498. Perfection and Frugality

"Perfection is not when there is no more to add but when there is no more to take away." - Antoine de Saint Exupery.

Less is always better than more. On the spiritual path, we need to shed our attachments to material things and to the mental and emotional burdens we seem to constantly pick up.

"It is vain to do with more what can be done with less." -William of Ockham.

256. Mind Over Matter

As the mind is in control of the body, everything that affects the mind has a stronger influence on the body than those things that affect only the body. Every conflicting centre, every extraneous disrupting, decentralising emotion jars the natural rhythm and reduces a man's efficiency. Mark well the emotions that destroy the inner rhythms of a man and avoid them at all costs. They are :

* Jealousy
* Hatred
* Lust
* Envy
* Pride
* Vanity
* Covetousness
* Anger
* Fear

They are also known as Deadly Sins.

Keep your mind agile and free and work to eliminate all these negative emotions from your character.