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Golden Verses of Pythagoras

1. Honor the immortal gods first, as the law commands.

2. Next, reverence the oath you have taken.

3. After that, the illustrious heroes, full of goodness and light.

4. Honor, then, the terrestrial spirits and show them the respect due.

5. Honor next your parents, and all the members of your family.

6. Among others, choose as a friend the wisest and most virtuous.

7. Benefit from their soft discourses, and learn from their acts that are useful and virtuous.

8. But do not shun your friend for a small error.

9. For necessity limits power.

10. Take the following very seriously: You must face and conquer the passions.

11. First gluttony, then laziness, lust, and anger.

12. Do not do, neither with others nor alone, what brings you shame.

13. And above all, respect yourself.

14. Practice justice with your deeds and with your words.

15. And establish the habit of never acting thoughtlessly.

16. But always remember one 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 murmuring your part, whatever it may be.

19. Of the sufferings that the fate determined by the gods casts upon human beings.

20. But strive to alleviate your pain as much as possible.

21. And remember that fate 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 hastily reject it.

24. But if falsehoods are spoken, gently withdraw 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 characteristic of a wretched man to act and speak thoughtlessly.

30. But do what will not bring you sorrow later, and what 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 the health of the body in any way.

34. But give it food with moderation, the necessary exercise, and also rest to your mind.

35. What I mean by the word moderation is that extremes must 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 excesses. 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 just measure in all these things.

40. Do only the things that cannot hurt you, and decide before doing them.

41. Upon lying down, never let sleep approach your tired eyes,

42. Until you have reviewed with your highest conscience 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 errors, rejoice in your successes.

45. Practice all these recommendations fully. Meditate well on them. You must love them with all your heart.

46. It is they who will put you on the path of Divine Virtue.

47. I swear by him who transmitted the Sacred Quaternary to our souls.

48. That source of nature whose evolution is eternal.

49. Never begin 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 of men,

52. You will see the extent of the diversity between beings, and that which contains them, and maintains 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 the fate that blinds humanity.

59. Human beings walk in circles, back and forth, with unending suffering,

60. Because they are accompanied by a somber companion, the fatal disunity among them, which tosses them up and down without their noticing.

61. Discreetly try never to awaken disharmony, but flee from it!

62. O God our Father, deliver them all from such great sufferings.

63. By showing each one the Spirit that is their guide.

64. However, you must not be afraid, because men belong to a divine race.

65. And sacred nature will reveal and show everything to them.

66. If it communicates its 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 unsuitable 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 orient everything.

71. Thus, when you abandon your physical body and ascend into the ether.

72. You will be immortal and divine, you will have fullness and will no longer die.