To a disciple who was forever complaining about others the Master said, 'If it is peace you want, seek to change yourself, not other people. It is easier to protect your feet with slippers than to carpet the whole of the earth.'
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The master advises that inner peace comes from self-change rather than trying to change others.
- In plain terms
- Focus on changing yourself instead of trying to change everyone around you.
- What can you take from it?
- Change yourself to find peace.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What habits of yours cause friction with others?
- How much energy do you spend trying to change others?
Another view
Sometimes systemic issues require collective action, not just individual change.
More from Anthony de Mello
Thought can organize the world so well that you are no longer able to see it.
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Permalink to quote #36 This is what Wisdom means: To be changed without the slightest effort on your part, to be transformed, believe it or not, merely by waking to the reality that …
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