At that instant he knew that all his doubts, even the impossibility of believing with his reason, of which he was aware in himself, did not in the least hinder his turning to God. All of that now floated out of his soul like dust. To whom was he to turn if not to Him in whose hands he felt himself, his soul, and his love?

But the peasants - how do the peasants die?

The main qualities that had earned him this universal respect in the service were, first, an extreme indulgence towards people, based on his awareness of his own shortcomings; second, a perfect liberalism, not the sort he read about in the newspapers, but the sort he had in his blood, which made him treat all people, whatever their rank or status, in a perfectly equal and identical way; and, third - most important - a perfect indifference to the business he was occupied with, owing to which he never got carried away and never made mistakes.

Christianity in its true sense puts an end to the State. It was so understood from its very beginning, and for that Christ was crucified.

I simply want to live; to cause no evil to anyone but myself.

Rivers are places that renew our spirit, connect us with our past, and link us directly with the flow and rhythm of the natural world.

Once we're thrown off our habitual paths, we think all is lost, but it's only here that the new and the good begins.