Buddhist quotes
1.3K quotes on this topic — from poets, philosophers, and thinkers across history.
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"Your worst enemy cannot harm you as much as your own unguarded thoughts. Develop the mind of equilibrium. You will always be getting praise and blame, but do not let either affect the poise of the mind: follow the calmness, the absence of pride."
"There is no way to happiness - happiness is the way."
"Salute to the Smiling Faces of the 21st Century."
"Remembering a wrong is like carrying a burden on the mind."
"Believe nothing, O monks, just because you have been told it, or it is commonly believed, or because it is traditional or because you yourselves have imagined it. Do not believe what your teacher tells you merely out of respect for the teacher. But whatsoever, after due examination and analysis, you find to be conducive to the good, the benefit, the welfare of all beings - that doctrine believe and cling to and take as your guide."
"Master your words. Master your thoughts. Never allow your body to do harm. Follow these three roads with purity And you will find yourself upon the one way, The way of wisdom."
"Life can only take place in the present moment. If we lose the present moment, we lose life."
"May all that have life be delivered from suffering."
"It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles."
"Whether one believes in a religion or not, and whether one believes in rebirth or not, there isn't anyone who doesn't appreciate kindness and compassion."
"Always be mindful of the kindness and not the faults of others"
"The right time to show your good character is when you are pestered by someone weaker than you."
"Just as a solid rock is not shaken by the storm, even so the wise are not affected by praise or blame."
"Wherever we go, wherever we remain, the results of our actions follow us."
"We are formed and molded by our thoughts. Those whose minds are shaped by selfless thoughts give joy when they speak or act."
"To dwell in the here and now does not mean you never think about the past or responsibly plan for the future. The idea is simply not to allow yourself to get lost in regrets about the past or worries about the future. If you are firmly grounded in the present moment, the past can be an object of inquiry, the object of your mindfulness and concentration. You can attain many insights by looking into the past. But you are still grounded in the present moment."
"We have two alternatives: either we question our beliefs - or we don't. Either we accept our fixed versions of reality- or we begin to challenge them. In Buddha's opinion, to train in staying open and curious - to train in dissolving our assumptions and beliefs - is the best use of our human lives."
"Long is the night for the sleepless. Long is the road for the weary. Long is samsara (the cycle of continued rebirth) for the foolish, who have not recognised the true teaching."
"People with opinions just go around bothering each other."
"Neither in the sky nor in mid-ocean, nor by entering into mountain clefts, nowhere in the world is there a place where one may escape from the results of evil deeds."
