1. Victory over the Self
World Scripture
Though one should conquer a million men on the battlefield, yet he, indeed, is the noblest victor who has conquered himself.
Dhammapada 103 (Buddhism)
He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.
Proverbs 16.32
Who is strong? He who controls his passions.
Mishnah, Avot 4.1 (Judaism)
He who conquers others has physical strength; He who conquers himself is strong.
Tao Te Ching 33 (Taoism)
The Prophet declared, “We have returned from the lesser holy war (al jihad al-asghar) to the greater holy war (al jihad al-akbar).” They asked, “O Prophet of God, which is the greater war?” He replied, “Struggle against the lower self.”2
Hadith (Islam)
Though a man should conquer thousands and thousands of valiant foes, greater will be his victory if he conquers nobody but himself. Fight with yourself; why fight with external foes? He who conquers himself through himself will obtain happiness…. Difficult to conquer is oneself; but when that is conquered, everything is conquered.
Uttaradhyayana Sutra 9.34-36 (Jainism)
Man should discover his own reality and not thwart himself. For he has the self as his only friend, or as his only enemy. A person has the self as a friend when he has conquered himself, But if he rejects his own reality, the self will war against him.
Bhagavad-Gita 6.5-6 (Hinduism)
I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is the victory over self.
Aristotle1 (Hellenism)
Superior nature can be taught and inferior nature can be controlled.
Han Yu (Confucianism)
In the human soul there is a better and also a worse principle; and when the better has the worse under control, then a man is said to be master of himself; and this is a term of praise: but when, owing to evil education or association, the better principle, which is also the smaller, is overwhelmed by the greater mass of the worse—in this case he is blamed and is called the slave of self and unprincipled.
Plato, The Republic 4 (Hellenism)
Teachings of Sun Myung Moon
“Before you desire to have dominion over the universe, you must first have dominion over yourself”: That is my motto. God’s love, life and truth can be developed on the basis of self-mastery.
(Way of God’s Will 2.2)
Who is your enemy? The devil out there is not your enemy; you are your own enemy. Are your mind and body united as one in serving God? How difficult is it? Which is easier, to unite the world or to unite your own self? If you are united as an individual, then by extending that unity you can certainly unify the world. Then who is your enemy? Your own eyes are your enemy. Your own ears are your enemy. Your own nose is your enemy. Your own mouth is your enemy. Your own thoughts are your enemy.
(91:285-86, February 27, 1977)
Because we are fallen, we have some elements to overcome. Therefore, I put forward the motto, “Before you desire to have dominion over the universe, you must first have dominion over yourself.” The issue is not gaining worldly dominion. To have dominion over the self—this is the absolute goal of training. It is the purpose that religious people have pursued throughout history, and the important responsibility assigned to each of us today. Yet, we neglect this task.
(82:281, February 1, 1976)
Stopping the mind and the body from fighting is more difficult than signing a truce to end a world war.
(320:249, April 16, 2000)