Teresa of Avila Quotes

Know thyself, for through thyself only thou canst know God.

So we can only know God well by knowing our iniquities. Therefore those who have known God, without knowing their wretchedness, have not glorified Him, but have glorified themselves.

Solitude is the furnace of transformation. Without solitude we remain victims of our society and continue to be entangled in the illusions of the false self.

Philosophic meditation is an accomplishment by which I attain Being and my own self, not impartial thinking which studies a subject with indifference.

The knowledge of self is the most important thing, because how are you going to know God if you don't know yourself? How are you going to know anything if you don't know yourself?

An enlightened man had but one duty - to seek the way to himself, to reach inner certainty, to grope his way forward, no matter where it led.

Humble in a humble state and great in greatness, I will work out the divinity that is busy within my mind.

Life is a constant challenge to know oneself.

Self knowledge puts us on our knees, and it is very necessary for love. For knowledge of God gives love, and knowledge of self gives humility

Someone once told me that the finer points of devotion are about the size of a pinhole, and there are millions of them. And if you could connect each dot, then you’ve got a diagram of what you think you thought you knew, and if you’re willing to admit that you know nothing…you have the blueprint for a breakthrough.

He who knows himself knows god.

Know thyself, and thou shalt know God.

Anyone who seeks success or greatness should first forget about both and seek only the truth. The rest will follow.

Lord, who art always the same, give that I know myself, give that I know Thee.

People don't see this side of me. They don't know I read, like, 800 million spiritual books. Lately I am just really getting into a lot of spirituality.

We seek for truth in ourselves; in our neighbours, and in its essential nature. We find it first in ourselves by severe self scrutiny, then in our neighbours by compassionate indulgence, and, finally, in its essential nature by that direct vision which belongs to the pure in heart.

Begin within. If it shows up in your life, it's coming to tell you something about you that you're acting like you don't know. Something about yourself, or your relationship with God.

Your glass will not do you half so much service as a serious reflection on your own minds.

This is the very perfection of a man, to find out his own imperfections.

I had to examine myself very thoroughly to find the right path personally.

Know yourself to improve yourself.

Every one rushes elsewhere and into the future, because no one wants to face one's own inner self.

The first step toward finding God, Who is Truth, is to discover the truth about myself: and if I have been in error, this first step to truth is the discovery of my error.

The path to the inwardly enriched life is not hidden from the man or woman who longs to walk upon it.

I'm always consciously trying to make what I feel is missing.