courage and diligence and all skills; good without it can even turn to evil. A worthy man does not live in vain and does not die in vain, and one cannot avoid this without caution. The point is not to protect yourself from death through caution, but not to destroy yourself or something else in vain. Listen to me, son: be cautious.

ENON IX

Listen to me, son: be honest. The language is given to a person to speak the truth, and conscience is given in order not to mend meanness. Dishonesty does not happen by itself, but it is always a fruit of this or that vice. As a person has a weapon of metal or a stone, so vice has dishonesty as its weapon. It is good for every vice: for malice, – for the destruction of an enemy, and greed, – for gaining benefits, and cowardice, – to hide it and to avoid danger, and covetousness, – for seduction, and envy, – for denigrating another person, and laziness, – for justification, and otherwise for another. A vicious person that puts his vices above all else is deceitful and vile. A worthy man is never dishonest. Do not lie, son, for the slightest lie is the source of great meanness. Whoever can lie will betray, and steal, and commit any meanness that can be thought of. A liar is an adversary of the true essence of the world; can such a person, who is an adversary of the world, refrain from harming another person? An honest person is honest in everything: he will not cross the boundaries of a worthy person by word or deed. He’s really good. Meanness is worse than stupidity, and cowardice, and carelessness, and laziness, and much more. Honesty does not hide any of this, and therefore honesty and reliability are sisters. An unreliable person, who confessed this, is the one who, through honesty, averted trouble – and for this, he is praised. Dishonesty brings evil and shame of vices; honesty, on contrary, is their scourge. If a person is honest with himself and can confess his flaws to himself, he will be able to resist them. If you are kind, but dishonest with yourself, then your kindness will not bear healthy fruit, but only fruit with rottenness. A liar and a scoundrel will not teach another person anything but lies and meanness. An honest one will teach the truth, and it is a remedy for many different evils. If you are honest, son, the blessing will go hand in hand with you, and shame will run away from you. A person is great in spirit if he resisted the temptation of meanness and did not submit to the compulsion of vice. He is even greater in spirit if he did not flee from adversity and danger through meanness, did not outrage the essence of the world for the sake of his salvation. He is even greater in spirit if he stood up for the truth without fear of punishment, although he could have kept silent. Honesty is half a worthy man, and all other virtues are his other half. If an honest person is unfaithful, then his unfaithfulness is not sudden, and therefore it is not so harmful and destructive. An honest person will not mislead anyone: therefore, he is not an enemy of the truth, even if he is stupid. If an honest person also possesses other virtues, then he is one of the best people, a true source of good. Such is the strength and glory of the world, the pride of people. Honesty is a hindrance to vices and support to virtues. Honesty is precious: even life is not dearer than it. It is like fire, tempering, cleansing, and eradicating darkness and cold. The strength of the spirit feeds on it, and vices are eliminated by the strength of the spirit. He who, out of honesty, is not afraid to confess cowardice, overcomes cowardice. He who has not stolen out of honesty overcomes greed. It is true for other vices. Truly, honesty is the destroyer of vices and the cultivator of virtues. It is food and weapon of good, the educator of worthy men. Listen to me, son: be honest.

ENON X

Listen to me, son: be generous. Some people are reputed to be generous because they share their wealth with others. There are few of them, but praise those that are. However, this is a small generosity. It is the same as if someone is thirsty for a drink that gives immortality, and he is given plain water. He will quench his thirst, but he will die anyway. Can the real treasure be taken with your hands? Isn’t he pitiful who owns nothing better than food, clothing, metal, or herds? This is what genuine generosity is, son: when a person gives himself up. Someone may not have any visible possessions, even small and insignificant: but everyone has the greatest treasure. Find yourself a worthy deed and be generous in it. A worthy deed is that is done for the good of the world and people. You cannot do such a thing if you are not truly generous. And nothing can be found that would be more worthy of generosity than the world and people. Give them not only your wealth but also your mind, your kindness, your strength, your skills, your flesh, your life. Only this is the true genericity: and the lesser generosity is unworthy of a man. Genuine generosity is available of both rich and poor, smart and stupid, strong and weak, young and old, men and women. He who is not genuinely generous lives in vain. A different generosity – and not generosity at all, but a mockery over others, over oneself, and the good. Only a generous person is worthy of having something. Genuine generosity contains real valor. Virtues emanate from it, like the light from the sun. A generous person is the embodied good. Listen to me, son: be generous.

ENON XI

Listen to me, son: be magnanimous. He who is not magnanimous is not kind. Magnanimity is the ability to not have anger in oneself. It is easy to love someone who deserves love; easy and be generous to him. But only a magnanimous person knows how not to hate, forgive and not make a distinction in generosity. Magnanimity is similar to generosity, and the difference is that generosity can be blind, but magnanimity is always vigilant. Magnanimity is generosity that overcomes anger through love. To give your life for someone you consider worthy of it, or for someone you don’t know, is generosity; to give your life for a bad person is magnanimity. Whoever saves his village at the cost of his life, while thinking only about good people, is generous; whoever desires salvation for bad people is magnanimous. Remember, son, that a truly magnanimous person does not know the difference between whether to sacrifice grain or life and sacrifice it for the sake of a good person or a bad one. Greed and fear are overcome by generosity, and malice and hatred are overcome by magnanimity. A magnanimous person does not take revenge, for the thirst for revenge has nothing to feed on in his soul. An evil person is not up to caring for good, and therefore one should not expect worthy deeds from him. And obviously, only a magnanimous person can be a worthy man. He picks up weapons not out of malice and hatred, but only out of great necessity. And if he happens to slay an enemy, then he suffers at the same time as if he struck himself with his weapon. However, beware of this: through showing your magnanimity to one person doing evil to another. Then it is not magnanimity, but complacency in its clothes. It also happens that others pass off their weakness, cowardice, or laziness as magnanimity: shame on them. Others trade with magnanimity: shame on them, for this is the same as exchanging good for the satisfaction of lust. Remember also that magnanimity should not turn into connivance for evil and vice, for then it corrupts. Such a magnanimous person is the same as the molester of people and the promoter of atrocities. This, among other reasons, often happens from stupidity. Only the one who is truly strong in spirit is truly magnanimous, as great strength is needed to curb anger and hatred in oneself. This power comes from love. He who loves is magnanimous. It is true, son: without love for people, you cannot be a worthy man. A person who is not good cannot be a worthy man, for such a person does not care for the good, and apart from this, there are no worthy deeds. And if a person is not magnanimous, then he is not kind. One cannot be magnanimous without love. It is also true: you can’t be magnanimous to one person, but not to another. This is not magnanimity, but a whim, a joy of complacency. Magnanimity is like the sun: when there is the sun, it warms everyone; when it is no sun, it does not warm anyone. Malice is not stronger than man: whoever wishes to conquer it in himself will win. He who, through will, overcomes malice in himself, frees up a place in his soul for love. Curbing malice through a will is a seed of magnanimity, and this seed bears healing fruits. Truly, whoever wishes to be magnanimous can be. Listen to me, son: be magnanimous.

ENON XII

Listen to me, son: be respectful. Respect is an understanding of the merits of other people and an ability to treat them with dignity. If you see a kind or a skillful person, then how can you not be respectful to him? The same applies to things and everything in the world. The father of respect is understanding, and the mother is love. Respect reveals a person’s intelligence and kindness. If a person is in front of you, and you are disrespectful to him, then you are either stupid or angry. Either you don’t see anything good and worthy in him, or you don’t value anything good and worthy. And there is good in every person; although it is not always noticeable, it is still there. Therefore, one should be respectful with everyone, without making a distinction between one and the other. And be respectful to your foe, son, for he is an enemy for you, but he certainly has something good in himself. A disrespectful person does not want to see good in people but wants to see it only in himself. He is arrogant – and arrogance devours what is good in him. Be respectful to a stranger, or to someone about whom you know something bad, for the sake of the good that certainly is in him. In this case, be respectful with restraint, so as not to sow the seed of arrogance in him. Be deeply respectful to a person if you know that he has undoubted merits and virtues, and do not be ashamed to show respect. However, do not humiliate yourself, for this is no longer respect, but an abomination. And do unworthy deeds for the sake of respect, for then the good of respect will be defiled. You can only do without obvious respect when someone demands respect for himself through gross insolence or force but does not want to respect others. Whoever shows such obvious respect to such a person will cultivate arrogance and malice in him. But even to such a person, be respectful in your heart, for there is certainly at least something good in it. Respect is similar to modesty. A respectful person is pleasing to others, and will not take himself down through abuse. And this is the point here: external respect is not a value in itself but stems from internal respect for people. A person with a respectful heart is the one who loves people not to show off, but genuinely. Such a person will not harm a person. What is more, be respectful to the good that is in yourself. Do not defile it and do not oppress it, but honor and cultivate it in every way. A person who does not see the good in himself and does not honor this good properly, all the more will not see and honor it in others. Remember: do not honor yourself, but the good in yourself, and you will not be arrogant. Thus, you will see your vices more clearly, and you will be horrified by them, and you will more eagerly cultivate virtues in yourself to replace them. And you will show good to other people’s virtues through respect, and thereby strengthen them. It is true: he who cultivates respect in himself cultivates love. Listen to me, son: be respectful.

Translated by Amradkhari