November 19

A material evil committed by a human being may not return to him in this world, but the evil feeling evoked by the bad deed is sure to leave its mark on the human soul, and, one way or another, it will make him suffer.

1

The choice of the sinless consists in not causing unhappiness to others, even if doing so could bring him great profits.

The choice of the sinless consists in not harming those who have done him harm.

If a human being makes even those who hate him without a cause suffer, he will ultimately experience a never-ending sorrow.

The punishment for those who do evil consists in making them feel ashamed for their deeds by doing them a great good.

Learning is useless for the one who does not try to rid his neighbor of suffering as much as himself.

If a person wants to do evil to another in the morning, evil will visit him at nightfall.

— The Kural

2

Just as the seasons of the year assume by themselves the features that are characteristic of each season, so do the actions of all beings by themselves lead these beings into situations that are characteristic of them.

The one who was insulted can have a good night’s sleep and wake up happy and live in happiness, while the insulter perishes.

Let no one be angry, even if he is suffering, let him insult no one, neither in deed nor in thought, let him not utter a word that might offend another, because all this hinders the attainment of the good.

— Manusmriti

3

We must not run from this life just because it is accompanied by evil. Evil is our handiwork, the result of our ignorance of the true law. Our ignorance of the true law makes us unhappy in this life, and it will continue making us unhappy everywhere. Let us begin by ridding ourselves of our ignorance, and our misfortunes will come to an end by themselves.

— Lucy Mallory

4

An evil person does more harm to himself than to others.

— Augustine

5

A human being can avoid misfortunes sent down from heaven, but there is no escape from the misfortunes he brings upon himself.

— Eastern saying

6

There are people who deliberately put themselves in the gloomiest conditions of life in order to have a right to be gloomy. It is what they are wholly preoccupied with. These people’s chief pleasure and need consists in being able to throw their dark and stubborn activity into the face of any revitalization of life they come across. These people are very unhappy, but they must understand that they alone are to blame for their unhappiness.

7

The one who does not do good when he has the opportunity to do so will suffer.

— Saadi

8

Let every person become what he teaches others to be. The one who has conquered himself will conquer others. The most difficult thing of all is to conquer yourself.

Everyone can only rule himself. The evil done by one’s self, fostered by one’s self, ruins a human being as a diamond shatters a stone. When you do evil, you make yourself suffer, when you destroy evil, you purify yourself from it.

Let no one forget his duty just to please another, whoever he may be.

— The Dhammapada

No material good can compensate for the damage done to the soul by committing an evil deed.