"The essence of the virtues is emptiness before God, which permits the divine Qualities to enter the heart and radiate in the soul . . . Virtue consists in allowing free passage, in the soul, to the Beauty of God . . . Intrinsically, that virtue alone is good which is in a certain way unconscious of itself and, as a result, becomes neither 'egoistic charity' nor 'proud humility' . . . It is we who enter INTO virtue. Do not believe that 'it is I who am the virtue'; do not personalize it . . . Every virtue is a participation in the Beauty of the One . . . Virtue is essentially consciousness of the nature of things, which [therefore] situates the ego in its proper place . . . A virtue is a divine perfume in which man forgets himself . . . What matters is that a person knows it is GOD who acts. A meritorious work [therefore] belongs to God, though we participate in it; our works are good - or better - to the extent we are penetrated by this awareness."
Frithjof Schuon
Photo: Boulder Raspberry flowers, Lory State Park, CO, May 10, 2012
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