Easily seen
are others' faults, hard indeed to see are one's own. Like chaff one winnows
others' faults, but one's own one hides, as a crafty fowler conceals himself
by camouflage.
Buddhism
Dhammapada 252-53
From the mind is one's character
derived; controlled by mind, made by mind. Mind is the source either of
bliss or of corruption. By oneself is evil done; by oneself one suffers;
by oneself is evil avoided; by oneself one is purified. Purity and impurity
belong to oneself, no one can purify another. You yourself must make the
effort..
Buddhism
The Dhammapada
Chapter 1
Why do you
look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention
to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Brother,
let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the
plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your
eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's
eye.
Christianity
Luke 6:41-42
When
you have gotten your own life straightened out, things will go well without
your giving orders. But if your own life isn't straightened out, even if
you give orders, no one will follow them.
Confusianism
Analects 13:6
One's own self conquered
is better than all other people; not even a god, a Gandharva, not Mara
with Brahman could change into defeat the victory of a man who has vanquished
himself, and always lives under restraint.
Hinduism
The Dhammapada
Chapter 8 verses
104-105
Translated by
F. Max Muller
A Hasidic rebbe by the name of Zusha
used to say,' When I die and come before the heavenly court, if they ask
me, 'Zusha, why were you not as great as Abraham?' I will not be
afraid. I will say that I was not born with Abraham's intellectual capabilities.
And if they ask me, 'Zusha why were you not like Moses?' I will say
that I did not have his leadership skills. But when they ask me 'Zusha
why were you not Zusha?' For that I will have no answer.
Judaism
'Jewish Wisdom' by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin,1994
They who quarrel
with others, instead of quarreling with their own hearts, waste their lives.
Sikhism
Sikh proverb
He who knows other men is discerning;
he who knows himself is intelligent.
Taoism
Tao Te Ching opening line of stanza
33
by Lao-Tzu
Sacred Books of the East, Vol.39 1981
J. Legge translation
