At some thoughts one stands perplexed, above all at the sight of human sin, and wonders whether to combat it by force or by humble love. Always decide ‘I will combat it by humble love.’ If you resolve on that once and for all, you can conquer the whole world. Loving humility is a terrible force: it is the strongest of all things, and there is nothing else like it.
- Fyodor Dostoevsky, “The Brothers Karamazov”
There is only one way to salvation, and that is to make yourself responsible for all men’s sins. As soon as you make yourself responsible in all sincerity for everything and for everyone, you will see at once that this is really so, and that you are in fact to blame for everyone and for all things.
― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov
Attend tirelessly to good works. If, before going to sleep at night, you remember something you have not done, rise at once and do it.
- Elder Zosima, from Dostoevsky’s “Brothers Karamazov”
Love a man, even in his sin, for that love is a likeness of the divine love, and is the summit of love on earth.
- Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Sometimes God sends me moments in which I am utterly at peace. In those moments I have constructed for myself a creed in which everything is clear and holy for me. Here it is: to believe that there is nothing more beautiful, more profound, more sympathetic, more reasonable, more courageous and more perfect than Christ, and not only is there nothing, but I tell myself with jealous love, that there never could be.
- Fyodor Dostoevsky
Dostoevsky, writing in The Brothers Karamazov, noted the far reaching possibilities of this transforming love, this energy which begins with a prayerful attention for all of creation. He says, in the words of Fr. Zossima, the monastic elder:
“My brother asked forgiveness of the birds: it seems senseless, yet it is right, for all is like an ocean, all flows and connects; touch it in one place and it echoes at the other end of the world.”
- F. Dostoevsky
If anyone could prove to me that Christ is outside the truth, and if the truth really did exclude Christ, I should prefer to stay with Christ and not with truth.
-F. Dostoevsky, an Orthodox Christian writer
Quoting the words of the starets Zosima from the book ‘The Brothers Karamazov.’ This is what he said on his deathbed to those surrounding him:
Do not hate atheists, teachers of evil, materialists, even the evil ones, for some of them are truly kind, especially in our day. Love the people of God. Believe and hold high the standard of faith. Do good to all people and help them bear their suffering. Meanwhile, your life is spent in hatred and anger. Each man has the time to rethink his life and to correct it, and you do too.
He was an atheist. But one day he opened a Holy Bible, and his life changed for ever…
I love not only his great books, but also the fact that he was an Orthodox Christian, and proud of it. I enjoy everything he wrote about Eastern Orthodoxy.
“Everybody wants to change the world, but nobody thinks about changing himself.”
—Dostoevsky
There is only one salvation for you: take yourself up, and make yourself responsible for all the sins of men. For indeed it is so, my friend, and the moment you make yourself sincerely responsible for everything and everyone, you will see at once that it is really so, that it is you who are guilty on behalf of all and for all. Whereas by shifting your own laziness and powerlessness onto others, you will end by sharing in Satan’s pride and murmuring against God.”
- Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov
