24Decemberдекабря · 24-е декабря
С детства начинается рост духовной и уменьшение телесной силы. Как два конуса, обращенные вершинами к основаниям, равномерно уменьшается телесная сила и растет сила духовная.
From childhood there begins the growth of spiritual strength and the lessening of bodily strength. As in two cones, each with its apex turned to the other’s base, bodily strength lessens and spiritual strength grows at an even rate.
1. Гармоничный рост как в природе, так и в человеке всегда совершается в молчании, в тишине; шумно бывает только всё разрушительное, порочное и грубое.
Однако немногие понимают необходимость жизни в тиши и молчании для истинного духовного роста и развития. Большею частью люди живут в суете и сумятице и скучают, когда им приходится оставаться одним.
Только в тишине уединения может человек найти могущественную силу жизни и роста. Это самое говорил Христос словами: «Когда же молишься, войди в клеть твою»... Мир страшно нуждается в этом молчаливом росте для осуществления мира. Его отвлекают от истинного духовного роста тысячи голосов, сулящих ему спасение в виде разных новых учений, которые будто бы могут спасти его.
Нам нужно больше быть в тишине, и голос молчания сообщит нам ту истину, которая освободит нас.
1. Harmonious growth, in nature as in man, always takes place in silence, in stillness; only what is destructive, vicious, and coarse is noisy.
Yet few understand how necessary a life of stillness and silence is for true spiritual growth and development. For the most part people live in bustle and turmoil, and are bored when they have to be alone.
Only in the stillness of solitude can a man find the mighty power of life and growth. Christ said this very thing in the words: “But when you pray, go into your inner room”... The world is in dire need of this silent growth for peace to be realized. It is drawn away from true spiritual growth by thousands of voices that promise it salvation in the form of various new teachings, which supposedly can save it.
We need to be more in stillness, and the voice of silence will tell us the truth that will make us free.
From "Voice of the Silence", signed Lucy A. Mallory, The World's Advance-Thought and the Univ… · shortened by Tolstoy .
Lucy Mallory’s own wordsVOICE OF THE SILENCE.
Harmonious growth is ever silent, both in man and in nature. That which is destructive, vicious and crude is always noisy.
But few comprehend the necessity of entering into the silence of their beings for real spiritual growth and unfoldment. People, generally, live in a hurly burly and commotion, and are never so unhappy as when they are compelled to be alone.
The opportunity to seek the Almighty Power of Life and Growth can, therefore, be had only in the quiet of one's own chamber. This is what the Christ meant when he said, "when thou prayest, enter into thy closet." The world sadly needs this silent growth for the power of Peace to manifest. People are distracted from real spiritual growth by a million voices proclaiming salvation for the race by some new discovery that claims to be the only way.
We need to dwell more in the silence. The voice of the silence will give us the Truth that makes free.--Lucy A. Mallory.
Source text: iapsop.comDetails
The words shown were found, word for word, in the saved source text. "Voice of the Silence", signed Lucy A. Mallory, The World's Advance-Thought and the Universal Republic (Portland, Oregon), vol. XI, no. 4, June-July 1897, After the verses from Demorest's Magazine; signed "--Lucy A. Mallory".
Shortened, close in what it keeps. Tolstoy leaves out the opening ("Speech is silver; silence is golden"), the passage on the babble of society and the loud-voiced prayers in church, and "People do not remain silent long enough to hear the voice of the spirit of Peace and Harmony". "Never so unhappy as when they are compelled to be alone" becomes "are bored when they have to be alone"; "the quiet of one's own chamber" becomes "the silence of solitude"; "a million voices" become "thousands of voices". The title is Blavatsky's (The Voice of the Silence, 1889). The volume (1897) is not on archive.org; the text is from the IAPSOP scan.
Translation note. Matthew 6:6; the KJV has “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet”. Russian «мир» is both “world” and “peace”, and the line plays on the two.
2. Просвещенный человек постоянно возвышается в разуме и проницательности; непросвещенный же человек постоянно опускается в невежество и порок.
2. The enlightened man rises continually in reason and insight; but the unenlightened man sinks continually into ignorance and vice.
From Analects · close to the original .
What Tolstoy read · G. Pauthier, Les quatre livres24. Le Philosophe dit: L'homme supérieur s'élève continuellement en intelligence et en pénétration; l'homme sans mérites descend continuellement dans l'ignorance et le vice.
Source text: gutenberg.orgIn English · James Legge, 1861The Master said, 'The progress of the superior man is upwards; the progress of the mean man is downwards.'
Source text: gutenberg.orgTolstoy’s own version · «Мысли мудрых людей на каждый день»Мудрый человек постоянно возвышается в разуме и проницательности, ничтожный же человек постоянно опускается в невежество и порок.
Source text: tolstoy.ruDetails
The words shown were found, word for word, in the saved source text. Analects (Lunyu), XIV.24 (Legge XIV.xxiv; Pauthier XIV.24).
Word for word Pauthier's French ('s'élève continuellement en intelligence et en pénétration ... descend continuellement dans l'ignorance et le vice'), which expands the Chinese six characters ('the junzi goes up, the small man goes down'). Tolstoy has 'the enlightened man' and 'the unenlightened' for 'l'homme supérieur' and 'l'homme sans mérites' (in 1903: 'the wise man', 'the worthless man'). In 1903 he signed it 'Chinese wisdom (Lun Yu)', so it is Confucius himself.
3. Чем старше становятся люди, живущие духовною жизнью, тем больше расширяется их умственный кругозор, тем более яснеет их сознание; люди же, живущие мирской жизнью, с годами тупеют всё больше и больше.
3. The older those who live a spiritual life become, the wider their mental horizon grows and the clearer their consciousness becomes; but those who live a worldly life grow duller and duller with the years.
From Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat · reworded by Tolstoy .
What changed“Disciples of the wise” become “those who live a spiritual life.”
Original · Aramaicתלמידי חכמים כל זמן שמזקינין חכמה נתוספת בהם
ועמי הארץ כל זמן שמזקינין טפשות נתוספת בהן
Source text: sefaria.orgIn English · S. H. Glick, En Jacob (Ein Yaakov), 1916 (via Sefaria), 1916The older the disciples of the wise grow, the more wisdom they acquire; …
As to the ignorant, the older they grow, the more foolish they become; …
Source text: sefaria.orgRelated · Mishnah, ed. Romm, Vilna 1913זקני עם הארץ. כל זמן שמזקינין. דעתן מיטרפת עליהן.
אבל זקני תורה אינן כן. אלא כל זמן שמזקינין. דעתן מתישבת עליהן.
Source text: sefaria.orgTolstoy’s own version · «Мысли мудрых людей на каждый день»Чем старше становятся люди, живущие духовной жизнью, тем больше расширяется их умственный кругозор, тем более яснеет их сознание; невежды же с годами тупеют еще больше.
Source text: tolstoy.ruDetails
The words shown were found, word for word, in the saved source text. Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat, 152a (baraita); Mishnah Kinnim 3:6 (R. Simeon b. Akashya).
'Disciples of the sages, the older they grow, the more wisdom is added to them; the ignorant (am ha-arets), the older they grow, the more folly is added.' Tolstoy turns Torah scholars into 'people living a spiritual life' and, in the Circle, the ignorant into 'people living a worldly life' (1903: 'the ignorant'); 'their consciousness grows clearer' is closer to the Mishnah's 'their mind grows more settled' (Kinnim 3:6). The proof texts from Job 12 are dropped.
4. Надо постареть, чтобы стать добрее; я не встречаю никогда ошибки, которой я уже не сделал бы.
4. One must grow old to become kinder; I never come across a mistake that I might not already have made myself.
From Maximen und Reflexionen · close to the original .
Original · GermanMan darf nur alt werden, um milder zu ſein; ich ſehe keinen Fehler begehen, den ich nicht auch begangen haͤtte.
Source text: archive.orgIn English · T. Bailey Saunders, 1893One need only grow old to become gentler in one's judgments. I see no fault committed which I could not have committed myself.
Source text: gutenberg.orgDetails
The words shown were found, word for word, in the saved source text. Maximen und Reflexionen (the maxims of the section "Ethisches"), in Goethes Sprüche in Prosa, ed. H. Krüger-Westend (Leipzig, Insel, 1908), Sprüche in Prosa (1908), in the run that begins "Das Wahre ist eine Fackel"; Bailey Saunders, Life and Character II, no. 124.
Faithful: "one need only grow old to become milder; I see no fault committed that I too would not have committed". Tolstoy makes "milder" "kinder" and "I see" "I never meet".
5. Созревание души дороже, чем блеск и избыток сил, и вечное в нас должно воспользоваться тем разрушением, которое производит в нас время.
5. The ripening of the soul is more precious than brilliance and abundance of strength, and the eternal in us must make use of the destruction that time works in us.
From Fragments d'un journal intime · close to the original .
Original · FrenchLa maturation de l'âme vaut mieux que l'éclat des facultés et que l'abondance des forces, et l'éternel en nous doit profiter de tous les ravages que fait le temps.
Source text: archive.orgIn English · Mrs. Humphry Ward, 1885The maturity of the soul is worth more than the first brilliance of its faculties, or the plentitude of its strength, and the eternal in us can but profit from all the ravages made by time.
Source text: gutenberg.orgDetails
The words shown were found, word for word, in the saved source text. Fragments d'un journal intime, Journal, 5 mai 1860; Ward's translation, May 5, 1860.
Word for word, from the entry on growing old ('to grow old is harder than to die'); «l'éclat des facultés» is shortened to «блеск».
6. Рост физический это только приготовление запасов для работы духовной, служения богу и людям, которое начинается при увядании тела.
6. Physical growth is only the laying up of stores for spiritual work, for the service of God and people, which begins as the body withers.
7. Всё в мире растет, цветет и возвращается к своему корню. Возвращение к своему корню означает успокоение, согласное с природой. Согласное с природой означает вечное; поэтому разрушение тела не заключает в себе никакой опасности.
7. Everything in the world grows, blossoms, and returns to its root. Returning to one’s root means a rest that accords with nature. What accords with nature means what is eternal; therefore the destruction of the body holds no danger.
From Tao Te Ching · shortened by Tolstoy .
What Tolstoy read · Paul Carus, Lao-Tze's Tao-Teh-King, Chinese-EnglishNow they bloom in bloom, but each one homeward returneth to its root.
Returning to the root means rest. It signifies the return according to destiny. Return according to destiny means the eternal.
Thus the decay of the body implies no danger.
Source text: archive.orgIn English · James Legge, 1891When things (in the vegetable world) have displayed their luxuriant growth, we see each of them return to its root. This returning to their root is what we call the state of stillness; and that stillness may be called a reporting that they have fulfilled their appointed end.
Possessed of the Tao, he endures long; and to the end of his bodily life, is exempt from all danger of decay.
Source text: gutenberg.orgDetails
The words shown were found, word for word, in the saved source text. Tao Te Ching, ch. 16.
Word for word the same as December 7 (12-7.6): ch. 16 by way of Carus, condensed. Tolstoy printed the thought twice in the month.
8. Растите духовно и помогайте расти другим. В этом вся жизнь.
8. Grow spiritually and help others to grow. In this is the whole of life.
Ужасно положение того, кто не сознает в себе духовной жизни и ее роста. Была одна телесная жизнь — и та неудержимо уничтожается и вот-вот исчезнет.
Сознай свою духовную сущность, живи ею, и вместо отчаяния ты узнаешь ничем ненарушимую и всё увеличивающуюся радость.
Terrible is the plight of those who are not conscious of the spiritual life within them and of its growth. They had only the bodily life — and even that is being irresistibly destroyed and will vanish at any moment.
Become conscious of your spiritual essence, live by it, and instead of despair you will know a joy that nothing can disturb and that grows ever greater.
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