“No deep and strong feeling, such as we may come across here and there in the world, is unmixed with compassion. The more we love, the more the object of our love seems to us to be a victim.”

I don’t like people who have never fallen or stumbled. Their virtue is lifeless and it isn’t of much value. Life hasn’t revealed its beauty to them.

In life it is more necessary to lose than to gain. A seed will only germinate if it dies.

He realised, more vividly than ever before, that art had two constant, two unending preoccupations: it is always meditating upon death and it is always thereby creating life.

And why is it, thought Lara, that my fate is to see everything and take it all so much to heart?

Mother Russia is on the move, she can’t stand still, she’s restless and can’t find rest, she’s talking and she can’t stop.

As far as modern writing is concerned, it is rarely rewarding to translate it, although it might be easy. Translation is very much like copying paintings.

How wonderful to be alive, he thought. But why does it always hurt?

If it’s so painful to love and absorb electricity, how much more painful it is to be a woman, to be the electricity, to inspire love.

They don’t ask much of you. They only want you to hate the things you love and to love the things you despise.

Oh, what a love it was, utterly free, unique, like nothing else on earth! Their thoughts were like other people’s songs.

Immensely grateful, touched, proud, astonished, abashed.

Only the solitary seek the truth, and they break with all those who don’t love it sufficiently.

The whole wide world is a cathedral; I stand inside, the air is calm, And from afar at times there reaches My ear the echo of a psalm.

We must discover security within ourselves.

That’s metaphysics, my dear fellow. It’s forbidden me by my doctor, my stomach won’t take it.

When a great moment knocks on the door of your life, it is often no louder than the beating of your heart, and it is very easy to miss it.

The whole idea of compassion is based on a keen awareness of the interdependence of all these living beings, which are all part of one another, and all involved in one another.

When attention is given to the spiritual aspect of one’s life, it brings a sense of belongingness, and responsibility, compassion and caring for the whole of humanity.

Even while living in the world, the heart of Mary was so filled with motherly tenderness and compassion for men that no-one ever suffered so much for their own pains, as Mary suffered for the pains of her children.

Compassion is the keen awareness of the interdependence of all things.

Please forgive them, even if they ask for forgiveness or not, it is humanity.

A teardrop on earth summons the King of heaven.

Let`s choose each day and every day to keep an attitude of faith and joy and belief and compassion.

Help other people get what they want – and you’ll get what you want.