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VI |
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01. First honor the immortal gods, as the law commands.
02. Next, revere the oath you have taken.
03. Then the illustrious heroes, full of goodness and light.
04. Honor, then, the earthly spirits and show them due respect.
05. Honor next your parents, and all the members of your family.
06. Among others, choose the wisest and most virtuous as a friend.
07. Take advantage of his gentle discourses, and learn from his acts that are useful and virtuous.
08. But do not turn away your friend for a small mistake.
09. Because power is limited by necessity.
10. Take the following seriously: You must face and overcome passions.
11. First gluttony, then laziness, lust, and anger.
12. Do not do with others, nor alone, what shames you.
13. And, above all, respect yourself.
14. Practice justice with your actions and with your words.
15. And establish the habit of never acting thoughtlessly.
16. But always remember a fact, that death will come to all.
17. And that the good things of the world are uncertain, and just as they can be conquered, they can be lost.
18. Bear with patience and without murmur your part, whatever it may be.
19. Of the sufferings that destiny determined by the gods casts upon human beings.
20. But strive to relieve your pain as much as possible.
21. And remember that destiny does not send many misfortunes to the good.
22. What people think and say varies greatly; now it is something good, then it is something bad.
23. Therefore, do not blindly accept what you hear, nor reject it precipitously.
24. But if falsehoods are said, retreat gently and arm yourself with patience.
25. Faithfully fulfill, on all occasions, what I tell you now.
26. Do not let anyone, with words or deeds,
27. Lead you to do or say what is not best for you.
28. Think and deliberate before acting, so that you do not commit foolish actions.
29. For it is proper for a miserable man to act and speak thoughtlessly.
30. But do that which will not bring you afflictions later, and which will not cause you regret.
31. Do nothing that you are incapable of understanding.
32. However, learn what is necessary to know; in this way, your life will be happy.
33. Do not forget in any way the health of the body.
34. But give it food in moderation, the necessary exercise and also rest to your mind.
35. What I mean by the word moderation is that extremes should be avoided.
36. Accustom yourself to a decent and pure life, without lust.
37. Avoid all things that will cause envy.
38. And do not commit exaggerations. Live as someone who knows what is honorable and decent.
39. Do not act driven by greed or avarice. It is excellent to use the right measure in all these things.
40. Do only the things that cannot hurt you, and decide before doing them.
41. When lying down, never let sleep approach your tired eyes,
42. Until you review with your higher consciousness all your actions of the day.
43. Ask: "In what did I err? In what did I act correctly? What duty did I fail to fulfill?"
44. Reproach yourself for your mistakes, rejoice in the correct actions.
45. Fully practice all these recommendations. Meditate well on them. You must love them with all your heart.
46. They are the ones that will put you on the path of Divine Virtue.
47. I swear by him who transmitted to our souls the Sacred Quaternary.
48. That source of nature whose evolution is eternal.
49. Never start a task before asking for the blessing and help of the Gods.
50. When you make all this a habit,
51. You will know the nature of the immortal gods and men,
52. You will see how far the diversity between beings goes, and that which contains them, and keeps them in unity.
53. You will then see, according to Justice, that the substance of the Universe is the same in all things.
54. In this way you will not desire what you should not desire, and nothing in this world will be unknown to you.
55. You will also perceive that men bring upon themselves their own misfortunes, voluntarily and by their free choice.
56. How unhappy they are! They do not see, nor understand that their good is beside them.
57. Few know how to free themselves from their sufferings.
58. This is the weight of destiny that blinds humanity.
59. Human beings walk in circles, back and forth, with endless suffering,
60. Because they are accompanied by a dark companion, the fatal disunity among them, which throws them up and down without them realizing.
61. Discreetly, try never to awaken disharmony, but flee from it!
62. O God our Father, deliver them all from such great suffering.
63. Showing each one the Spirit that is their guide.
64. However, you should not be afraid, because men belong to a divine race.
65. And the sacred nature will reveal and show them everything.
66. If it communicates your secrets to you, you will easily put into practice all the things I recommend to you.
67. And by healing your soul, you will free it from all these evils and sufferings.
68. But avoid foods that are not recommended for the purification and liberation of the soul.
69. Evaluate all things well,
70. Always seeking to be guided by the divine understanding that should guide everything.
71. Thus, when you abandon your physical body and rise into the ether.
72. You will be immortal and divine, you will have fullness and you will die no more.