Jaspers' top "philosophers"? (simplistic or profound or......?)
Elizabeth Hubbell
Hannah Arendt (I believe?) assembled in a separate volume those four
sections of Jaspers' exhaustive philosophers survey that dealt,
specifically, with the four "philosophers" Jaspers felt were arguably
the most pioneering, the most ethically rigorous and the most globally
influential: Buddha, Confucius, Socrates, Jesus (in chronological order).
All I've done here, to stimulate thoughtful discussion hopefully, is
assembled four primary texts that may come closest to representing each
"philosopher"'s authentic voice, according to the latest findings of
modern scholarship.
For Buddha, approximately half of the Pali Digha-Nikaya collection of
longer sermons is now reckoned as the earliest stratum of Buddha
material we have. In that earliest stratum of roughly fifteen Suttas
(called Sutras in the less authentic Sanskrit), we have probably the
earliest extant exposition of Buddha's fundamental concept of the Four
Noble Truths: Digha Nikaya 22
Maha-satipatthana Sutta
The Great Frames of Reference. The Four Noble Truths concept is
expounded in Section 5 of this Sutta, and I've extracted that below.
For Confucius, the Analects is now judged the earliest source of direct
anecdotal material, and Chapters 3 through 9 have been generally judged
the earliest stratum in the Analects. More recently, though, Chapters 4
through 8 have been isolated as particularly close to Confucius' own
time with each chapter from 4 to 8 being slightly later than the one
preceding. So I've extracted a readout of Chapter 4 below.
The general consensus appears to be that Plato used Socrates more and
more, the older he became, as a mere mouthpiece for his own ideas in his
later Dialogues. But his earliest Dialogues are generally judged as
reasonably honest attempts by a highly retentive mind to reproduce
Socrates' own thoughts, particularly the Euthyphro, the Apology and the
Crito. The Apology represents Socrates Defense at his trial before
being executed. I have extracted, from that, nos. 28b - 32a dealing
with Socrates' exposition of what he conceives to be his mission.
The most recent scholarly consensus on the Gospels concerning Jesus
Christ is that the so-called Synoptic Gospels, Mark, Matthew and Luke,
come from a slightly earlier stratum than the Gospel of John (this in
spite of the rather startling finding of a scrap of John from early in
the second century C.E., the earliest physical scrap of Gospel text now
extant). Key parallel sayings in both Matthew and Luke are now taken as
reflective of a very early "sayings" Gospel (labeled Q for
"Quelle"/source and now lost), while Mark is taken to be the earliest
extant Gospel. I have extracted a couple of anecdotes from Mark, and a
few parallel sayings more or less reflective of those anecdotes from the
presumed Q tradition in Matthew/Luke (using the Luke text, generally
taken as the more careful transmission).
Admittedly, these extracts are based on general speculation, but the
scholarship they reflect has been rigorously sifted by many through a
long gestation period of well over a century in one or two instances,
and it may be unlikely we will get any closer than this in, admittedly,
a mere approximation of what these figures ultimately said.
For "Equal Time"<G>, I have tried to make each extract roughly the same
in length, and I hope that each extract is short enough to enable the
reader to grasp the general gist of where each "philosopher" is "coming
from" at one sitting (each of the four sections comes to approximately
four printed pages apiece).
Having all four ranged alongside each other in this way, are there any
immediate reflections others here may care to share? Reading these
varied thoughts from all four one after the other, do users here find
them unduly simplistic? extremely profound? unclear and/or muddled?
There may be a myriad of responses. Who knows?
Anyway, it seemed an intriguing exercise, IMO, and so I offer these, FWIW.
I've simply used translations that are in the public domain, all
copy/pasted from the Internet.
Cheers,
G. Riggs
======================================
Siddhartha Gautama Buddha
Digha Nikaya 22
Maha-satipatthana Sutta
The Great Frames of Reference
Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
[5] "Furthermore, the monk remains focused on mental qualities in & of
themselves with reference to the four noble truths. And how does he
remain focused on mental qualities in & of themselves with reference to
the four noble truths? There is the case where he discerns, as it is
actually present, that 'This is stress... This is the origination of
stress... This is the cessation of stress... This is the way leading to
the cessation of stress.'
[a] "Now what is the noble truth of stress? Birth is stressful, aging is
stressful, death is stressful; sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, &
despair are stressful; association with the unbeloved is stressful;
separation from the loved is stressful; not getting what is wanted is
stressful. In short, the five clinging-aggregates are stressful.
"And what is birth? Whatever birth, taking birth, descent, coming-to-be,
coming-forth, appearance of aggregates, & acquisition of [sense] spheres
of the various beings in this or that group of beings, that is called
birth.
"And what is aging? Whatever aging, decrepitude, brokenness, graying,
wrinkling, decline of life-force, weakening of the faculties of the
various beings in this or that group of beings, that is called aging.
"And what is death? Whatever deceasing, passing away, breaking up,
disappearance, dying, death, completion of time, break up of the
aggregates, casting off of the body, interruption in the life faculty of
the various beings in this or that group of beings, that is called death.
"And what is sorrow? Whatever sorrow, sorrowing, sadness, inward sorrow,
inward sadness of anyone suffering from misfortune, touched by a painful
thing, that is called sorrow.
"And what is lamentation? Whatever crying, grieving, lamenting, weeping,
wailing, lamentation of anyone suffering from misfortune, touched by a
painful thing, that is called lamentation.
"And what is pain? Whatever is experienced as bodily pain, bodily
discomfort, pain or discomfort born of bodily contact, that is called pain.
"And what is distress? Whatever is experienced as mental pain, mental
discomfort, pain or discomfort born of mental contact, that is called
distress.
"And what is despair? Whatever despair, despondency, desperation of
anyone suffering from misfortune, touched by a painful thing, that is
called despair.
"And what is the stress of association with the unbeloved? There is the
case where undesirable, unpleasing, unattractive sights, sounds, aromas,
flavors, or tactile sensations occur to one; or one has connection,
contact, relationship, interaction with those who wish one ill, who wish
for one's harm, who wish for one's discomfort, who wish one no security
from the yoke. This is called the stress of association with the unbeloved.
"And what is the stress of separation from the loved? There is the case
where desirable, pleasing, attractive sights, sounds, aromas, flavors,
or tactile sensations do not occur to one; or one has no connection, no
contact, no relationship, no interaction with those who wish one well,
who wish for one's benefit, who wish for one's comfort, who wish one
security from the yoke, nor with one's mother, father, brother, sister,
friends, companions, or relatives. This is called the stress of
separation from the loved.
"And what is the stress of not getting what is wanted? In beings subject
to birth, the wish arises, 'O, may we not be subject to birth, and may
birth not come to us.' But this is not to be achieved by wishing. This
is the stress of not getting what one wants. In beings subject to
aging... illness... death... sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, &
despair, the wish arises, 'O, may we not be subject to aging...
illness... death... sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair, and
may aging... illness... death... sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, &
despair not come to us.' But this is not to be achieved by wishing. This
is the stress of not getting what is wanted.
"And what are the five clinging-aggregates that, in short, are stress?
Form as a clinging-aggregate, feeling as a clinging-aggregate,
perception as a clinging-aggregate, fabrications as a
clinging-aggregate, consciousness as a clinging-aggregate: These are
called the five clinging-aggregates that, in short, are stress.
"This is called the noble truth of stress.
[b] "And what is the noble truth of the origination of stress? The
craving that makes for further becoming -- accompanied by passion &
delight, relishing now here & now there -- i.e., craving for sensuality,
craving for becoming, craving for non-becoming.
"And where does this craving, when arising, arise? And where, when
dwelling, does it dwell? Whatever is endearing & alluring in terms of
the world: that is where this craving, when arising, arises. That is
where, when dwelling, it dwells.
"And what is endearing & alluring in terms of the world? The eye is
endearing & alluring in terms of the world. That is where this craving,
when arising, arises. That is where, when dwelling, it dwells.
"The ear... The nose... The tongue... The body... The intellect...
"Forms... Sounds... Smells... Tastes... Tactile sensations... Ideas...
"Eye-consciousness... Ear-consciousness... Nose-consciousness...
Tongue-consciousness... Body-consciousness... Intellect-consciousness...
"Eye-contact... Ear-contact... Nose-contact... Tongue-contact...
Body-contact... Intellect-contact...
"Feeling born of eye-contact... Feeling born of ear-contact... Feeling
born of nose-contact... Feeling born of tongue-contact... Feeling born
of body-contact... Feeling born of intellect-contact...
"Perception of forms... Perception of sounds... Perception of smells...
Perception of tastes... Perception of tactile sensations... Perception
of ideas...
"Intention for forms... Intention for sounds... Intention for smells...
Intention for tastes... Intention for tactile sensations... Intention
for ideas...
"Craving for forms... Craving for sounds... Craving for smells...
Craving for tastes... Craving for tactile sensations... Craving for
ideas...
"Thought directed at forms... Thought directed at sounds... Thought
directed at smells... Thought directed at tastes... Thought directed at
tactile sensations... Thought directed at ideas...
"Evaluation of forms... Evaluation of sounds... Evaluation of smells...
Evaluation of tastes... Evaluation of tactile sensations... Evaluation
of ideas is endearing & alluring in terms of the world. That is where
this craving, when arising, arises. That is where, when dwelling, it
dwells.
"This is called the noble truth of the origination of stress.
[c] "And what is the noble truth of the cessation of stress? The
remainderless fading & cessation, renunciation, relinquishment, release,
& letting go of that very craving.
"And where, when being abandoned, is this craving abandoned? And where,
when ceasing, does it cease? Whatever is endearing & alluring in terms
of the world: that is where, when being abandoned, this craving is
abandoned. That is where, when ceasing, it ceases.
"And what is endearing & alluring in terms of the world? The eye is
endearing & alluring in terms of the world. That is where, when being
abandoned, this craving is abandoned. That is where, when ceasing, it
ceases.
"The ear... The nose... The tongue... The body... The intellect...
"Forms... Sounds... Smells... Tastes... Tactile sensations... Ideas...
"Eye-consciousness... Ear-consciousness... Nose-consciousness...
Tongue-consciousness... Body-consciousness... Intellect-consciousness...
"Eye-contact... Ear-contact... Nose-contact... Tongue-contact...
Body-contact... Intellect-contact...
"Feeling born of eye-contact... Feeling born of ear-contact... Feeling
born of nose-contact... Feeling born of tongue-contact... Feeling born
of body-contact... Feeling born of intellect-contact...
"Perception of forms... Perception of sounds... Perception of smells...
Perception of tastes... Perception of tactile sensations... Perception
of ideas...
"Intention for forms... Intention for sounds... Intention for smells...
Intention for tastes... Intention for tactile sensations... Intention
for ideas...
"Craving for forms... Craving for sounds... Craving for smells...
Craving for tastes... Craving for tactile sensations... Craving for
ideas...
"Thought directed at forms... Thought directed at sounds... Thought
directed at smells... Thought directed at tastes... Thought directed at
tactile sensations... Thought directed at ideas...
"Evaluation of forms... Evaluation of sounds... Evaluation of smells...
Evaluation of tastes... Evaluation of tactile sensations... Evaluation
of ideas is endearing & alluring in terms of the world. That is where,
when being abandoned, this craving is abandoned. That is where, when
ceasing, it ceases.
"This is called the noble truth of the cessation of stress.
[d] "And what is the noble truth of the path of practice leading to the
cessation of stress? Just this very noble eightfold path: right view,
right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right
effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.
"And what is right view? Knowledge with regard to stress, knowledge with
regard to the origination of stress, knowledge with regard to the
cessation of stress, knowledge with regard to the way of practice
leading to the cessation of stress: This is called right view.
"And what is right resolve? Aspiring to renunciation, to freedom from
ill will, to harmlessness: This is called right resolve.
"And what is right speech? Abstaining from lying, from divisive speech,
from abusive speech, & from idle chatter: This is called right speech.
"And what is right action? Abstaining from taking life, from stealing, &
from illicit sex. This is called right action.
"And what is right livelihood? There is the case where a disciple of the
noble ones, having abandoned dishonest livelihood, keeps his life going
with right livelihood: This is called right livelihood.
"And what is right effort? There is the case where a monk generates
desire, endeavors, arouses persistence, upholds & exerts his intent for
the sake of the non-arising of evil, unskillful qualities that have not
yet arisen... for the sake of the abandoning of evil, unskillful
qualities that have arisen... for the sake of the arising of skillful
qualities that have not yet arisen... (and) for the maintenance,
non-confusion, increase, plenitude, development, & culmination of
skillful qualities that have arisen: This is called right effort.
"And what is right mindfulness? There is the case where a monk remains
focused on the body in & of itself -- ardent, alert, & mindful --
putting aside greed & distress with reference to the world. He remains
focused on feelings in & of themselves... the mind in & of itself...
mental qualities in & of themselves -- ardent, alert, & mindful --
putting aside greed & distress with reference to the world. This is
called right mindfulness.
"And what is right concentration? There is the case where a monk --
quite withdrawn from sensuality, withdrawn from unskillful (mental)
qualities -- enters & remains in the first jhana: rapture & pleasure
born from withdrawal, accompanied by directed thought & evaluation. With
the stilling of directed thought & evaluation, he enters & remains in
the second jhana: rapture & pleasure born of composure, unification of
awareness free from directed thought & evaluation -- internal assurance.
With the fading of rapture he remains in equanimity, mindful & alert,
physically sensitive of pleasure. He enters & remains in the third
jhana, of which the Noble Ones declare, 'Equanimous & mindful, he has a
pleasurable abiding.' With the abandoning of pleasure & pain -- as with
the earlier disappearance of elation & distress -- he enters & remains
in the fourth jhana: purity of equanimity & mindfulness, neither
pleasure nor pain. This is called right concentration.
"This is called the noble truth of the path of practice leading to the
cessation of stress.
"In this way he remains focused internally on mental qualities in & of
themselves, or externally on mental qualities in & of themselves, or
both internally & externally on mental qualities in & of themselves. Or
he remains focused on the phenomenon of origination with regard to
mental qualities, on the phenomenon of passing away with regard to
mental qualities, or on the phenomenon of origination & passing away
with regard to mental qualities. Or his mindfulness that 'There are
mental qualities' is maintained to the extent of knowledge &
remembrance. And he remains independent, unsustained by (not clinging
to) anything in the world. This is how a monk remains focused on mental
qualities in & of themselves with reference to the four noble truths...
======================================
The Analects of Confucius [Kung-fut-ze]
Translated by Charles Muller
First translated during the summer of 1990.
4:1 Confucius said: "As for a neighborhood, it is its humaneness that
makes it beautiful. If you choose to live in a place that lacks
humaneness, how can you grow in wisdom?"
4:2 Confucius said: "If you lack humaneness you can't handle long
periods of difficulty or long periods of comfortability. humane men are
comfortable in humaneness. The wise take advantage of humaneness."
4:3 Confucius said: "Only the humane person is able to really like
others or to really dislike them."
4:4 Confucius said: "If you are really committed to humaneness, you will
have no evil in you."
4:5 Confucius said, "Riches and honors are what all men desire. But if
they cannot be attained in accordance with the Tao they should not be
kept. Poverty and low status are what all men hate. But if they cannot
be avoided while staying in accordance with the Tao, you should not
avoid them. If a Superior Man departs from humaneness, how can he be
worthy of that name? A Superior Man never leaves humaneness for even the
time of a single meal. In moments of haste he acts according to it. In
times of difficulty or confusion he acts according to it."
4:6 Confucius said: "I have never seen one who really loves humaneness
or really hates non-humaneness. If you really loved humaneness you would
not place anything above it. If you really hated the non-humaneness, you
would not let it near you. Is there anyone who has devoted his strength
to humaneness for a single day? I have not seen anyone who has lacked
the strength to do so. Perhaps there has been such a case, but I have
never seen it."
4:7 Confucius said: "People err according to their own level. It is by
observing a person's mistakes that you can know his/her goodness."
[Comment] No one is perfect, free from error. But when someone makes a
mistake in a human relationship, we can tell by the type of mistake, and
by the person's way of dealing with it, what her/his true character is like.
4:8 Confucius said: "If I can hear the Tao in the morning, in the
evening I can die content."
4:9 "A shih who is set on the way, but is ashamed of old clothes and
coarse food, is not worth consulting."
[Comment] The title shih is usually translated into English as either
"knight" or "scholar." While the shih of later Chinese history is more
definitely a scholar than a knight, in the Analects, what Confucius is
referring to is a level of spiritual/moral development, as well as
academic and martial cultivation which is clearly above that of the
average person. Thus, we can understand the shih to be a person who is
well on the way toward becoming a "Superior Man, " but is not quite
there yet. I am reluctant to render shih, as either "scholar" or
"knight" because of the limitations in meaning that occur with these
English words.
4:10 Confucius said: "When the Superior Man deals with the world he is
not prejudiced for or against anything. He does what is Right."
4:11 Confucius said: "The Superior Man cares about virtue; the inferior
man cares about material things. The Superior Man seeks discipline; the
inferior man seeks favors."
4:12 Confucius said: "If you do everything with a concern for your own
advantage, you will be resented by many people."
4:13 Confucius said: "If you can govern the country by putting propriety
first, what else will you need to do? If you can't govern your country
by putting propriety first, how could you even call it propriety?"
4:14 Confucius said: "I don't worry abut not having a good position; I
worry about the means I use to gain position. I don't worry about being
unknown; I seek to be known in the right way."
4:15 Confucius said: "Shan, my Tao is penetrated by a single thread."
Tseng Tzu said, "Yes." When the Master left, some disciples asked what
he meant. Tseng Tzu said, "Our master's Tao is to be sincere and fair,
and that's it."
4:16 Confucius said: "The Superior Man is aware of Righteousness, the
inferior man is aware of advantage."
4:17 Confucius said: "When you see a good person, think of becoming like
her/him. When you see someone not so good, reflect on your own weak points."
4:18 Confucius said: "When you serve your mother and father it is okay
to try to correct them once in a while. But if you see that they are not
going to listen to you, keep your respect for them and don't distance
yourself from them. Work without complaining."
4:19 Confucius said: "While your parents are alive, it is better not to
travel far away. If you do travel, you should have a precise destination."
4:20 Confucius said: "If, for three years (after your father's death)
you don't alter his ways of doing things, you can certainly be called
'filial.'"
4:21 Confucius said: "Your parents' age should not be ignored. Sometimes
it will be a source of joy, and sometimes it will be a source of
apprehension."
4:22 Confucius said: "The ancients were hesitant to speak, fearing that
their actions would not do justice to their words."
4:23 Confucius said: "If you are strict with yourself, your mistakes
will be few."
4:24 Confucius said: "The Superior Man desires to be hesitant in speech,
but sharp in action."
4:25 Confucius said: "If you are virtuous, you will not be lonely. You
will always have friends."
4:26 Tzu Yu said: "In serving your prince, frequent remonstrance will
lead to disgrace. With friends, frequent remonstrance will lead to
separation."
======================================
Speech I: Socrates' Defense
Copyright © Kent Anderson, Ph.D. and Norm Freund, Ph.D.
Socrates' Mission
28b
Strange, indeed, would be my conduct, O men of Athens, if I who, when I
was ordered by the generals whom you chose to command me at Potidaea and
Amphipolis and Delium, remained where they placed me, like any other
man, facing death - if now, when, as I conceive and imagine, God orders
me to fulfil the philosopher's mission of searching into myself and
other men, I were to desert my post through fear of death, or any other
fear; that would indeed be strange, and I might justly be arraigned in
court for denying the existence of the
29a
gods, if I disobeyed the oracle because I was afraid of death, fancying
that I was wise when I was not wise. For the fear of death is indeed the
pretence of wisdom, and not real wisdom, being a pretence of knowing the
unknown; and no one knows whether death, which men in their fear
apprehend to be the
29b
greatest evil, may not be the greatest good. Is not this ignorance of a
disgraceful sort, the ignorance which is the conceit that man knows what
he does not know? And in this respect only I believe myself to differ
from men in general, and may perhaps claim to be wiser than they are: -
that whereas I know but little of the world below, I do not suppose that
I know: but I do know that injustice and disobedience to a better,
whether God or man, is evil and dishonorable, and I will never fear or
avoid a possible good rather than a certain evil. And therefore if you
let me go now, and are not
29c
convinced by Anytus, who said that since I had been prosecuted I must be
put to death (or if not that I ought never to have been prosecuted at
all); and that if I escape now, your sons will all be utterly ruined by
listening to my words - if you say to me, Socrates, this time we will
not mind Anytus, and you shall be let off, but upon one condition, that
you are not to enquire and speculate in this way any more, and that if
you are
29d
caught doing so again you shall die; - if this was the condition on
which you let me go, I should reply: Athenians, I honor and love you;
but I shall obey God rather than you, and while I have life and strength
I shall never cease from the practice and teaching of philosophy,
exhorting any one whom I meet and saying to him after my manner: You, my
friend, - a citizen of the great and mighty and wise city of Athens, -
are you not ashamed of heaping up the greatest amount of money
29e
and honor and reputation, and caring so little about wisdom and truth
and the greatest improvement of the soul, which you never regard or heed
at all? And if the person with whom I am arguing, says: Yes, but I do
care; then I do not leave him or let him go at once; but I proceed to
interrogate and examine and cross-examine him, and if I think that he
has no virtue in him, but only says that he has, I reproach him with
undervaluing
30a
the greater, and overvaluing the less. And I shall repeat the same words
to every one whom I meet, young and old, citizen and alien, but
especially to the citizens, inasmuch as they are my brethren. For know
that this is the command of God; and I ` believe that no greater good
has ever happened in the state than my service to the God. For I do
nothing but go about persuading you all, old and young alike, not to
take thought for your persons or your properties, but first and chiefly to
30b
care about the greatest improvement of the soul. I tell you that virtue
is not given by money, but that from virtue comes money and every other
good of man, public as well as private. This is my teaching, and if this
is the doctrine which corrupts the youth, I am a mischievous person. But
if any one says that this is not my teaching, he is speaking an untruth.
Wherefore, O men of Athens, I say to you, do as Anytus bids or not as
Anytus bids, and either acquit me or not; but whichever you do,
understand that I shall never alter my ways, not even if I
30c
have to die many times.
Men of Athens, do not interrupt, but hear me; there was an understanding
between us that you should hear me to the end: I have something more to
say, at which you may be inclined to cry out; but I believe that to hear
me will be good for you, and therefore I beg that you will not cry out.
I would have you know, that if you kill such an one as I am, you will
injure yourselves more than you will injure me. Nothing will injure me,
not Meletus nor yet Anytus - they cannot, for a bad man
30d
is not permitted to injure a better than himself. I do not deny that
Anytus may, perhaps, kill him, or drive him into exile, or deprive him
of civil rights; and he may imagine, and others may imagine, that he is
inflicting a great injury upon him: but there I do not agree. For the
evil of doing as he is doing - the evil of unjustly taking away the life
of another - is greater far.
And now, Athenians, I am not going to argue for my own
sake, as you may think, but for yours, that you may not sin against the
God by condemning me, who am his gift to you. For if you kill me you
will not easily find a successor to me,
30e
who, if I may use such a ludicrous figure of speech, am a sort of
gadfly, given to the state by God; and the state is a great
and noble steed who is tardy in his motions owing to his very size, and
requires to be stirred<ALIGN="CENTER" into life. I am that gadfly
whichGod has attached to the state, and all day long and in all places
am always
31a
fastening upon you, arousing and persuading and reproaching you. You
will not easily find another like me, and therefore I would advise you
to spare me. I dare say that you may feel out of temper (like the person
who is suddenly awakened from sleep), and you think that you might
easily strike me dead as Anytus advises, and then you sleep on for the
remainder of your lives,
31b
unless God in his care of you sent you another gadfly. When I say that I
am given to you by God, the proof of my mission is this: - if I had been
like other men, I should not have neglected all my own concerns or
patiently seen the neglect of them during all these years, and have been
doing yours, coming to you individually like a father or elder brother,
exhorting you to regard virtue; such conduct, I say, would be unlike
human nature. If I had gained anything, or if my exhortations had been
paid, there would have been some sense in my doing so; but now, as you
31c
will perceive, not even the impudence of my accusers dares to say that I
have ever exacted or sought pay of any one; of that they have no
witness. And I have a sufficient witness to the truth of what I say - my
poverty.
Some one may wonder why I go about in private giving
advice and busying myself with the concerns of others, but do not
venture to come forward in public and advise the state. I will tell you
why. You have heard me speak at sundry times
31d
and in divers places of an oracle or sign which comes to me, and is the
divinity which Meletus ridicules in the indictment. This sign, which is
a kind of voice, first began to come to me when I was a child; it always
forbids but never commands me to do anything which I am going to do.
This is what deters me from being a politician. And rightly, as I think.
For I am or certain, O men of Athens, that if I had engaged in politics,
I should have perished long ago, and done no good either to you
31e
to myself. And do not be offended at my telling you the truth: for the
truth is, that no man who goes to war with you or any other multitude,
honestly striving against the many lawless and unrighteous deeds which
are done in a state, will save his life;
32a
he who will fight for the right, if he would live even for a brief
space, must have a private station and not a public one.
======================================
Jesus Christ
Assorted Sayings
King James revised
Mark 6
28 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning
together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him,
Which is the first commandment of all?
29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O
Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all
thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the
first commandment.
31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as
thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
32 And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth:
for there is one God; and there is none other but he:
33 And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding,
and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his
neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.
34 And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him,
Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst
ask him any question.
Mark 10
42 But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they
which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over
them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them.
43 But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among
you, shall be your minister:
44 And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.
45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to
minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
Matthew 5, 7 / Luke 6
[Luke] 20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed
be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are
ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.
22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate
you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name
as evil, for the Son of man's sake.
23 Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is
great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.
27 But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them
which hate you,
28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.
29 And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other;
and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also.
30 Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away
thy goods ask them not again.
31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners
also love those that love them.
33 And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye?
for sinners also do even the same.
35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing
again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of
the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not
be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and
shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For
with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
39 And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall
they not both fall into the ditch?
40 The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect
shall be as his master.
41 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but
perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
42 Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out
the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam
that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of
thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that
is in thy brother's eye.
43 For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a
corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
44 For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not
gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.
45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that
which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart
bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his
mouth speaketh.
46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
47 Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I
will shew you to whom he is like:
48 He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the
foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat
vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded
upon a rock.
49 But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a
foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did
beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was
great.
Luke 12
4 And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the
body, and after that have no more that they can do.
5 But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he
hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.
6 Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is
forgotten before God?
7 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not
therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.
8 Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall
the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:
9 But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of
God.
22 And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no
thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye
shall put on.
23 The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.
24 Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither
have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye
better than the fowls?
25 And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?
26 If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye
thought for the rest?
27 Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and
yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like
one of these.
28 If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to
morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of
little faith?
29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be
ye of doubtful mind.
30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your
Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.
31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be
added unto you.
42 And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom
his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion
of meat in due season?
43 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so
doing.
44 Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that
he hath.
45 But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his
coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat
and drink, and to be drunken;
46 The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for
him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder,
and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
Luke 14
11 For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth
himself shall be exalted.
26 If any man come to me, and deny not his father, and mother, and wife,
and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he
cannot be my disciple.
27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be
my disciple.
Luke 17
33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever
shall lose his life shall preserve it.