第七章
宁静
宁静致远，静能生慧。内心的平静是智慧的美丽宝石之一。这是长期努力且耐心地进行自我控制的结果。心平气和地处事是一个人成熟稳重、经验丰富的表现，是对规律和思想运作的深刻认知。
当一个人把自己理解为一个可以精神提升、思想进化的灵魂时，他会变得特别平静。学会理解他人，是思想成熟的表现。当我们拥有良好的理解能力，就可以越来越清楚地看到事物的内在的因果关系，于是不再烦躁不安、忧虑易怒、害怕担心，而是保持内心平和、意志坚定、处事冷静。
宁静的人，学会了如何管理自己，知道如何适应他人。从另外一个角度看，他们崇尚自己的精神力量，他们认为自己可以学习掌握、并很好地运用这种精神力量。一个人变得越平静，他的成功、影响力和向善能力就越大。即使是普通的小商贩也会发现，随着他变得更加自制和冷静，他的生意也会越来越兴隆，因为人们更喜欢与彬彬有礼、温文尔雅的人打交道。
坚强、冷静的人总是倍受爱戴和尊敬。如干旱之地的遮荫树，暴风雨中的庇护所。有谁不爱一颗宁静的心，愿意过上公平和谐的生活呢？不管雨天晴天，不管世间是如何沧海桑田，得此祝福的人，总是过着幸福安宁的生活，岁月静好。我们把宁静的优雅气质作为人类文化的终极课程，它是生命的花朵，是灵魂的果实。它和智慧一样珍贵，比黄金更令人向往，甚至比纯金更加珍贵。与平静的生活相比，单纯的金钱追求看起来是多么微不足道。最美好的人生，是栖身于真理的海洋里，在惊涛骇浪之下，在暴风雨的影响之外，在永恒的平静之中！
世上有多少人，因生活的艰辛苦楚而变得狂暴焦躁，这种恶劣的脾气毁掉了一切美好的事物和幸福的生活，破坏了他们原本优雅的性格，让他们全身充满有毒的血液！这是一个问题，是否绝大多数人会因为缺乏自控而毁掉自己的生活，破坏自己的幸福？然而我们在生活中遇到通情达理的人实在太少了，那些有着完美人格、优雅的风度人才确实难得！
是的，人生充满着不受控制的激情，充满着无法抑制的悲伤，无时无刻不在被焦虑和怀疑所困扰。唯有智者，人生观正确、自制力强大和内心清明的人，才能让灵魂的烈风、风暴臣服于他。
无论你身在何处，无论你生活如何，在生命的海洋中，那个幸福的小岛上，有你心中的阳光海岸，它正在微笑地召唤你，等候你的到来。用双手握紧思想之舵，在你灵魂之舟里，有一个指挥大师，他只是睡着了，唤醒他。自控是力量，可以驾驭思想回归正轨；平静是力量，不断地对你低语：“平静，保持平静！”
Chapter Seven
Serenity
Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom. It is the result of long and patient effort in self-control. Its presence is an indication of ripened experience, and of a more than ordinary knowledge of the laws and operations of thought.
A man becomes calm in the measure that he understands himself as a thought-evolved being, for such knowledge necessitates the understanding of others as the result of thought, and as he develops a right understanding, and sees more and more clearly the internal relations of things by the action of cause and effect, he ceases to fuss and fume and worry and grieve, and remains poised, steadfast, serene.
The calm man, having learned how to govern himself, knows how to adapt himself to others; and they, in turn, reverence his spiritual strength, and feel that they can learn of him and rely upon him. The more tranquil a man becomes, the greater is his success, his influence, his power for good. Even the ordinary trader will find his business prosperity increase as he develops a greater self-control and equanimity, for people will always prefer to deal with a man whose demeanor is strongly equable.
The strong, calm man is always loved and revered. He is like a shade-giving tree in a thirsty land, or a sheltering rock in a storm. Who does not love a tranquil heart, a sweet-tempered, balanced life? It does not matter whether it rains or shines, or what changes come to those possessing these blessings, for they are always sweet, serene, and calm. That exquisite poise of character which we call serenity is the last lesson of culture; it is the flowering of life, the fruit-age of the soul. It is precious as wisdom, more to be desired than gold - yea, than even fine gold. How insignificant mere money-seeking looks in comparison with a serene life - a life that dwells in the ocean of Truth, beneath the waves, beyond the reach of tempests, in the Eternal Calm!
How many people we know who sour their lives, who ruin all that is sweet and beautiful by explosive tempers, who destroy their poise of character, and make bad blood! It is a question whether the great majority of people do not ruin their lives and mar their happiness by lack of self-control. How few people we meet in life who are well-balanced, who have that exquisite poise which is characteristic of the finished character!
Yes, humanity surges with uncontrolled passion, is tumultuous with ungoverned grief, is blown about by anxiety and doubt. Only the wise man, only he whose thoughts are controlled and purified, makes the winds and the storms of the soul obey him.
Tempest-tossed souls, wherever ye may be, under whatsoever conditions ye may live, know this - in the ocean of life the isles of Blessedness are smiling, and the sunny shore of your ideal awaits your coming. Keep your hand firmly upon the helm of thought. In the barque of your soul reclines the commanding Master; He does but sleep; wake Him. Self-control is strength; Right Thought is mastery; Calmness is power. Say unto your heart, "Peace, be still!"
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