Great Throughts Treasury

"The greater cats with golden eyes stare out between the bars. Deserts are there, and the different skies, and night with different stars. They prowl the aromatic hill, and mate as fiercely as they kill, to roam, to live, to drink their fill; but this beyond their wit know I:" - Vita Sackville-West, fully The Hon Victoria Mary Sackville-West, Lady Nicolson

"Coincidence is a pimp and a cardsharper in ordinary fiction but a marvelous artist in the patterns of facts recollected by a non-ordinary memorist." - Vladimir Nabokov, fully Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov

"Here lies the sense of literary creation: to portray ordinary objects as they will be reflected in kindly mirrors of future times. . . . To find in objects around us the fragrant tenderness that only posterity will discern . . ." - Vladimir Nabokov, fully Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov

"I believe the poor fierce-eyed child had figured out that with a mere fifty dollars in her purse she might somehow reach Broadway or Hollywood - or the foul kitchen of a diner (Help Wanted) in a dismal ex-prairie state, with the wind blowing, and the stars blinking, and the cars, and the bars, and the barmen, and everything soiled, torn, dead." - Vladimir Nabokov, fully Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov

"It is easy for him and me to decipher now a past destiny; but a destiny in the making is, believe me, not one of those honest mystery stories where all you have to do is keep an eye on the clues." - Vladimir Nabokov, fully Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov

"Philistinism implies not only a collection of stock ideas but also the use of set phrases, clichés, banalities expressed in faded words. A true philistine has nothing but these trivial ideas of which he entirely consists." - Vladimir Nabokov, fully Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov

"This, to use an American term in which discovery, retribution, torture, death, eternity appear in the shape of a singularly repulsive nutshell, was it." - Vladimir Nabokov, fully Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov

"It is not sufficient that a few in society penetrate to the depths of living and offer fascinating accounts about the oneness of all beings. What is necessary in these critical times is that all sensitive and caring people make a personal discovery of the fact of oneness and allow compassion to flow in their lives. When compassion and realization of oneness becomes the dynamic of human relationship, then humankind will evolve." - Vimala Thakar

"Have you seen that portrait Gauguin did of me painting sunflowers? It was really I, but it's I gone mad." - Vincent van Gogh, fully Vincent Willem van Gogh

"Every secret of a writer’s soul, every experience of his life, every quality of his mind is written large in his works." - Virginia Woolf, nee Stephen, fully Adeline Virginia Woolf

"For pain words are lacking. There should be cries, cracks, fissures, whiteness passing over chintz covers, interference with the sense of time, of space ; the sense also of extreme fixity in passing objects ; and sounds very remote and then very close ; flesh being gashed and blood sparting, a joint suddenly twisted - beneath all of which appears something very important, yet remote, to be just held in solitude." - Virginia Woolf, nee Stephen, fully Adeline Virginia Woolf

"So fine was the morning except for a streak of wind here and there that the sea and sky looked all one fabric, as if sails were stuck high up in the sky, or the clouds had dropped down into the sea." - Virginia Woolf, nee Stephen, fully Adeline Virginia Woolf

"He was not willing for there to be any man on earth without a country." - Victor Hugo

"The point is not what we expect from life, but rather what life expects from us." - Viktor Frankl, fully Viktor Emil Frankl

"The way in which a man accepts his fate and all the suffering it entails, the way in which he takes up his cross, gives him ample opportunity--even under the most difficult circumstances--to add a deeper meaning to his life. It may remain brave, dignified and unselfish. Or in the bitter fight for self-preservation he may forget his human dignity and become no more than an animal. Here lies the chance for a man either to make use of or to forgo the opportunities of attaining the moral values that a difficult situation may afford him. And this decides whether he is worthy of his sufferings or not." - Viktor Frankl, fully Viktor Emil Frankl

"Anybody taking the above resolutions will naturally make efforts to fulfill them." - Atharva Veda, or Atharvaveda

"Bring hither by thy shouts, O lord of wealth, the suitor, bend his mind towards her; turn thou the right side of every agreeable suitor towards (her)." - Atharva Veda, or Atharvaveda

"Do not go about proclaiming that you are a sect, distinct and separate from those who adore God in other Forms and Names; thereby, you are limiting the very God whom you are extolling." - Atharva Veda, or Atharvaveda

"It is believed that the soul's attachment with the body remains until the dead-body is not destroyed completely." - Atharva Veda, or Atharvaveda

"There are three types of knowledge: Knowledge of matter-energy; knowledge of mental energy; and knowledge of cosmic energy." - Atharva Veda, or Atharvaveda

"By emulating learned ones can one attain wisdom necessary to discriminate between evil and good. These great souls have attained knowledge after great contemplation and hence their wisdom is unquestionable." - Yajur Veda, or Yajurveda

"Where there is separateness, one sees another, smells another, tastes another, speaks to another, hears another, touches another, thinks of another, knows another. But where there is unity, one without a second, that is the world of Brahman. This is the supreme goal of life, the supreme treasure, the supreme joy. Those who do not seek this Supreme goal live on but a fraction of this joy. - Brihadaranyaka Upanishad" - Upanishads or The Upanishads NULL

"A man does not make his destiny: he accepts it or denies it." - Ursula Le Guin, fully Ursula Kroeber Le Guin

"All human suffering concerns each human being." - Václav Havel

"I am referring to respect for the unique human being and his or her liberties and inalienable rights and to the principle that all power derives from the people. I am, in short, referring to the fundamental ideas of modern democracy." - Václav Havel

"I think that it is my duty today to remind you as well of the good things that have happened, accomplishments that a year ago we could scarcely have imagined." - Václav Havel

"Man is not an omipotent master of the universe, allowed to do with impunity whatever he thinks, or whatever suits him at the moment. The world we live in is made of an immensely complex and mysterious tissue about which we know very little and which we must treat with utmost humility." - Václav Havel

"Once Rama gives his word, that is final and it is kept at any cost. There is no question of repetition of the same a second time." - Valmiki NULL

"Every man who, when he is told off to work, does his duty, is considered very honorable. It is not the custom to keep slaves. For they are enough, and more than enough, for themselves. But with us, alas! it is not so." - Tommaso Campanella, baptized Giovanni Domenico Campanella

"I know that there are people who do not love their fellow man, and I hate people like that!" - Tom Lehrer, fully Thomas Andrew Lehrer

"Every one of us is endowed with great mercy and compassion." - Hung Tzu-ch'eng, also Hong Zicheng or Hóng Zìchéng, born Hong Yingming

"But O how slick and weasel-like is self-pride! Our learnedness creeps into our sermons with a clever quotation which adds nothing to God's glory, but a bit to our own. Our cleverness in business competition earns as much self-flattery as does the possession of the money itself. Our desire to be known and approved by others, to have heads nod approvingly about us behind our backs, and flattering murmurs which we can occasionally overhear, confirm the discernment in Alfred Adler's elevation of the superiority motive. Our status as "weighty Friends" gives us secret pleasures which we scarcely own to ourselves, yet thrive upon. Yes, even pride in our own humility is one of the devil's own tricks. But humility rests upon a holy blindedness, like the blindedness of him who looks steadily into the sun. For wherever he turns his eyes on earth, there he sees only the sun. The God-blinded soul sees naught of self, naught of personal degradation or of personal eminence, but only the Holy Will working impersonally through him, through others, as one objective Life and Power. But what trinkets we have sought after in life, the pursuit of what petty trifles has wasted our years as we have ministered to the enhancement of our own little selves! And what needless anguishes we have suffered because our little selves were defeated, were not flattered, were not cozened and petted! But the blinding God blots out this self and gives humility and true self-hood as wholly full of Him. For as He gives obedience so He graciously gives to us what measure of humility we will accept. Even that is not our own, but His who also gives us obedience. But the humility of the God-blinded soul endures only so long as we look steadily at the Sun. Growth in humility is a measure of our growth in the habit of the Godward-directed mind. And he only is near to God who is exceedingly humble. The last depths of holy and voluntary poverty are not in financial poverty, important as that is; they are in poverty of spirit, in meekness and lowliness of soul." - Thomas R. Kelly, fully Thomas Raymond Kelly

"The deepest need of men is not food and clothing and shelter, important as they are. It is God. We have mistaken the nature of poverty, and thought it was economic poverty. No, it is poverty of soul, deprivation of God's recreating, loving peace. Peer into poverty and see if we are really getting down to the deepest needs, in our economic salvation schemes. These are important. But they lie farther along the road, secondary steps toward world reconstruction. The primary step is a holy life, transformed and radiant in the glory of God." - Thomas R. Kelly, fully Thomas Raymond Kelly

"There is an experience of the love of God which, when it comes upon us, and enfolds us, and bathes us, and warms us, is so utterly new that we can hardly identify it with the old phrase, God is love. Can this be the love of God, this burning, tender, wooing, wounding pain of love that pierces the marrow of my bones and burns out old loves and ambitions - God experienced is a vast surprise." - Thomas R. Kelly, fully Thomas Raymond Kelly

"We have mistaken the nature of poverty, and thought it was economic poverty. No, it is poverty of soul, deprivation of God's recreating, loving peace." - Thomas R. Kelly, fully Thomas Raymond Kelly

"You know how impossible it is, in short, to have a free nation if it is a military nation and under military orders" - Woodrow Wilson, fully Thomas Woodrow Wilson

"Loud dress becomes offensive to people of taste, as evincing an undue desire to reach and impress the untrained sensibilities of the vulgar." - Thorstein Veblen, fully Thorstein Bunde Veblen, born Torsten Bunde Veblen

"Ah me! it is hard to feign the joys one does not feel, hard to feign mirth when one’s heart is sad." - Tibullus, fully Albius Tibullus NULL

"By indulging this fretful temper you alienate those on whose affection much of your comfort depends." - Hugh Blair

"Ah, poor our sex! This fault in us I find, the error of our eye directs our mind. What error leads must err; O then conclude, minds swayed by eyes are full of turpitude. The History of Troilus and Cressida (Cressida at V, ii)" - William Shakespeare

"Although The air of paradise did fan the house, and angels offic'd all; I will be gone." - William Shakespeare

"And will 'a not come again? And will 'a not come again? No, no, he is dead, go to thy death bed: he will never come again. Hamlet, Act iv, Scene 5" - William Shakespeare

"Be patient, for the world is broad and wide." - William Shakespeare

"But come, I'll tell thee all my whole device When I am in my coach, which stays for us At the park gate; and therefore haste away, For we must measure twenty miles to-day. The Merchant of Venice (Portia at III, iv)" - William Shakespeare

"But that I am forbid To tell the secrets of my prison house, I could a tale unfold whose lightest word Would harrow up thy soul, freeze thy young blood, Make thy two eyes like stars start from their spheres, Thy knotted and combined locks to part, And each particular hair to stand on end Like quills upon the fretful porpentine. Hamlet Prince of Denmark (Ghost at I, v)" - William Shakespeare

"What good is it if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? " - Bible or The Bible or Holy Bible NULL

"While complying can be an effective strategy for physical survival, it's a lousy one for personal fulfillment. Living a satisfying life requires more than simply meeting the demands of those in control. Yet in our offices and our classrooms we have way too much compliance and way too little engagement. The former might get you through the day, but only the latter will get you through the night." - Dan Pink, fully Daniel H. Pink

"Education is the organization of acquired habits of conduct and tendencies to behavior ." - William James

"As the health and strength or weakness of our bodies is very much owing to their methods of treating us when we were young, so the soundness or folly of our minds is not less owing to those first tempers and ways of thinking which we eagerly received from the love, tenderness, authority, and constant conversation of our mothers." - William Law

"There is no wrath that stands between God and us, but what is awakened in the dark fire of our own fallen nature; and to quench this wrath, and not His own, God gave His only begotten Son to be made man. God has no more wrath in Himself now than He had before the creation, when He had only Himself to love... And it was solely to quench this wrath, awakened in the human soul, that the blood of the Son of God was necessary; because nothing but a life and birth, derived from Him into the human soul, could change this darkened root of a self-tormenting fire into an amiable image of the Holy Trinity as it was at first created." - William Law