1
Man is born to love | The strongest being in the world | This moment | He who has little | A good drink | Not on the lips of others | Guidelines for life | Guest | 10 lessons of life | Memento mori, remember death | Kindness | Things invisible to the eye | A wise man | Time to be alone | Learn from a child | Right action | What to do | True learning | The body is the student of the soul | A pure heart | The way | The purpose of life | Listen carefully | Learn from pain and failure | Learn from water

2
A man who decorates words | Things that make life joyful | Wings | Inner improvement | Pride goes with foolishness | A soul that grows like a child | Where the heart is, there is treasure | Effort | The more you wish, the more you are bound | Conditions for happiness | The way to harm yourself | Common points | Great thoughts come from the heart | Potential | Everyone | Think with your mouth shut | Dreams | Habits of desire | Do not seek outside | Always be a student | True knowledge | Words and silence | Sin | Labor born of love | Truth | Best action | As little as possible | Free from all suffering | Anger | Best work | From the visible to the invisible | Physical labor | The true self | Examine yourself | Work every day | Take only what you need | Wealth accumulated in the soul | Be the master of your habits | One thought | Meditation

3
The starting point of arrogance | Gold | A life without labor | The existence of humanity | Wise answers | Good thoughts | Life and death | The center | Good values ​​| The law of life | Be yourself | True victory | Remember death while living | Happiness is within you | Good deeds | The difference between material and spiritual poisons | The voice within yourself | Marriage | The lesson of nonviolence | Love for yourself alone | There is no past or future | Poverty and wealth | A treasure that does not diminish | Foolish rules | Life is outside space and time | Frequent walking | The cause of suffering | Right thoughts | A gift | Face the truth alone | Life as it is | The only guide | Inner progress | Prayer | The snail | Like waking up from a bad dream | The seed of words | Change of thoughts

4
Everyone's responsibility | Something precious | Problems | What you are doing now | There are no great actions | As a farmer selects seeds | Good love | Be content with what you have | The power of the soul | Everyone has his own problems | The wings of a bird | Focus on the present | Treat yourself as you would like to be treated | A backpack | A person with a center | Home is where you are now | Ornaments | How much you loved | Teachings of love | A great asset | Only those who love are alive | Dust thrown by the wind | The mirror of conscience | The less you wish for, the happier you are | A simple life | Moral law | The swamp of temptation | Laziness | Look at your actions | Choices | The tasks of life

5
Habits of love | Humans are like rivers | Life | Beings of the same soul | Inner good | Life passes by | Break desires | Will | Blessings | All that belongs to us | Only through love | Self-sacrifice | Charity | Doors | Always and everywhere | Improve your inner self | Evil exists because life exists | Beautiful joy | What good will I do today | Do not criticize | Necessary conditions | Laws of love | Deep river | There is no evil | Kindness | Underestimation | Source of suffering | Joyful and true work | Eat sparingly | Childhood | Wanderer | Respect every word | Appearances are not important | The highest seat at the table | Do not judge people | Three questions | How deeply have you lived | Improve yourself | Wise thoughts for each day

Translator's Note

The essence of Tolstoy's philosophy, which deeply contemplated all the difficulties of human history.
The wisdom of life that has spanned a century becomes the driving force for living today!

『Studies for the Days to Come』 is the last book written by the great Russian author Leo Tolstoy while he was still alive.
Since its publication in Korea in 2007, it has been a steady seller and has been much loved, and was republished in 2025 as a hardcover edition with a new design.
This book, composed of short proverbs about the 'unchanging' laws of life in a world where everything changes, is the culmination of Tolstoy's philosophy and contains the reflections and wisdom he gained throughout his life on what he considers the most important things in life, such as human happiness, love, life and death.
In this book, which is richly filled with Tolstoy's thoughts and life, the author talks about how beneficial it is to read good words in life, and shows that what truly matters is not how long you live, but how deeply you live.


“I want to write a collection of thoughts that contain the most essential things for living.”

In 1902, Tolstoy was on the verge of death from pneumonia and typhoid fever, but barely recovered.
Afterwards, he wanted to publish books that could convey a deeper meaning of life to readers, and planned the 'Tolstoy Proverbs Series'.
The first two volumes were collections of aphorisms edited by Tolstoy, filled with famous sayings from writers and philosophers, as well as quotes from the Talmud and the Bible.
Although he published a vast number of books, Tolstoy felt somewhat inadequate.
I needed to organize the passages more logically and systematically, and above all, I had a strong desire to share what I had realized with my readers.
And so, the book that was published was this one, 『Study for the Days to Live』.
As much as possible, the number of quotes is reduced, and most of the work is composed of 'creations' expressing Tolstoy's own enlightenment.
Tolstoy, who was nearing the end of his life, combined the famous sayings he had pondered while editing the previous two volumes with his own experiences to create the final 'Creative Collection of Proverbs', marking the end of the Proverbs series.


To those who live each day struggling with a bitter heart
The courage that Tolstoy gives

The proverbs in 『Study for the Days to Come』 are not abstract words that seem to grasp at clouds, nor do they beat around the bush when it comes to the question of how to live.
It is so direct and straightforward that you can feel the impatience of a great old writer who does not know that his life is running out.
It is that specific and everyday.
Yet, the language is sharp, born from realizations that cannot be easily expressed in words.
This book, a compilation of short essays, covers a wide range of topics, including love, faith, death, desire, learning, God, religion, and children, touching on the common denominator of all human beings, transcending situations and roles.
This book is for those who are concerned about why they are so weak, what the right way to live is, and how to overcome the conflicts and hardships they encounter in life.