Start the practice of self-control with some penance; begin with fasting.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of self-discipline and making sacrifices to achieve personal growth.
Mahavira suggests that self-control is fundamental to personal development and that practicing self-discipline can begin with simple acts of sacrifice, such as fasting. This approach not only helps in overcoming desires but also paves the way for deeper introspection and spiritual advancement.
In practice
In a wellness seminar, one might quote Mahavira to encourage participants to embrace fasting as a way to practice self-control.
If one undertakes retrospection of the day's events, one must do it regularly at the appointed hour, not fitfully, not doing it today, neglecting to do it tomorrow and the day after and then taking it up again on the fourth day. Such irregular practice is not conducive to the confirmation of the habit of retrospection.
If you want to cultivate a habit, do it without any reservation, till it is firmly established. Until it is so confirmed, until it becomes a part of your character, let there be no exception, no relaxation of effort.
Attachment and aversion are the root cause of karma, and karma originates from infatuation. Karma is the root cause of birth and death, and these are said to be the source of misery. None can escape the effect of their own past karma.
Anger begets more anger, and forgiveness and love lead to more forgiveness and love.
Modes are infinite, and laws are infinite.
Eating constitutes the greatest obstacle to self-control; it gives rise to indolence.
We can know only that we know nothing. And that is the highest degree of human wisdom.
How you think about a problem is more important than the problem itself. So always think positively.
Rereading A.J. Liebling carries me happily back to an age when all good journalists knew they had plenty to be modest about, and were.
All that I did," she said, "everything I tried to do. All for nothing." Nothing is done entirely for nothing, said the fox of dreams. Nothing is wasted. You are older, and you have made decisions, and you are not the fox you were yesterday. Take what you have learned, and move on.
Patience doesn't mean making a pact with the devil of denial, ignoring our emotions and aspirations. It means being wholeheartedly engaged in the process that's unfolding, rather than ripping open a budding flower or demanding a caterpillar hurry up and get that chrysalis stage over with.
They criticize me for harping on the obvious; if all the folks in the United States would do the few simple things they know they ought to do, most of our big problems would take care of themselves.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.