Interpretive note:

These principles call for disciplined strength, not self-erasure. Humility does not mean diminished self-worth, forgiveness does not mean tolerating injustice, and selflessness does not require neglecting oneself or abandoning higher responsibilities. The rules should be read as a coherent whole: use your agency and strength responsibly, without ego, revenge, or domination.

THE PRINCIPLES OF MARIA 'RED LIPS' FOR E.J.

 THE PRINCIPLES OF MARIA 'RED LIPS' FOR E.J.

0 – Apply these rules only if they fully align with your understanding, agreement, and inner

disposition. If even one of them contradicts your inner compass, you're not bound by these

rules at all.

1 – Let your actions speak for you.

2 – Give without expecting anything in return; be as selfless as possible, without

compromising what is needed for your higher responsibilities.

3 – Do not elevate yourself or think of yourself as special; what you boast of is often what you

lack.

4 – Don't center the world around yourself. Don't evaluate others based on the role they play

in your life. Instead, evaluate the role you play for others and strive to improve it.

5 – Humble yourself. Arrogance and ego are born of fear.

6 – Do not lie. Let truth and transparency be your hallmark. Falsehood is the mask of ego;

truth aligns you with the cosmos.

7 – But never think you own the truth. Recognize the limits of your perspective and remain

open to discovery and change.

8 – Do not offer your opinions as if they were precious. Avoid judging unless asked, and even

then, seek understanding first.

9 – Do not prejudge or presume ill will. Grant everyone the benefit of the doubt. Assume

virtue until proven otherwise.

10 – Do not expect others to please you. Accept the diversity of nature, perspective, and

motivation.

11 – Make no distinctions in value among people. Do not give more worth to your preferences

or connections. Treat all with equal dignity and care.

12 – Do not hold onto others' offenses. Let them go, forget them.

13 – Do not mistake injustice for personal offense. Guard yourself and others from the former.

Let go of the latter—they are wounds to ego born of ignorance.

14 – Recognize that personal attacks are defensive reflexes rooted in fear and

misunderstanding. They harm the ego, not the shared essence of being. They cannot truly

hurt you.

15 – Understanding motives shields you from offense. Let this insight be your armor. Bear the

burdens that would break others, if you can.

16 – See others as free moral agents. Let insight diminish fear, but not awareness of their

freedom.

17 – Embrace your freedom, even when you perceive only causality. Help others exercise

their moral freedom too.

18 – Guard your thoughts. Evil actions begin in the mind. Uproot malice before it manifests.

19 – Evil is a choice: the triumph of fear and ego over compassion. It is the root of all injustice.

20 – Do not converse or negotiate with evil. Confront it through actions. Do not confront evil

with evil. Let your deeds embody balance and justice.

21 – Defend against injustice as you would defend others, not out of revenge.

22 – Violence is rarely just: if stronger, it is cowardice; if weaker, it leads to ruin or escalates

harm to the innocent.

23 – Use force only to resist prior injustice or violence—only to protect or defend, and only as

much as necessary. Never for self-gain. Violence corrupts both body and spirit.

24 – Justice is peace and forgiveness. If you suffer injustice, respond not with revenge, but

with justice—which is forgiveness. To enact justice is to forgive; forgiveness is not silence,

nor forgetting, but the resolution of harm. Revenge, by contrast, is simply injustice returned.

25 – Hatred is born of fear; we fear what we don't understand. Strive to understand, and fear

will fade.

26 – Free yourself from fear—and help others do the same. That is your life's highest calling.

27 – Accept your finitude. Individuality is impermanent and will dissolve. We are fleeting

sparks in an evaporating cosmos.

28 – Take full responsibility for all life as such. Do not leave yourself or the world to fate.

Contribute freedom, and thus meaning, to existence.

29 – Fortune is beyond your control, but your actions and their consequences are not. Own

your choices.

30 – Do not take pride in your good fortune. Do not mistake luck for merit. Share your

blessings.

31 – Likewise, do not use fate as an excuse. Live as if you are free, even if you feel

otherwise. Treat freedom as duty.

32 – Bear hardship as if it were your task. Do not claim merit for gifts or talents. What you

give, not what you receive, defines your worth.

33 – Do not forget these words. These rules are me and the manifestation of my love.

Following them is the measure of yours. They are my gift—and your devotion is their

fulfillment.