Continue to do your best even though at times you may have to take a step back

It is not always wise to continually advance in a battle.  At certain times, you may have to retreat.  What is important is to continue to do your best, even though at times you may have to take a step back

[GT6-Jan-15]

Let trials and tribulations toughen us up!

There is no such thing as a life without trials and tribulations.  A life without meeting obstacles is a weak one.  One cannot depend on someone who has not had to overcome difficulties.
[GT6-Jan-10]

人生不乏考验和苦难。没有障碍的生命是脆弱的。不曾需要刻苦困难的人是不可依靠的。
[GT6-1月16日]

Those who can stand alone possess true courage and are genuine leaders

Gandhi asserted that even if there was one pure person in a gathering, the rest would be affected by that person's purity.  The presence of one person is important.  If one person stands up, two, three, and more are certain to follow his or her example.  Those who can stand alone possess true courage and are genuine leaders.
[GT6-Dec-29]

甘地(Gandhi)说：“尽管集会中只有一个心纯洁的人，但他的纯真精神能影响所有其他的人。”  重要的是一个人。只要有一个人站起来，之后必定陆续会有人跟着站起来的。一人立起的人才是真正的勇士，真正的领导人。
[GT6-12月-29日]

Joy lies in the struggle...

   Where is joy found?
   Gandhi declared, "Joy lies in the fight, in the attempt, in the suffering involved, not in the victory itself."
   It is exhilarating to win, but the challenges we encounter and surmount along the way bring an even greater sense of fulfillment.  True joy is found in the struggle.

-- Dr Daisaku Ikeda

A person's true worth is measured by the extent to which they live in the present...

A person's true worth is measured by the extent to which they live in the present while giving thought to the distant future, a hundred years, a thousand years hence.  Please be assured that all of your commendable daily efforts will give rise to eternal good fortune and benefit, protecting your families, bringing prosperity to your communities and becoming the source for peace around the world.
[GT6-Dec-10]

Life is a battle... One must have an unbreakable steel-like spirit to win

Life is a battle. Unless one has an unbreakable steel-like spirit, one cannot accomplish momentous undertakings. When we look at historical figures, and in modern society as well, it is only those who have forged a spirit as strong as steel that are victorious or successful. There is on one who has achieved success by taking it easy. There is no ultimate victory to be found in such an approach.

[GT6 Dec 5]

Quotes from Leo Tolstoy

Judgement and punishment

“An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, and a life for a life”—this is not human law but a law made by animals.

When others do something wrong, we should blame their actions, not their soul.

Pay good for evil, and the total amount of good in this world will grow.

Thoughts

When it is in the soil, a seed is invisible, yet a huge tree eventually grows from it over time. In the same way, human thoughts can go unnoticed. Yet the greatest events in human history often grow from such thoughts.