Selections from "The Pathway of Life" by Leo Tolstoy (vegetarian): Volume 2 – Effort, Part 1 of 2

In addition to his renowned epic novels, Leo Tolstoy wrote essays and letters that conveyed the spiritual truths he came to realize in life. Along with adopting and promoting the vegetarian diet, he became deeply interested in spirituality and living by the ethical teachings of Christ. Supreme Master Ching Hai spoke about the uplifting nature of Leo Tolstoy’s work during a group meditation session with our Association members in July 1997, in Los Angeles, USA. “Because Tolstoy was a practitioner. That's why when you read his stories, most stories are about spiritual things, about God, and very happy and very positive. It's very good to read him, to read his books. You try. If you haven't, you try. You can read more. Such thing is very good for you.”

Effort “Sins, errors and superstitions obstruct a man's soul and hide it from himself. In order to reveal his soul to himself, man must make an effort of consciousness, and therefore in such efforts of consciousness is the principal task of a man's life.” “‘The Kingdom of God is taken by effort.’ ‘The Kingdom of God is within you.’ These two sayings of the Gospel signify that only by effort of the consciousness within himself can man overcome the sins, errors and superstitions which would retard the coming of the Kingdom of God.” “True strength is not in being able to tie a steel rod into a knot, nor in possessing boundless wealth, nor yet in ruling over millions of people — true strength is in having mastery over self.”

“I am an instrument with which God performs His work. My true happiness is to share in this work. I can share in this work only by those efforts of my consciousness which I make so as to keep in good order, clean, sharp and accurate the divine tool that has been entrusted to me — myself, my soul.” “We imagine that real work must have something to do with things visible: building houses, plowing fields, and that work on our soul, being something invisible, is of no importance, is something that we can do or let alone; whereas every other kind of work is trifling, save the work on your own soul, the work of daily growth in spirit and in love. This is the only true work, and all other work is useful only as long as this chief work of life is performed.”