In ancient times, those who wished to make bright virtue brilliant in the world first ordered their states; those who wished to order their states first aligned their households; those who wished to align their households first refined their persons

Confucius, Great Learning

Whatever religion we follow, as long as we understand spiritual principles, we can attain the ultimate goal: the realization of one’s true nature

Ammachi, 108 Quotes on Faith, #30

Knowing others is wisdom;
Knowing the self is enlightenment.
Mastering others requires force;
Mastering the self needs strength.

Laozi, Daodejing, chapter 33, translation by Feng and English

We can't give others what we ourselves don't have.
What we have, we can give to others.
If we want peace out there, there's gotta be peace in here.
Where there is no peace out there, there's no peace in here either.
How can peace manifest in the world if not in our own mind-heart first?
External experience is a mirror of internal experience.