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the rudder of a ship steers the whole vessel, even in a gale.  Our tongues control our bodies and spirits in exactly the same way.  Also, think of how a tiny flame sets fire to an entire forest.  The tongue is a flame too, and its fire can spread to all the parts of its owner's life.  Many wild animals have been tamed, but who can tame their own tongue? It can be a pest and a poison! Can the same tongue bless and curse others? This must be wrong - fresh and salt water doesn't flow out of the same pipe; neither does one tree produce another's fruit.  Remember this, my brothers; everyone should be quick to listen but slow to speak, and slower yet to anger; No one who fails to keep a tight reign on the tongue can claim to be following the way; this is mere self-deception

Perseverance
Persons of the way must persevere when the path is hard.  There are certainly things in the world that grow easily, but we have never seen anything that could live given one day of warmth and ten days of cold.  When you plant a tree and take care of it, you do not see it increase, but in time, it gets big.  When you accumulate virtue with continued practice, you do not see the good of it, but in time it will serve you well.

When the way is hard, consider it a great joy.  When the task is difficult, the will must become sharp; hardship makes the thoughts deep.  You know that hardship produces perseverance, and perseverance must complete its work so that you will become fully developed, complete, and not deficient in any way success will come to anyone who perseveres when trials come.  Such a person proves his or her worth.  These times will come to everyone; everyone will be put to the test by being attracted and se

ignorance, a consequence following desires and closing their minds.  They will dull their sense of right and wrong so that can they abandon all self-control and pursue to excess every kind of desire. 

In the same way, exerting ones' strength only because one sees there is favor to be gained, or to offer one's services when seeing there is profit in it - this is the behavior of mediocre and lesser people. 

Embrace the Change
Put aside you old self, your old way of life, corrupted by following desires that were merely illusions.  Focus your mind, renew your spirit, become a new person.  Any bitterness or bad temper or anger or shouting or abuse must be far removed from you - as must every kind of hatred.  Uncontrolled passion, evil desires and especially greed, hot temper, malice, abusive language, lies, and dirty talk - destroy them.  You have stripped off your old behavior with your old self, and you have put on a new self, which still progresses towards true knowledge; you are to be clothed in heartfelt compassion, in generosity and humility, gentleness and patience.  Finally, bear with one another; forgive each other if one of you has a complaint against another.  For who has no faults?  To be able to correct error is best of all.  The wise correct their faults and change to good, whereas the foolish mostly conceal their faults and cover up their wrongs.  This is the characteristic of a lesser person.   

The tongue gives evidence of the way of restraint.  Whoever controls their speech, controls themselves.  The tiny bit in a horse's mouth guides the entire beast;