The Gospel According to Tolstoy...
The "Pathway of Life" was published in two volumes in 1919 - posthumously for Tolstoy.
In their preface the original publishers stated that Tolstoy: "Filled with the yearning to help his fellow man struggling against sin, error, superstition and temptation, the sage labored on this compilation down to his last days, reverting to this labor of love even after the distressing fainting spells that preceded his decease, until, very shortly before his death, in "THE PATHWAY OF LIFE," he succeeded in collating the consensus of human wisdom and genius of all lands and all ages into a modern gospel that bears the self-evident impress of divine truth and immortality. The publishers reverently offer this work of Tolstoy to thinking humanity."
Thinking humanity? Hopefully there are a few of these people left in the world in 2007.
The most recent translation is available in one volume titled "Path of Life". There are 31 chapters in this edition: 1. Belief; 2. Soul; 3. One Soul in All; 4. God; 5. Love; 6. Sins, Temptations, Superstitions; 7. Gluttony; 8. Lust; 9. Sloth; 10. Greed; 11. Anger; 12. Pride; 13. Inequality; 14. Violence; 15. Punishment; 16. Vainglory; 17. “Superstition” of the Nation-State ; 18. Pseudo-Religion; 19. Pseudo-Science; 20. Effort; 21. Living in the Present; 22. Inaction; 23. Words; 24. Thoughts; 25. Self-renunciation; 26. Humility; 27. Truthfulness; 28. Evil; 29. Death; 30. After Death; 31. Life – the Greatest Good.
Tolstoy challenges all conventional thinking - well worth the effort of reading and meditation.
It may look very long but Tolstoy is succinct - here is but one example:
" Without the prohibition of rendering evil for evil, the whole Christian doctrine is empty words."
That's the kind of thing that got him excommunicated.
In their preface the original publishers stated that Tolstoy: "Filled with the yearning to help his fellow man struggling against sin, error, superstition and temptation, the sage labored on this compilation down to his last days, reverting to this labor of love even after the distressing fainting spells that preceded his decease, until, very shortly before his death, in "THE PATHWAY OF LIFE," he succeeded in collating the consensus of human wisdom and genius of all lands and all ages into a modern gospel that bears the self-evident impress of divine truth and immortality. The publishers reverently offer this work of Tolstoy to thinking humanity."
Thinking humanity? Hopefully there are a few of these people left in the world in 2007.
The most recent translation is available in one volume titled "Path of Life". There are 31 chapters in this edition: 1. Belief; 2. Soul; 3. One Soul in All; 4. God; 5. Love; 6. Sins, Temptations, Superstitions; 7. Gluttony; 8. Lust; 9. Sloth; 10. Greed; 11. Anger; 12. Pride; 13. Inequality; 14. Violence; 15. Punishment; 16. Vainglory; 17. “Superstition” of the Nation-State ; 18. Pseudo-Religion; 19. Pseudo-Science; 20. Effort; 21. Living in the Present; 22. Inaction; 23. Words; 24. Thoughts; 25. Self-renunciation; 26. Humility; 27. Truthfulness; 28. Evil; 29. Death; 30. After Death; 31. Life – the Greatest Good.
Tolstoy challenges all conventional thinking - well worth the effort of reading and meditation.
It may look very long but Tolstoy is succinct - here is but one example:
" Without the prohibition of rendering evil for evil, the whole Christian doctrine is empty words."
That's the kind of thing that got him excommunicated.
posted by Mark Sherman at 5:54 AM
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