Leo Tolstoy
Circle of Reading
Translated by Dmitry Fadeyev

October 9

The one who has moved the consciousness of his life into his spiritual self cannot suffer evil in life or in death.

1

The material form in which the awakening of our consciousness to true life finds us in this world is something like a boundary that limits our spiritual being.

The material is the boundary of the soul. True life is a gradual destruction of this boundary, ending in complete destruction, complete liberation—in death. Such an understanding of life gives a human being total tranquility in life and in death.

2

Wherever your fate carries you, your nature, your soul, the focal point of life, freedom and strength, is always with you as long as it stays true to the laws of its existence. There is no external good or greatness that would make it worth it for a human being to disrupt his unity with his soul, to dissolve his union with it, to undermine the integrity of his soul by an inner discord within himself.

Tell me, what would you buy at the price of such a sacrifice?

— Marcus Aurelius

3

The human being is at times tormented, at times overjoyed by the terrible contrast between something infinitely great and omnipotent, which he senses within himself, and something narrow and weak, which he also senses within himself.

4

That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Do not marvel that I said to you, “You must be born anew.”

The wind blows where it wants to, and you hear its sound, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.

— John 3:6–8

5

There are many reasons why the souls of good people seem to me to be divine and eternal, but the main reason is that the souls of the best and wisest move into a future state as though all of their thoughts were focused on eternity.

— Cicero

6

Only an active, moral, spiritual, deep and religious consciousness gives life all its dignity and vigor. It makes one invulnerable and invincible. The earth can only be conquered in the name of heaven. Besides, all the blessings go to the one who seeks only wisdom. It is only when you are wholly selfless that you become more powerful than everything, and the world is at the feet of the one who cannot be seduced. Why? Because the soul reigns over the material, and the world belongs to God. “Take heart,” said the heavenly voice, “I have conquered the world.”

God, give strength to the weak who desire the good!

— Amiel

7

There is a Highest Reason, superior to all the minds of humanity. He is both far and near. He is above all the worlds while simultaneously permeating everything in existence.

A human being who can see that everything exist within the Highest Spirit, and that the Highest Spirit permeates every being, cannot hold any being in contempt.

For the one for whom all spiritual beings are one with the Highest One, there is no room for delusion or sadness.

Those who only perform rites exist in a thick darkness, but those who indulge in fruitless reasonings about the Highest Reason exist in even deeper darkness.

— The Upanishads

8

God attracts those who want to ascend up to him. And so it is not surprising that the human being strives towards God. God is moving towards people, entering people. There is not a single soul that can be good without God.

— Seneca


The consciousness of your spirituality is salvation from everything. Evil cannot touch a human being conscious of his spirituality, no matter what happens to him.