The precious belt
Mytheyma of Choi-Cho
ENON I
My Teacher said, “A person who cares only for himself is like a monkey. It is grinning, waving its paws, shaking its backside, and itching: these are all its merits. Whoever would honor it for these is even worse than it.”
ENON II
My Teacher said, “A tortoiseshell is useless for a man. A man is meant to feel. If he had a shell that would protect him, then what would he feel, what would he know, what would he live for? If you are a human, then beware to harden your soul and acquire a shell for it, for then you will no longer be a human. Then, like a tortoise – go to the hot stones.”
ENON III
My Teacher said, “These are high rocks; the clouds, not knowing how to flow around them, are torn at their tops, like a rotten cloth. Look around and you will see that life is like rocks, and people are like clouds. And it should be the other way round: people should be like rocks and life-like clouds.”
ENON IV
My Teacher said, “A spear does not hit another spear, but a person. You should understand that when you turn your words against the words of another person, your words hurt him, not his words.”
ENON V
My Teacher said, “If a fruit is not eaten, it will rot. If the sun did not shine, it would breed worms. If your soul is not for people, it will rot and breed worms.”
ENON VI
My Teacher said, “Look what the stars are like. There is no treasure in the world that can compare with them. But do not wish to have them with you, but wish to have them in you.”
ENON VII
My Teacher said, “Life endows everyone with itself, both the greatest ruler and the pettiest tramp. Death spares no one, neither the greatest ruler nor the pettiest tramp. So be like life for all that is good in you, and like death – for all that is bad in you.”
ENON VIII
My Teacher said, “If the earth did not want to give fruit, no one would be able to cultivate it. So is a man: if he does not want to give good fruit, no one will teach him good.”
ENON IX
My Teacher said, “Whatever you think about, turn your thoughts from everything to a man. What else to think about but him? And from him turn your thoughts to everything that is under the sky and above the sky. If you don’t turn your thoughts from him to everything that is under the sky and above the sky, then why think about him?”
ENON X
My Teacher said, “Fear is worse than fever. Fever torments the body and clouds the mind, and fear kills the mind, but the body is left worthless.”
ENON XI
My Teacher said, “Lust for power, cowardice, anger, envy, lust, stupidity, deceit, and greed are shameful. Together with pride, each of these vices leads to evil deeds. Courage, perseverance, intelligence, skill, curiosity, ability to manage, awareness, love – are good. However, together with pride, each of these virtues also leads to evil deeds.”
ENON XII
My Teacher said, “Whoever wants to rule should be born a flea. One person goes out of his ways desiring to command another person, but that one does not care about him. If a flea bites, a dog will certainly scratch itself.”
ENON XIII
My Teacher said, “Even a simple worm under the ground freely goes up and down. Is it possible that a man is more insignificant than a worm? If not a man but who should desire and be able to ascend above the sky?”
ENON XIV
My Teacher said, “Who will exchange a spark of fire for a lake of mud? It is better to have small, but good, than huge, but bad or worthless.”
ENON XV
My Teacher said, “Iron flows from fire and bends and rusts. A man takes iron and makes whatever he wants out of it. So, is it appropriate for a person to soften his will in front of temptations, bow down to an evil force, and rust in his soul? Or is he weaker than what he has power over?”
ENON XVI
My Teacher said, “You were born to live, not to die. A man who lives for the sake of life does not die, and a man who lives for the sake of death does not live.”
ENON XVII
My Teacher said, “Do not accept someone else’s custom. When you come to a person’s house, greet him not the way he wants, but the way you understand. If you greet him the way he wants, you will lose yourself; and then who came to him? If you do not please him and he drives you away, then you will lose less than you would have lost if you sacrificed yourself to please him. Whatever you have lost, everything can be regained; but you can’t get yourself back if you lose yourself .”
ENON XVIII
My Teacher said, “If you want to eat something and an animal wants to eat the same thing, give in to it. A man does not exist to starve other creatures.”
ENON XIX
My Teacher said, “Being respectful to another person, do not bring yourself low, and by taking care of your dignity, do not bring the other person low. What good will he get from you if you bring yourself low first, and what good will he see in you if you bring him low first?”
ENON XX
My Teacher said, “Here I am talking to you; but what could I say if I was thinking now only about you or only about myself? I am talking to you, but I am thinking about the good of everything that is under the sky and above the sky: for this is why I am talking to you. Until you learn to speak with others the way I speak to you, it is better to be silent.”
ENON XXI
My Teacher said, “If you go up the hill, do not complain that it is difficult to go. If you go through a swamp, what is the use of being afraid for your life?”
ENON XXII
My Teacher said, “My hand is shattered. For one word I fought; for one word of the truth, I did not spare my hand. I would not spare my life for that. Here, look at my shattered hand. If it were safe now, I could not teach you.”
ENON XXIII
My Teacher said, “If your tongue is torn out for truthful words, be glad that you have only lost your tongue. It is better to be without a tongue than without conscience. Having given up the truth, you will die in the soul: and what for does a dead man need a tongue?”
ENON XXIV
My Teacher said, “Some gourmand eats a lot of goat’s brains but does not become smarter, he only accumulates fat on his belly. And if he had adopted that, he would have become goat-minded. Do not think that you will become wiser from other people’s pleasant speeches. Look for the truth and sense in other people’s speeches, not pleasantness and amusement. And if empty speeches are pleasant to you, then, apparently, you are already a goat.”
ENON XXV
My Teacher said, “A snake is slithering with a little rustling, and the earth trembles from the steps of a ninmarak. And if one of them would not live, the other would not live either. And you, exhale after inhaling so that there is enough air for someone beyond the distant mountains to inhale.”
ENON XXVI
My Teacher said, “A person should not be born in vain. And if I teach you, and you learn from me, then both of us were not born in vain. You honored my mother’s womb by learning from me, and I honored your mother’s womb by teaching you. And we honored the womb of our distant foremothers with this, too.”
ENON XXVII
My Teacher said, “Someone drinks milk, enjoying and praising it, and then he will go and urinate with it. Do not do this to someone else’s wise word.”
ENON XXVIII
My Teacher said, “I saw two great cities with stone palaces decorated with silver and blue osma. And I am thinking about it – and I don’t know if I have seen something or not. You opened your heart to me, and I looked into it. And I am thinking about it – and I know that I have seen something.”
ENON XXIX
My Teacher said, “Some are ashamed of nakedness, but not ashamed of meanness. Isn’t he mad if he distinguishes a pebble under his feet, but does not see a mountain? I would have laughed at it if tears had not flowed.”
ENON XXX
My Teacher said, “A venomous spider is better than a worthless person. This spider does its job, but this man does not do his job, and for other people’s jobs it is a burden.”
ENON XXXI
My Teacher said, “Once one person sold another person for three cows and two sebs of grain. He thinks he got this person’s price: in fact, he got his price.”
ENON XXXII
My Teacher said, “There is no such thing as a carriage going through a forest. No matter how powerful or wealthy a person is riding in it, he will still have to get off and walk through the forest on foot. Walking through life, do not rely on power or wealth, for you are likely to stumble over them, but rely on the strength of your spirit.”
ENON XXXIII
My Teacher said, “A clever person will not take a hot piece of coal with his bare hand. But without taking it, he will not know either the heat of the fire or the pain. Many people think they are clever, although they know nothing. The price for such cleverness is a spit.”
ENON XXXIV
My Teacher said, “There are other lands and another sky above the sky. Invisible roots stretch to our land from them, and from our land – to them. This is how everything feeds on each other. Live in such a way as not to make their food bitter.”
ENON XXXV
My Teacher said, “Some boast of strength, others of wealth, and others of beauty. If this is indeed something to be proud of, then take a rhinoceros, put an expensive necklace on its snout, stick peacock feathers in its butt, and you will get a perfect creature.”
ENON XXXVI
My Teacher said, “There are no two people alike in everything. But the food for all is one, and the air they breathe is one, and the earth on which they walk is one, and the sun is one. Thus, one thing, if it is good, can produce a lot of different goods from itself. And if you choose something for yourself, then it is better to choose one, but good, than abundance, but with rottenness. From this abundance, you will have nothing left, and, above all, the house will stink – and from one good you will receive benefits in abundance.”
ENON XXXVII
My Teacher said, “It is not the body that cares about the soul, but the soul about the body. The strong one takes care of the fragile: after all, you cannot kill the soul; and the body, if it is not killed, will die by itself. But many defile their souls for the salvation of their bodies. Isn’t it madness to destroy the strong for the sake of saving the fragile? You will not do that.”
ENON XXXVIII
My Teacher said, “What is lameness to a bird? Let it save its wings.”
ENON XL
My Teacher said, “Here you have hurt your hand with a thorn and you groan in pain. And I tell you: enjoy. This pain is small, and it stems from carelessness. But someone gave you a dark look, and this is a real pain, is not ashamed to scream because of it.”
ENON XLI
My Teacher said, “Only those who have nothing to say will talk aimlessly. And a person has nothing to say if he does not want good for others”.
ENON XLII
My Teacher said, “When you are hungry, do something good first, and then eat. Do something: say a kind word to the person, or at least save a small bug from death. It is good to know that you deserve food when you eat”.
ENON XLIII
My Teacher said, “You are eating a pumpkin. Why do you eat it, and it doesn’t eat you? You’re lying if you say it’s because you’re better than it. In fact, it’s because it’s better than you.”
ENON XLIV
My Teacher said, “Some people think that the words of a Teacher are like music pleasing to the ear, which is good to enjoy; but if it is not there, then you can live without it. In reality, the words of a Teacher are like air. A child was born and took a breath for the first time – and he can no longer stop breathing. And those who can live without the words of a Teacher are miscarriages. Whether they are born of a human or a wild pig – it doesn’t matter.”
ENON XLV
My Teacher said, “I am teaching you, and I know that it is difficult for you. If it wasn’t difficult for you, I would not have taught you, but would have gone to uproot the forest”.
ENON XLVI
My Teacher said, “Look for a difficult task for yourself, and an easy one will turn up by itself. Others are looking for easier tasks; they should be measured by these tasks. Such a person will break wind – and he is happier than the one who built a house.”
ENON XLVII
My Teacher said, “Who has fear within, has death within as well. You don’t need fear, but alertness; and it does not live in feelings, but in the mind. From alertness comes cautiousness, and from fear – pettiness.”
ENON XLVIII
My Teacher said, “Whatever work you choose for yourself, death will stop everything. My work is such that death has no power over it. Therefore, I am immortal and you are mortal; and so, it will be until you learn my work. Until then, listen to the speeches of Eternity sitting before you.”
ENON XLIX
My Teacher said, “I can take a spear and kill you. If you do not wish to accept death at the hand of the Teacher, then by what right do you accept life from his hands?”
ENON L
My Teacher said, “Kindness is a grain, its seed is in everyone. There is not such an evil person who, at least in some way, is not kind. Therefore, although there is a road to evil, it is impossible to walk it forever.”
ENON LI
My Teacher said, “If you don’t love people, then what do you love? There is a lot around you that you can love; but if you do not love people, then you are not worthy of love for anything either.”
ENON LII
My Teacher said, “A miser is unhappy because he cannot hide himself in his storehouse. You give yourself to people; live for them. If you give yourself to people, then vices, coming to you, will not find you.”
ENON LIII
My Teacher said, “Do not pray to the gods; all the more, do not make offerings to them. They don’t need anything from you except that you are a true man.”
ENON LIV
My Teacher said, “Fire lives on while it is destroying a tree. Likewise, a person lives by his soul, while he is destroying evil in himself; but when he stops destroying – then there is neither warmth nor light from his soul.”
ENON LV
My Teacher said, “The darkness of people is working to build a city. They build it, but it still will not be eternal: the time will come and it will collapse. What is built temporarily is easier to build. And I am talking to you, and an eye cannot see that something is being built; but my work is hard. What is built in a person will never be destroyed, and will prevail death itself.”
ENON LVI
My Teacher said, “A valiant warrior is worthy of honor. But no matter how brave he was, he could not earn the highest honor during his lifetime. The crown of valiant deeds is a valiant death for a worthy cause; therefore, valor and death are sisters.”
ENON LVII
My Teacher said, “Rest is proper for the body, but not for the will. Will is like a shield: put it down and a spear will pierce you. One must distinguish between where there is rest and where there is death.”
ENON LVIII
My Teacher said, “Not everything is good that is beautiful. A wet frog glistens in the sun – but who would make a frog necklace? However, a frog can be eaten – and a beautiful, but evil or stupid person is not good enough even for that.”
ENON LIX
My Teacher said, “In reasoning, the word clings to the word, like threads in a cloth. I am telling you about one thing – and you don’t forget about it, and use it to reach another.”
ENON LX
My Teacher said, “The time will come and we will merge into one, and I will become you, and you will become me. So, tell me, which of us is teaching whom? This is what is happening now: both of us are taught by the one who is one in the future.”
ENON LXI
My Teacher said, “Joy is good; but a bad person also rejoices in bad things. So, remember that good in itself is not enough; good is genuinely good only when its cause is good and its goal is good”.
ENON LXII
My Teacher said, “A fool will die as a fool; but he will carry away his stupidity with him. A wicked person will die, but the grief he has brought will remain. Therefore, it is better to lose your mind than to commit even the smallest evil.”
ENON LXIII
My Teacher said, “There would be no enemies for us if people knew that we are invincible. What is the use of killing a body if the invisible entity does not die? It is not malice that makes them seek our death but ignorance.”
ENON LXIV
My Teacher said, “Why did you come to me and bring food? Am I a limgate and need to be pleased? You have come to take from me that I can give; and I didn’t ask you for anything. Although I don’t need food now, it’s not bad that you wanted to give it to me; it would be bad if I asked you for something, but you would not give.”
ENON LXV
My Teacher said, “Whoever thinks that it would be good to steal is a thief. Deeds are the fruits of desires; and what a person’s desires are, that is what he is.”
ENON LXVI
My Teacher said, “Here is an insignificant midge that bit me, and I killed it. Am I angry with it for the bite, or do I feel sorry for a drop of blood? You should know: some creatures drink blood, while others defend themselves against them. It was created in that way that some creatures drink blood, while others defend themselves against them. A cow wags its tail at them; and a man is allowed to defend himself from these bothers, like a cow.”
ENON LXVII
My Teacher said, “In some ways, a man is like an animal, in others, he is not. The ability to discern when he should be like an animal and when he should not – is a sign of genuine Wisdom.”
ENON LXVIII
My Teacher said, “Every tongue loves to feast. Someone loves the sweetness of fruits, someone – infusions of bitter herbs, someone – salt. But there is nothing better for a tongue than to say a good sermon to someone. Thank you for the treat.”
ENON LXIX
My Teacher said, “Learn to fight; but first learn to discern what is to be fought for and what is not. If you do not know how to distinguish this, but you know how to fight, then your art can be used for evil. If you know how to discern, but you don’t know how to fight, then your inability is like a paved road to evil.”
ENON LXX
My Teacher said, “If I am ready to fight to the death to save my life, then I will fight to the death in the name of my work, won’t I? Is my life more precious than my work? Work that is not dearer than life is not worth taking on.”
ENON LXXI
My Teacher said, “When was such a time when there was peace among people? There will be no peace under the sky until there is peace in souls. Weapons are demanded by the enmity of souls, not the enmity of bodies.”
ENON LXXII
My Teacher said, “The wind carries the scent of flowers that bloomed a thousand days of walking away. My nose does not feel this scent. So, is the wind to blame for the fact that they are not known to me? People do not know much of what is around them; they have no one else to blame but themselves.”
ENON LXXIII
My Teacher said: “The Teacher should not tell his apprentice: “Don’t look at this, for you don’t need it.” Ignorance of the indecent cannot save one from indecency; and therefore, this is not a real Teacher. The true Teacher will say: “Look at this, and remember: it is bad, or worthless, or not for you, and you do not need it.” And if the time hasn’t come for an apprentice to know yet whether due to his path or other reasons, the true Teacher will keep silent about it due to the oughtness.”
ENON LXXIV
My Teacher said, “The entrance to the dwelling is closed not because of what is outside, but because of what is inside. It is true about a man: if he fights, it is not because someone attacked, but because he has something to defend.”
ENON LXXV
My Teacher said, “Birds know the sky, but they still go down to the ground to drink. And when they die, they fall to the ground. It is the same with people: no matter what a person does, he needs to have an indestructible refuge in life and death. And what is more indestructible than the Truth?”
ENON LXXVI
My Teacher said, “The ethereal word is heavier than metal. It will pierce a man’s chest and destroy a stone dwelling. Therefore, anyone who knows how to say a word, should be careful not to turn his power into evil.”
ENON LXXVII
My Teacher said, “A child needs someone to guide him. But an adult needs a mentor too because a child is a child to be ignorant, while an adult must be knowledgeable. A child unknowingly will not commit a great evil – and an adult is capable of ruining empires. If an adult says, “Don’t teach me: I know well what is good and what is evil myself”, – then this is a drop of madness. If he says: “Teach me what is good”, – then this is a drop of Wisdom.”
ENON LXXVIII
My Teacher said, “It is not enough to know your strength: you need to know what exists apart from it. Maybe someone else would have enough strength to climb the rope to heaven – but there is nothing to tie it for.”
ENON LXXIX
My Teacher said, “Live so as not to burden others with your desires. If a very old woman takes it into her head to give birth, there is no harm in this desire, even though it is useless. But it’s bad for the one from whom she wants to have a child.”
ENON LXXX
My Teacher said, “Be like a cloud carrying rain within you. Does it think who deserves rain and who does not? Everyone wants to eat, and it irrigates the crops. Do good things in the same way.”
ENON LXXXI
My Teacher said, “If your house is burnt down, you can build another one; if your land was taken away, you can find more; it is the same in everything. Only a person cannot be replaced with another one of the same kind. Appreciate a person above all else; know how to sacrifice your belongings for him. And if you can’t, then you are worth less than an old hoe.”
ENON LXXXII
My Teacher said, “A rare custom is good. If everyone had the attitude he deserves, and not the customary one, the world would be different. A person who gives honor to an evil person if a custom requires so, lies, doesn’t he? And another person does not lie but simply does not know that there is a bad person in front of him, for he believes a custom more than his own eyes. Thus, a person knows a custom, but thinks that he knows a person.”
ENON LXXXIII
My Teacher said, “If you scratch yourself, or twaddle, or do something inappropriate in front of a Teacher, then do not be surprised if the Teacher spits in your eyes. After all, you stay beside him not to scratch yourself, but to learn. And if you stay beside him not to learn, then you will receive spit instead of sermons.”
ENON LXXXIV
My Teacher said, “Not knowing yourself is worse than not knowing something outside yourself. Remember that everything is you. Going to foreign lands, go not to get to know something foreign, but to get to know yourself.”
ENON LXXXV
My Teacher said, “A clever one rejoices not because he can do something, but because he can do something beneficial. After all, a rotten log can be milked – but will there be milk?”
ENON LXXXVI
My Teacher said, “The real adornment of a man is a virtue. A person is truly unhappy if he does not see a virtue in a virtuous person because he is deprived of the joy of contemplating great beauty.”
ENON LXXXVII
My Teacher said, “A person who does not know how to fight evil is the same as a mountain leopard running from a butting goat. What kind of leopard is this, and what kind of person is this? A frog deserves more respect than them.”
ENON LXXXVIII
My Teacher said, “The destiny of a man is so great that someone, having learned about it, will burst with pride, and another will go mad with fear. This is because they do not see further than themselves. Listen to me and remember: the destiny does not come from a man, but a man – from the destiny”.
ENON LXXXIX
My Teacher said, “Some are afraid of death, others are afraid of life. Do not be afraid of anything; but be careful not to harm anyone. A person’s life is worthy of regret, not when he feels bad, but when others feel bad because of him.”
ENON XC
My Teacher said, “One person enjoys virtue, another one is pleased with vice. Everyone does what he is worth. One person makes a flute for music, and another one will take what is under the tail of a pig for a flute.”
ENON XCI
My Teacher said, “A rhinoceros trampled down a field, but a man sits and cries, and cannot move from grief. The rhinoceros acted as it should as a rhinoceros; however, it is not proper for a man to bow down to grief. How can a man achieve happiness if he does not want to be stronger than grief? Isn’t it a shame when a raging rhino is superior to a man in its dignity?”
ENON XCII
My Teacher said, “When building a house, put stones at its foundation. If you start building it from the roof you won’t have a home. Likewise, in your apprenticeship, lay in the foundation from which everything else flows. Go from larger to smaller in it – and the structure will be strong.”
ENON XCIII
My Teacher said, “There are those who do not know that it is possible to live with dignity, those who do not believe that it is possible to live with dignity, those who do not know how to live with dignity, and those who do not want to live with dignity. Those who do not know that it is possible, need knowledge, for the path begins with it. Those who do not believe, need an example, for fire ignites from fire. Those who do not know how to live with dignity, need guidance – for you need to see where efforts should be made. Those who do not want to live with dignity, need conscience.”
ENON XCIV
My Teacher said, “A person wants to fly because the sky is in him. This sky aspires to the sky: it wants to merge with it as a river joins with a river.”
ENON XCV
My Teacher said, “I teach you, and you learn. And I am doing worthy work, and you; but you have the power to make my work unworthy. If you do not follow my sermons, it will turn out that I am talking in vain.”
ENON XCVI
My Teacher said, “A man is a conscious creature who can eat grains, fruits, and roots, and can kill a cow to eat it. Why should you be angry with a leopard, a creature that cannot think consciously and cannot eat anything but meat, when it kills a person to eat him? A man is very willing to take revenge on others for his actions.”
ENON XCVII
My Teacher said, “When I die, do not dishonor my life with your unworthy life. Live so that people, looking at you, will also see me – the way I was.”
ENON XCVIII
My Teacher said, “You do not live like others: therefore, they cannot be a measure of shame for you. For those who are accustomed to shameful acts, shame seems to be a virtue, and virtue – a shame. The measure of shame for you is your conscience, and its measure is the teaching in which I teach you.”
ENON XCIX
My Teacher said, “There is no point in arguing with a fool. There is more sense in a fight between two idlers drunk with tepiy.”
ENON C
My Teacher said, “There is no wrong in trading if you trade honestly. There is nothing wrong in military affairs if you fight for something worthy of a fight. There is no evil in power if the reigning is fair. But there is nothing worse than belittling the very notion of a human being by unworthy deeds”.
ENON CI
My Teacher said, “Who, for the sake of his pleasure, forced another to humiliate himself, humiliated himself twice against him. Whoever forced ten to humiliate themselves, should know that each of them has humiliated by one toom, and he has humiliated himself by twenty tooms.”
ENON CII
My Teacher said, “Once I was invited to a festival with my uncle. My mother told me to wear my best clothes so as not to show disrespect to my elder. I sent my best clothes to my uncle’s house, and I went to my Teacher in old clothes. It is better for a person to be where he is dear for what he is, and not embellished. The owner of the house invites a person for a visit not for the sake of this person, but his own sake; The Teacher, however, accepts an apprentice, not for his own sake, but his sake.”
ENON CIII
My Teacher said, “Do not hide from danger or offense in silence, do not hide within yourself. Remember that it is easier to bake a turtle in its shell.”
ENON CIV
My Teacher said, “You cannot improve a wicked person by forcibly keeping him from wicked deeds. What’s the use of holding a goat by the tail when it sees a female goat? You’re more likely to get tired of holding than it is of breaking free”.
ENON CV
My Teacher said, “What is carved into a stone can be erased; and what is carved into a heart only becomes deeper with time. Do not spare your heart: carve the image of goodness into it. If you don’t want to, then why do you need a heart?”
ENON CVI
My Teacher said, “Someone thinks how to teach his child good things. And first you should think about how not to teach him bad things.”
ENON CVII
My Teacher said, “A bird feels good in the sky, and a frog – on the ground. They do not do evil and live with dignity, each with its own. And if a frog began to reproach a bird with its narrow snout, and a bird began to reproach a frog with its bare skin, then they would degrade themselves, and would resemble people”.
ENON CVIII
My Teacher said, “In a drop of water is the depth of the ocean; in a pebble – the depth of the earth; in a leaf flying in the wind – the depth of the sky. And in the soul of a person is the depth of all these taken together.”
ENON CIX
My Teacher said, “There are small things that are not important; do not waste yourself on them – in this way you will take yourself away from important matters. Rather than sitting and thinking whether to buy a black goat or a white one, you should better go and help someone build a house. There are small important things; do not compromise on them, for a man is based on them. Isn’t it grief – to lie in small things for the sake of gain, and at the same time lose yourself?”
ENON CX
My Teacher said, “Why do you want to go into the house away from the heat? Or has the heat discouraged you from listening to the sermons? Or are you better than me, if I endure inconvenience, but you do not? I will take a stick and I will teach you with it if your ears do not hear in the heat.”
ENON CXI
My Teacher said, “A person can crush another person with a word. He can crush a beetle with his foot. But it is the easiest for him to crush himself with one unworthy deed.”
ENON CXII
My Teacher said, “A truly kind person will never be hardened in heart. Neither jealousy, nor offense, nor enmity will guide his hand. Kindness knows no difference between people.”
ENON CXIII
My Teacher said, “Here you are in front of me; but in reality, you are in front of many faithful people. We are all workers of great work, people of might. You are not alone, but among us; and if you do not see this, then it means that you have not learned anything.”
ENON CXIV
My Teacher said, “Having wealth is not the same as having benefited from it. One has ten cows, and the other has ten dogs: who has more?”
ENON CXV
My Teacher said, “You should always remember what you live for. If you forget just for a moment – you live this moment in vain.”
ENON CXVI
My Teacher said, “There are just rulers in the world: but there are few of them. Injustice comes from exalting oneself over others. A ruler is superior to others only in his rank; rank is given for power, and not for self-exaltation. Almost every person is ready to exalt himself above others – even the pettiest tramp. What will happen if you give him power?”
ENON CXVII
My Teacher said, “Joy is good, but it should not turn into complacency. You answered me well, but you rejoice as if you have made the whole village happy. Do you think that now your navel is shining like the sun? Come to your senses, little ant.”
ENON CXVIII
My Teacher said, “A good person should not fear a company of bad people. If his virtues are true, he will not lose them. Yes, there he has nothing to look for – but there is nothing to be afraid of. Let vice fear virtue.”
ENON CXIX
My Teacher said, “A master weaves, laying thread by thread, without gaps; good fabric appears. You should live all the moments of your life with the same dignity, laying them one by one so that there are no gaps.”
ENON CXX
My Teacher said, “Although the ocean merges with the sky far away, you cannot sail to the sky from it. No matter how far you sail, the ocean and the sky diverge, and there is a long way to go. Do not mistake visible for the real; you can’t walk leaning on visible. It happens that you strive forward, wishing to reach the sky, and you hit the rocks.”
ENON CXXII
My Teacher said, “If one person chews stones, and the other teaches people to do good, then the first has chosen a less insane thing for himself than the second. However, it is good for the first one to stop, and for the second – it is shameful.”
ENON CXXIII
My Teacher said, “Go and cut down a tree if you need it. But if you can do without it, then don’t touch it. It is the same with people: if necessary, then say a harsh word, revealing what should be revealed. If it is not necessary, then be silent. What is necessary and what is not necessary is not measured by the person, but by the voice of the truth: if it speaks – be its tongue.”
ENON CXXIV
My Teacher said, “On the day I took up my work, I merged my life and death into one. At any moment I am ready to die – for I must fight with death, but I must not run from it. I will die for my life’s work, for there can be no better death for me. And if my death does not give you strength, then it means that you were a bad apprentice.”
ENON CXXV
My Teacher said, “Everything that you have learned or understood is the beginning of thought. Thought should be like a thread: make it longer and merge with other thoughts. One must think in such a way that from the beginning of one thought he could go around the whole world and ascend to heaven. A person who does not know how to think like that is the same as blind and deaf.”
ENON CXXVI
My Teacher said, “For courage, nothing is needed but courage itself. It feeds on the strength of the spirit; and the strength of the spirit grows from a genuine desire to accomplish what is necessary.”
ENON CXXVII
My Teacher said, “All work is good if it is necessary. A person who says: “This work does not behoove me”, is not looking for the benefit of work, but for the exaltation of himself. Do not disdain any necessary work. And while working, think not about yourself, but about the fruits of your work.”
ENON CXXVIII
My Teacher said, “How can one believe in the purity of someone else’s soul when he is not pure in soul himself? And there are pure souls – and the world breathes with their purity.”
ENON CXXIX
My Teacher said, “There is no field more blessed than the soul of a person. Even the worst seed thrown on it can produce healing fruit.”
ENON CXXX
My Teacher said, “They talk about a person who has overcome all his vices. They say that he got rid of such a great burden, that he ascended to the sky without wings. When he came down to earth again, people began to offer him gifts in reverence – and he accepted these gifts. I should say: he returned from the sky insignificant – worse than he was before; and he will no longer ascend to the sky.”
ENON CXXXI
My Teacher said, “If you know how to do good, then you are a universal debtor. What can you expect from someone who can’t do anything? The one who knows how to do good must do it; if he does not, then he is worse than a thief, because he does not give others what he is obliged to give. Good requires completion; and since everyone deserves it, you are a universal debtor.”
ENON CXXXII
My Teacher said, “Some don’t like hunchbacks, some don’t like bald, some don’t like cross-eyed. Whoever has a flawed conscience judges others by their bodily flaws.”
ENON CXXXIII
My Teacher said, “If a crab didn’t have claws, it would not be a crab. If a battle was not to the death, it would not be a battle. If you were not what you are, how could you become what you should be?”
ENON CXXXIV
My Teacher said, “When one man’s house is on fire, the other gets light from the fire. Try to behave in such a way that your trouble would show the right path to others.”
ENON CXXXV
My Teacher said, “The one who considers stupidity a sensible thing is more stupid than the one who does something stupid. A stupid merchant will sell fish that is still swimming in the ocean; but the one who buys it from him is much more stupid.”
ENON CXXXVI
My Teacher said, “I teach you so that one day you will reach the limits of that world, for which our world under its sky – is like anmitza in a peel. But I am a simple person, and I do not know how to make miracles. In everything, one must proceed from a man as from the source and strive for the greatest goal. This is the right way because a man is meant for it.”
ENON CXXXVII
My Teacher said, “Freedom reveals to a person both what should be done and what should not be done. A man who rejoices that he can do something inappropriate does not understand the essence of freedom. It is understood by the one who rejoices that he will never do anything inappropriate, although he is free in his actions. Freedom should be the Teacher of conscience and will.”
ENON CXXXVIII
My Teacher said, “A murderer is not as bad as the one who teaches others evil things by his example. The first commits one or several villainies in the present, while the second one sows thousands of evil things in the future.”
ENON CXXXIX
My Teacher said, “No matter how wide your steps are, the distance from place to place is always the same. Following the proper path, do not try to overtake others. Each person has his own steps; and it is better to walk more slowly and more surely than to run and stumble.”
ENON CXL
My Teacher said, “You cannot lend your mind to anyone, and you cannot borrow your conscience. Better to be a conscientious fool than a clever scoundrel.”
ENON CXLI
My Teacher said, “You are doing the right thing that you are not looking for entertainment. The best entertainment is the joy of doing good things. It comes to a worthy person itself; yes, his whole life is adorned with this joy. Other entertainments, unless they have any benefit in themselves, are self-mockery.”
ENON CXLII
My Teacher said, “If someone is looking for your friendship, do not rush to rejoice. Some people want a friend to please them rather than let him do what he should do. They need a slave, not a friend; as their pride demands food. Always pay attention who is looking for your friendship. Isn’t he the one who needs a slave? It is flattering for him to have a good slave? If you become his friend but do not submit to his will, then he will denigrate you and become your enemy.”
ENON CXLIII
My Teacher said, “No monsters are emerging from the sea at night. But there are monsters that come out of a person every day if he neglects the sun of kindness.”
ENON CXLIV
My Teacher said, “Gossip is a stool of the mind. It is disgusting to make up gossips, and it is stupid to believe them. It is sorrowful to be the subject of gossips, especially malicious gossips; but a worthy person will not become worse from this.”
ENON CXLV
My Teacher said, “One day a frog met a rhinoceros and got pregnant. When it was time to give birth, it gave birth to a frog. And among people, some can process something great through themselves and turn it into something insignificant.”
ENON CXLVI
My Teacher said, “You don’t have to learn from me. Only your desire is a decree to you: if you want to learn – learn, and if you don’t want – don’t learn. And conscience is a decree to your desire.”
ENON CXLVII
My Teacher said, “A foolish person is looking for a sage to match his image. A sage is sitting on soft fur and stroking his belly; whatever he says, everything is considered wisdom. If you leave him in the forest or among enemies – he won’t honor worthy deeds as wisdom but the salvation of his life. Fear is a disguise breaker. Genuine wisdom will not change neither in fear nor in trouble.”
ENON CXLVIII
My Teacher said, “A man is afraid of death; few will appreciate the right to take their lives voluntarily. But tell a person that he does not have this right, and he will feel robbed. Even a blind man will see that in such a man pride is stronger than the desire to live and fear to die.”
ENON CXLIX
My Teacher said, “Loving a human body is like loving food: if you eat a goat, there will be more, and then more. Loving the soul of a person is like loving the sun: it is one, it is eternal, and it is light and warmth.”
ENON CL
My Teacher said, “There are gods around you, and you should be able to honor each of them. To honor them, there is no need to do something special: it is enough not to hurt them with obscene actions.”
ENON CLI
My Teacher said, “There is nothing like a slanderer. There is nothing in the world that could be compared to him in abomination; he is filth itself. Only another slanderer can be compared with him.”
ENON CLII
My Teacher said, “Don’t think that you can already be a Teacher. If you think so, I will drive you away from me. Until I say so, do not allow such a thought, – for how can you learn on your own if your gaze is turned to others? Help them with a word and a deed; but you still do not deserve that they entrust their lives to you as to a Teacher, for you still do not know how to manage your own life with dignity. You will only be able to teach when you can be as unshakable support for others as the earth is for your feet.”
ENON CLIII
My Teacher said, “Hitting fish with a harpoon is not an evil act if you want to eat. It will be villainy if you let the fish caught by you rot in vain.”
ENON CLIV
My Teacher said, “A disease has seized me, and I may die. Everyone wants to live; In my illness, I think not about the need to live, but about the need to teach you. A teacher lives for the sake of his apprentices.”
ENON CLV
My Teacher said, “Water always flows down; but it can also turn into snow on the top of the mountain, and snow does not flow down. This is how your heart should be: soft – when it is warm, hard – when it is cold, in severe winds. And the bitter adversity, the more indestructible it must be, otherwise, everything that you learn from me will be wasted.”
ENON CLVI
My Teacher said, “A man is like a tree: he has both roots and fruits. But if he does not put down roots in a good place, then where can good fruit come from? One bears fruit for people, and the other for worms.”
ENON CLVII
My Teacher said, “Weapon is the last thing to be afraid of. Whatever you take, it is stronger than it: a hurricane, and fire, and a man’s hand, and even an ethereal word. A bad person without a weapon is much more dangerous than an armed one. Do not be afraid of weapon; truly, it is more shameful than being afraid of a butterfly.”
ENON CLVIII
My Teacher said, “While doing something for yourself, think about those people from whom you have come, and those who will come from you. So, don’t do anything just for yourself – but always for them too.”
ENON CLIX
My Teacher said, “Why do you care if the food you eat is tasty or not? Were you born to please your mouth? Your womb does not care whether your mouth is enjoying exclusive meals or chewing millet, and your butt cares even less. And you do not need a mouth if you do not have a stomach. Do not raise the unimportant above the truly important; do not let the insignificant burden you.”
ENON CLX
My Teacher said, “It is better to be a dog than an unworthy person. A dog cannot be worse than itself – and a man can be worse than a dog.”
ENON CLXI
My Teacher said, “Why are you embarrassed, telling me about the deed you have done? What’s the use of being ashamed of it now? A deed is not committed by itself, but it is always committed by a person. Having not yet committed a deed, be ashamed of the desire to commit it; if you have committed it, don’t be ashamed of the deed, but yourself.”
ENON CLXII
My Teacher said, “Every desire has a source. Restrain bad desires; and at the same time look for their sources in yourself, to turn a bad source into a good one.”
ENON CLXIII
My Teacher said, “A person gets old, for everything that lives is supposed to grow old. There is nothing wrong or sad in this. The one who fears death should be afraid of getting old; but if a person is afraid of death, youth is not a joy to him either.”
ENON CLXIV
My Teacher said, “A fool can turn wisdom into foolishness. A house caught fire in one village; people tool the vessels and ran to the river for water to fight the fire. A local sage there came to the fire and said, “You should get rid of the cause of the trouble, and the trouble will pass. Rather than carrying water from the river, take the fire to the river and drown it.” And while people were thinking how to do it, the whole village burned down.”
ENON CLXV
My Teacher said, “Without water, the earth will not give birth to grain, without a stone you cannot grind it, and without fire, you cannot bake bread. Nothing happens without a combination of reasons. Without knowing the reasons and various details of their interweaving, there is no satiety nor Wisdom.”
ENON CLXVI
My Teacher said, “Everything can be taken from me, but the most precious thing cannot be taken away. Nothing is dearer to me than my work: and it cannot be taken away from me. I have support in it, and it is in me. Therefore, nothing is stronger than this unity; in comparison with it, two stones grew into each other, – are a fragile shell. I want you to be like that too.”
ENON CLXVII
My Teacher said, “A person who truly loves his child keeps himself pure for his sake. Such a person sees that you cannot teach a child well if you indulge in vices. And a person who does not see this is more stupid than stupidity itself; he can mistake a naked butt for something holy.”
ENON CLXVIII
My Teacher said, “A man was born: this is a great joy. But this is only half of the reason for the joy. Joy will be complete only when he dies, having lived his life with dignity.”
ENON CLXIX
My Teacher said, “An honest person lives as if all the spears of the world aimed at his chest. This is because he has many enemies, and they are all afraid of him. Yes, it is out of fear that they fenced themselves with iron spears. Thus, thousands of people are afraid of one honest person, for one truthful word hits the target better than a thousand spears.”
ENON CLXX
My Teacher said, “A man who left his home and went to foreign lands will not return, for another person will return in his place. And if he still returns the same, then it means that he left his mother’s womb in vain.”
ENON CLXXI
My Teacher said, “It is better to give a person undeserved honors by mistake than not to give him the honors he deserves. After all, if a person is good, then he is good, and your justice is more necessary for you than for him.”
ENON CLXXII
My Teacher said, “Why don’t you sing songs? Whether for joy or sorrow you sing, a song is a vessel in which there is a place for everything. Only in three cases, the song is inappropriate: when there is an agreement not to sing; when it hurts another person; and when it interferes with work.”
ENON CLXXIII
My Teacher said, “A greedy person would hide the sun in a pot if he got it. An envious person would kill the sun just because he is not shining. And if he shone, he would envy those who would admire him from the outside.”
ENON CLXXIV
My Teacher said, “A kind woman is a great treasure. Vile is he who offends her; but even worse is he who turns her into a bad woman.”
ENON CLXXV
My Teacher said, “Appreciate a person for what he is, not for how high-ranking he is. If a tramp is nobler in his heart than a ruler, then give him great honor. And do not be afraid of the wrath of the ruler, for the mercy of those in power gives less than it takes away. And whoever wants to please the ruler, let him order to roast himself like a piglet and to serve at a feast.”
ENON CLXXVI
My Teacher said, “A scientist looks at the stars, identifies stones, and thinks about the flow of rivers, but he does not know who he is. And he accepts the unnecessary and rejects the necessary, while still boasting with his mind. Meanwhile, fish in a fish pond is smarter than him.”
ENON CLXXVII
My Teacher said, “The earth always dries up, and it always needs rain. What will remain after the water is gone when the rain stopped? It went into the ground, and there is no more water; but fruits that have grown on this earth remain. People eat them and live; rain brings life. The souls of people always dry up without the moisture of the Truth; and people like us come and irrigate them, and bring life.”
ENON CLXXVIII
My Teacher said, “A fire burns in every person, and this fire can both make another person warm and burn him. Fools think that life is not enough for everyone, and they take it away from others, burning them. Others give life to people by warming them up; for them, intelligence and conscience are not just a gimmick.”
ENON CLXXIX
My Teacher said, “Why am I teaching you, if not for your work for the good of people? And this work can be different – and you should be ready for everything. If people even kill you, and this turns out to be beneficial for someone’s soul, then this is your work: and be ready for it. How can I teach you how to live and not teach you how to die?”
ENON CLXXX
My Teacher said, “It happens that vices make miracles. A man, possessed by immeasurable greed, will get wool even from fish.”
ENON CLXXXI
My Teacher said, “Rejoice if you have a skill that is useful to people. Even if you are good at popping pimples, be glad if this makes people feel better. Beware only of such a skill, which, while pleasing a body, cripples the soul.”
ENON CLXXXII
My Teacher said, “If I have to burn down my house to teach you something, I will burn it down. Learn how a Teacher should behave with his apprentices.”
ENON CLXXXIII
My Teacher said, “There is no better remedy for gluttony than hunger. The womb likes what it is accustomed to.”
ENON CLXXXIV
My Teacher said, “After death comes life. If you had not lived after death, you would not have lived now. If there is something so good that it would never end, then this is life. And that’s the way it is – for the worthy acquires the worthy. Woe to those who are afraid of death – for they live under false fear, and therefore do not know how to enjoy life as much as possible.”
ENON CLXXXV
My Teacher said, “There were times when there were no people, and there will be times when there will be no people. But their essence has always been, and it will always be. Live for the sake of the imperishable, and not for the sake of smoke-like flesh.”
ENON CLXXXVI
My Teacher said, “A greedy person should be born a monkey with hands on his feet. A bully should be born a rhinoceros, whose spear grows directly from the snout. A fool should be born a fish, from which no one expects intelligence. A man should be a man if he wants what is befitting of a man. And it befits him to live for the sake of the whole world.”
ENON CLXXXVII
My Teacher said, “You have entrusted yourself to me – but I do not own you. Can I own you if I want good for you more than for myself? As you entrusted yourself to me, so I entrusted myself to you. And if you still have to learn to die for me, then I was ready to die for you even before I knew you.”
ENON CLXXXVIII
My Teacher said, “It is not shameful to joke if a joke is not evil and not stupid. But don’t joke with the meaning of life.”
ENON CLXXXIX
My Teacher said, “A huge nation is bad in a way that it can do much more evil than a small nation. And it is good in a way that it can overcome such a great evil in itself.”
ENON CXC
My Teacher said, “The more you can, the more you have to do. It is less sad when a good person dies than when someone destroys good skills in himself. Study bearing this in mind.”
ENON CXCI
My Teacher said, “Although death is not what it seems to everyone, still do not wish death to anyone. Only the one who lost his mind because of anger will wish death to another person. What is more, everyone will die anyway. And if you wish for death, then wish for a worthy death – such as you would not be ashamed of to die. Such a wish is not a sign of hatred, but love; and I wish you such a death.”
ENON CXCII
My Teacher said, “If people could see beauty, they would be healed of every mental deformity. Whoever sees the beauty in a simple cobblestone will no longer be the same.”
ENON CXCIII
My Teacher said, “Rejoice, for you have something to be proud of. You belong to the great chain of those who know: rejoice and be proud. But beware of pride, for the moment it takes possession of you, you will be expelled from the bright chain.”
ENON CXCIV
My Teacher said, “People train dogs, they want them to understand a man, while they do not know how to understand him. Thus, they demand more from that beast than they demand from themselves. They deserve to be dogs of the dogs.”
ENON CXCV
My Teacher said, “Love is sharp-sighted. When you love, you see the slightest flaw in your beloved one; and for you, this slightest flaw is real grief. It wounds more deadly than a spear; and sorrow burns more intense than fire. And who does not see this, does not love; if he loves anyone, then only himself.”
ENON CXCVI
My Teacher said, “Fun is a flower of the soul. Let it smell sweet and not stink.”
ENON CXCVII
My Teacher said, “Learn from everything that you see. Each person has something to learn from, and a beast, and a stone, and fire. You should be able to look for the good in everything and learn this good. Learn to learn; otherwise, why do you need me? Be like a skillful master who will extract knowledge from anything in his craft.”
ENON CXCVIII
My Teacher said, “A person who is afraid of one thing is afraid of everything. Fear is worse than a beast of prey: a beast leaves at least bones, and fear devours a person entirely. A coward has no life – for he is afraid of it too. A decrepit old woman sneezes – and his heart sinks into his belly.”
ENON CXCIX
My Teacher said, “Teach your soul to be good – and teach diligently, not sparing yourself. Then it will teach you, and will not be lazy, and will not be mistaken.”
ENON CC
My Teacher said, “You were born to be a human being, not a vessel for abomination. Would the sun be the sun if it was given over to vices? Each person is like the sun and contains its power and blessing. This is what I teach you; and I would not teach the least, for the sun is the source of light.”
Translated by Amradkhari