Imam Khomeini wise Saying: Self-cultivation & The Challenge of Ego
We cannot reform our country unless we first reform ourselves.
Each one must begin with himself and adapt his conduct, views and deeds to Islamic decrees and, having thus corrected himself then proceed to reform others.
If you want your country to be independent, so that others cannot interfere in it, begin with yourself.
You correct yourself, your country too, becomes corrected.
That which is necessary for all of us is to begin with our own self-soul and ego. We must not be pleased with adjusting or rectifying appearances. Rather, we must start with our hearts, from our brains or minds and see
that each day we are somewhat better than the day before.
Islamic moral sciences such as ethics, ego-purification and peripatetic journeys towards God[Jihad-e-Akbarl are the areas that call for collective, general tutoring and learning.
It is knowledge and ego-purification that lead man to the status of humanism.
Forgetting oneself is a prelude to perfection.
We ourselves should review the record of our worldly deeds before it is presented to the Imam Zaman (a.s.) and to the Threshold of God.
Behave in such a way that when you depart for God"s Threshold you may be able to hold your head up.
We all have a duty to be purified so that we may be able to benefit by the lights of God and the Quran.
You must cultivate yourselves so that you may be able to rise up, cultivating oneself means obeying the commands of God.
If we reform ourselves surely our purpose, too, will issue forth in the world.
Spiritual cultivation precedes all other cultivations. The crusade for development (Jihad Sazandegi) begins with the individual.
Develop! we must develop ourselves! Try to begin the jihad or crusade with self-development for if you do begin with self-reform, anything you do, will be divine.
We must, undergo an inner revolution, our souls, too, must be revolutionized. We must change if our souls have so far been dominated by the Satan or Taghoot.
To a soul that has not been purged, knowledge is a veil of darkness.
It is a divine duty that if we inwardly are displeased with someone, our word, action or deed should be to the contrary.
Speech will be effective when it comes from a purged heart.
If man could squash the "I" under foot and replace it with "He", all things would be set right.
God forbid that man enter the society and gain influence with the people before he purges his ego because he"ll lose himself and go astray.
He who relies on God will be victorious.
If your hand is removed from this world, which is the cultivation field for Hereafter, it"ll then be too late and you won"t be able to purge your ego of corruption.
I fear that for hearing our word and for our sake, they may go the Paradise and we go to Hell for not being purged.
Real eid (festival, feast) is when one incurs the pleasure of God, reform him inwardly.
A nation, a society cannot achieve its lofty purposes until he has been purged and reformed.
Other Links:
Imam Khomeini Saying: Theology & Servitude
Imam Khomeini wise Saying: Islam & Our Deeds
Imam Khomeini wise Saying: Preservation of Islam
Imam Khomeini wise Saying: Propagation of Islam
Imam Khomeini wise Saying: Divine Prophets
Imam Khomeini Wise Saying: The Religion of Islam
Imam Khomeini Saying: The Quran
