Eastern wisdomВосточная мудрость
10 passagesотрывков: 10
Each date opens its day beside the list, with these passages marked.Каждая дата открывает свой день рядом со списком, где отрывки этого автора отмечены.
3. Когда услышишь, как люди говорят о порочности других людей, не разделяй их удовольствия. Когда услышишь о дурных делах людей, не дослушивай до конца и старайся забыть то, что услышал. Слушая же разговоры о добродетели людей, запоминай и рассказывай.
Делай так, и скоро ты так привыкнешь к этому, что когда услышишь о зле людей, то это будет для тебя так же больно, как если бы бранили тебя самого, и, когда сорвется у тебя с языка злое слово о ближнем, тебе будет это так же больно, как если бы ты сам ударил себя.
3. When you hear people talk of the depravity of others, do not share their pleasure. When you hear of people’s bad deeds, do not listen to the end, and try to forget what you have heard. But when you listen to talk of people’s virtue, remember it and tell it to others.
Do this, and you will soon grow so used to it that when you hear of the evil in people, it will hurt you as much as if you yourself were being reviled, and when a spiteful word about your neighbor slips from your tongue, it will hurt you as much as if you had struck yourself.
From Moncure D. Conway, The Sacred Anthology · reworded by Tolstoy (more).
What changedAdds “do not listen to the end, and try to forget what you have heard,” and a closing lesson: a spiteful word about one’s neighbor hurts “as if you had struck yourself.”
From an Eastern language’s own wordsOn hearing persons talk of man's wickedness, par take not their pleasure.
On hearing men speak of the virtues of mankind, approve, follow, and rejoice therein.
On hearing of the wickedness of mankind, let it be to you as thorns penetrating the back.
Then the heart will never cease thinking thereon, and the feet never cease walking in the right path.
Source text: archive.orgDetails
The words shown were found, word for word, in the saved source text. Moncure D. Conway, The Sacred Anthology (London, Trübner, 1874), no. CCCCXXXI 'Mankind', Conway p. 284; margin 'Chinese', with an author's name read by the scan as 'Kang-Tsze Chow'.
Built on three of Conway's sentences: 'on hearing persons talk of man's wickedness, partake not their pleasure'; 'on hearing men speak of the virtues of mankind, approve, follow, and rejoice therein' (Tolstoy: 'remember it and tell it'); and 'on hearing of the wickedness of mankind, let it be to you as thorns penetrating the back', which becomes the promise that hearing of evil will hurt 'as if you yourself were abused'. Tolstoy adds 'do not listen to the end and try to forget it' and the last clause (an evil word about a neighbour will hurt like striking yourself); he drops slander and flattery, the rejoicing over good men and good principles, and the garland of flowers. Conway's source is marked only 'Chinese' with a name the scan garbles; it was not identified.
8. Истинно могуч тот, кто побеждает самого себя.
8. Truly mighty is he who conquers himself.
Probably from Daodejing · shortened by Tolstoy (more).
What Tolstoy read · Paul Carus, Lao-Tze's Tao-Teh-KingOne who conquers others is powerful, but one who conquers himself is mighty.
Source text: archive.orgIn English · James Legge, 1891He who overcomes others is strong; he who overcomes himself is mighty.
Source text: gutenberg.orgTolstoy’s own version · Мысли мудрых людей на каждый деньПобеждающий других силен, побеждающий самого себя могуществен.
Source text: tolstoy.ruDetails
A likely source, not certain. Daodejing, ch. 33.
Probably Lao-Tzu, ch. 33, in Carus's English: 'one who conquers himself is mighty' («могуч»), without the first half, 'one who conquers others is powerful'. Thoughts of Wise Men (1903), 26 November, has the whole couplet signed Лао-Тсе. The thought is also Dhammapada 103 (3-29.3, the same day) and Pirkei Avot 4:1 ('Who is mighty? He who controls his passions', Gorfinkle); and «Восточная мудрость» is the title of T. Tolstaya's anthology (Posrednik, 1903), in the Jubilee list of the Circle's sources and not available. The source is not certain.
9. Ученый, ничего не производящий, подобен туче, не дающей дождя.
9. A learned man who produces nothing is like a cloud that gives no rain.
Source not found yet (more).
Not found yet.
No source found for 'a scholar who produces nothing is like a cloud that gives no rain'. The image is an Arabic and Persian commonplace: Saadi has 'a learned man without works is a bee without honey' (Gulistan VIII; Conway p. 128), and al-Maraghi's commentary on the Qur'an (on Arabic Wikisource) quotes Ibn al-Muqaffa' that words without deeds are 'a cloud without rain'; neither has this wording. T. Tolstaya's «Восточная мудрость» (Посредник, 1903), in the Jubilee source list, is the likely Russian intermediary for the unsigned Eastern sayings; no online copy was found.
Searched: Thoughts of Wise Men (1903) (Jubilee vol. 40); Conway's Sacred Anthology (the sections on knowledge and learning); the Gulistan in Gladwin's and in James Ross's English; d'Herbelot; Palmer's Oriental Mysticism; Southgate (both); Arabic Wikisource for the phrases 'cloud without rain' and 'scholar without deeds'.
1. Умные люди учатся для того, чтобы знать; ничтожные — для того, чтобы их знали.
1. Intelligent people study in order to know; petty people — in order to be known.
Probably from Analects · reworded by Tolstoy (more).
Not in Leo Tolstoy as EditorConfucius is only a candidate: Analects XIV.25 sets learning for oneself against learning for others, but its pair is the ancients and the men of today, and no source with Tolstoy’s wording was found.
What Tolstoy read · Les Quatre Livres de philosophie morale et politique de la ChineDans l'antiquité, ceux qui se livraient à l'étude le faisaient pour eux-mêmes; maintenant, ceux qui se livrent à l'étude le font pour les autres [pour paraître instruits aux yeux des autres]
Source text: gutenberg.orgIn English · James Legge, 1861In ancient times, men learned with a view to their own improvement. Now-a-days, men learn with a view to the approbation of others.
Source text: gutenberg.orgDetails
A likely source, not certain. Analects, XIV.25 (Xian Wen).
Probable only. The thought is that of Analects XIV.25, 'the ancients learned for themselves, men today learn for others', which Pauthier glosses 'pour paraître instruits aux yeux des autres' (to seem learned in others' eyes), close to Tolstoy's «чтобы их знали» (so as to be known). Tolstoy's pair is a different one: «умные» and «ничтожные» (the wise and the worthless) in place of the ancients and the moderns, and «чтобы знать» (to know) in place of 'for themselves'. The preceding saying, XIV.24, contrasts the superior man and the mean man, which may lie behind the wise and the worthless. No source with Tolstoy's wording was found. If this is the source, «Восточная мудрость» is Confucius. T. Tolstaya's «Восточная мудрость» (1903), not online, may be the intermediary.
Searched: Thoughts of Wise Men (1903) (Jubilee vol. 40; the saying is not there); Conway's Sacred Anthology; Pauthier's French Four Books; Legge's Analects; Southgate (both), Coit, Tileston.
Translation note. The Russian italic is broken only at the dash and the comma; it is set here as one span.
5. То, что ты отдал, — твое, а то, что ты удержал, — потерянное.
5. What you have given away is yours; what you have kept back is lost.
Source not found yet (more).
Related · Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Zuhd wa-l-Raqaiqيقول العبد مالي مالي إنما له من ماله ثلاث ما أكل فأفنى أو لبس فأبلى أو أعطى فاقتنى وما سوى ذلك فهو ذاهب وتاركه للناس
Source text: ar.wikisource.orgTolstoy’s own version · Путь жизниТо, что ты отдал, то твое, а то, что ты удержал, то чужое.
Source text: tolstoy.ruDetails
Not found yet.
«То, что ты отдал, — твое, а то, что ты удержал, — потерянное» (what you gave is yours, and what you kept is lost). No source in these words was found. The nearest Eastern text found is the hadith in Sahih Muslim (no. 2959): 'the servant says, "my wealth, my wealth"; of his wealth only three things are his: what he ate and used up, what he wore and wore out, or what he gave and so laid up; all besides goes, and he leaves it to others.' The same thought is in the English epitaph 'That we gave, we have; that we left, we lost' and in Martial (V.42), so the saying cannot be placed from its sense alone. Tolstoy used it again in Путь жизни (1910), unsigned, with «то чужое» (is another's) in place of «потерянное» (lost) and two sentences of his own after it.
Searched: Conway's Sacred Anthology (1874); Thoughts of Wise Men (1903) and the Jubilee commentary (vols. 40-42); Matthews's Mishkat (1809-1810); Jubilee vols. 39, 43, and 45; web searches for 'what thou givest is thine … what thou keepest is lost' and variants.
5. Для того, чтобы прокормиться, одеться и иметь жилище, нужно очень немного; остальное же приобретается для того, чтобы приспособиться к чужим вкусам или чтобы затмить других.
5. Very little is needed to feed oneself, to clothe oneself, and to have a dwelling; the rest is acquired in order to fit in with other people’s tastes or to outshine others.
Source not found yet (more).
Not found yet.
«Для того, чтобы прокормиться, одеться и иметь жилище, нужно очень немного; остальное же приобретается для того, чтобы приспособиться к чужим вкусам или чтобы затмить других» (to feed, clothe, and house oneself needs very little; the rest is acquired to suit the tastes of others or to outshine them). No source was found. The day's theme is the simplicity of what is truly useful.
Searched: Conway's Sacred Anthology (1874; its chapters on wealth and contentment); Thoughts of Wise Men (1903) and the Jubilee commentary (vols. 40-42); Jubilee vols. 39, 43, and 45; Southgate, Coit, Tileston, and the saved issues of The World's Advance-Thought; web searches for 'food, clothing and shelter … very little … the rest … to outshine others' and variants.
3. Победить самого себя — это лучшее средство для того, чтобы не быть побежденным. Обуздать самого себя — это лучшее средство для того, чтобы не иметь над собой господина.
3. To conquer yourself is the best means of not being conquered. To bridle yourself is the best means of having no master over you.
Source not found yet (more).
Not found yet.
«Победить самого себя — это лучшее средство для того, чтобы не быть побежденным. Обуздать самого себя — это лучшее средство для того, чтобы не иметь над собой господина» (to conquer oneself is the best means of not being conquered; to curb oneself is the best means of having no master over oneself). No source in these words was found. The thought of self-conquest is common to the Dhammapada (vv. 103-104, which the Circle gives elsewhere in another form), Lao-Tzu (ch. 33), and Proverbs 16:32, but none of them has the two-part turn of this saying, 'so as not to be conquered' and 'so as to have no master'.
Searched: Thoughts of Wise Men (1903), its commentary and source list, and the Jubilee vols. 39-43 and 45 (Path of Life); Conway's Sacred Anthology (1874); Pauthier's Four Books; Julien's Lao-Tzu; Gerasimov's and Max Müller's Dhammapada; Southgate (1862), Tileston, Coit, Arnold's and Wilkins's Hitopadesa, Gladwin's Gulistan, Boiste, and Moralistes anciens (saved texts); web searches in English for the saying ('conquer thyself … not to be conquered', 'have no master').
4. Человеческий разум — это божественный светильник, свет от которого проникает в самую глубь вещей.
4. Human reason is a divine lamp whose light penetrates into the very depths of things.
Probably from Proverbs · reworded by Tolstoy (more).
Not in Leo Tolstoy as EditorNo source in these words was found; the nearest is Proverbs 20:27, “The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly,” so the source is only a candidate.
In English · King James Version, 1611The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.
Source text: gutenberg.orgAnother translation · Книга Притчей СоломоновыхСветильник Господень — дух человека, испытывающий все глубины сердца.
Source text: ru.wikisource.orgDetails
A likely source, not certain. Proverbs (Mishlei), 20:27.
«Человеческий разум — это божественный светильник, свет от которого проникает в самую глубь вещей» (human reason is a divine lamp whose light penetrates into the very depth of things), printed in italics. No source in these words was found. The nearest text is Proverbs 20:27, 'the soul (neshamah) of man is the lamp of the LORD, searching all the chambers of the belly' (Synodal: «Светильник Господень — дух человека, испытывающий все глубины сердца»; KJV: 'The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly'). If this is the source, 'spirit' becomes «разум» (reason), 'the lamp of the LORD' «божественный светильник» (a divine lamp), and 'searching all the inward parts' «проникает в самую глубь вещей» (penetrates into the very depth of things): the verse's look inward becomes reason's look into the world. December traced another Circle entry, signed «Талмуд», to the first half of the same verse (12-14.2). The link is probable at most, so no correction is offered.
Searched: Thoughts of Wise Men (1903) and the Jubilee vols. 39-43 and 45; Conway's Sacred Anthology (1874), which has only 'Man's best candle is his understanding' among its Old English proverbs; Mivhar ha-Peninim in Ascher's English (1859, Sefaria); a web search for the Russian wording.
3. Искусен тот, кто знает людей; но истинно просвещен тот, кто знает самого себя.
Кто знает самого себя — тот познает бога.
3. He is skillful who knows people; but he is truly enlightened who knows himself.
He who knows himself comes to know God.
From Tao Te Ching · joined by Tolstoy from several places (more).
What Tolstoy read · Lao-Tze's Tao-Teh-KingOne who knows others is clever, but one who knows himself is enlightened.
Source text: archive.orgIn English · James Legge, 1891He who knows other men is discerning; he who knows himself is intelligent.
Source text: gutenberg.orgTolstoy’s own version · Изречения китайского мудреца Лао-ТзеКто знает других, тот умен.
Кто знает самого себя, тот просвещен.
Source text: tolstoy.ruDetails
The words shown were found, word for word, in the saved source text. Tao Te Ching, ch. 33 (the first sentence).
Two sayings joined. The first is Tao Te Ching 33, close to Carus's English, which Tolstoy used for Lao-Tzu (Jubilee vol. 40 commentary): 'One who knows others is clever, but one who knows himself is enlightened' becomes «Искусен тот, кто знает людей; но истинно просвещен тот, кто знает самого себя» (skilled is he who knows people, but truly enlightened is he who knows himself); «истинно» (truly) is Tolstoy's. The Chinese 知人者智，自知者明 sets 'wise' against 'clear-sighted'. The second line, «Кто знает самого себя — тот познает бога» (whoever knows himself comes to know God), is the saying known in Arabic as man ʿarafa nafsahu faqad ʿarafa rabbahu, 'he who knows himself knows his Lord', ascribed to Muhammad or to ʿAli in Sufi writings; the text Tolstoy took it from was not found, and neither line is in Conway's Sacred Anthology or Thoughts of Wise Men (1903). Tolstoy's list of sources includes T. Tolstaya's «Восточная мудрость» (Posrednik, 1903), not online. His later Lao-Tzu (1910) and the Path of Life give the first saying alone.
Translation note. The Russian italic is broken only at the comma in the first line and at the dash in the second; each line is set here as one span.
5. Много есть людей, ставящих себя учителями других, тогда как им самим надо только начинать учиться.
5. There are many men who set themselves up as teachers of others, when they themselves need only to begin learning.
Probably from Mencius · reworded by Tolstoy (more).
Not in Leo Tolstoy as EditorMencius is only a candidate; the saying matches in sense, and its second half may come from another source.
What Tolstoy read · G. Pauthier, Confucius et Mencius: Les quatre livres de philosophie morale et politique …23. MENG-TSEU dit: Un des grands défauts des hommes est d'aimer à être les chefs des autres hommes.
Source text: gutenberg.orgDetails
A likely source, not certain. Mencius, IV.A.23.
Mencius: 'the trouble with men is that they like to be teachers of others' (Pauthier: 'to be the chiefs of others'). Tolstoy's version adds 'while they themselves need only begin to learn'; the match is in sense only and the added half may come from another saying. T. Tolstaya, «Восточная мудрость» (Посредник, 1903), in the Jubilee source list, is the likely Russian intermediary for the unsigned Eastern sayings; no online copy was found.