Gautama Buddha Quotes

There are, O monks, these four lights. What four? The light of the moon, the light of the sun, the light of fire, and the light of wisdom. Of these four lights, the light of wisdom is supreme.

A contemplative should pay equal attention to concentration, energetic effort and equanimity, and not exclusively to one of these factors only.

If by leaving a small pleasure one sees a great pleasure, let a wise man leave the small pleasure, and look to the great.

Cultivation of meditative stability alone, will not destroy the discrimination of inherent existence. Afflictive emotions can return, making all sorts of disturbances

Persevere in thy quest and thou shalt find what thou seekest. Pursue thy aim unswervingly and thou shalt gain victory. Struggle earnestly and thou shalt triumph.

Follow the truth of the way. Reflect upon it. Make it your own. Live it. It will always sustain you.

Solitude is happiness for one who is content, who has heard the Dhamma and clearly sees. Non-affliction is happiness in the world - harmlessness towards all living beings.

As a mountain is unshaken by the wind, so the heart of a wise person is unmoved by all the changes on this earth.

All phenomena link together in a mutually conditioning network.

One is not low because of birth nor does birth make one holy. Deeds alone make one low, deeds alone make one holy.

By oneself the evil is done, and it is oneself who suffers: by oneself the evil is not done, and by one's Self one becomes pure.

It is impossible for a man who is bogged to extricate another who is bogged.

All created things are impermanent. Strive diligently.

'As I am, so are these. As are these, so am I.' Drawing the parallel to yourself, neither kill nor get others to kill.

Seeking but not finding the house builder I travelled through life after life. How painful is repeated birth! House-builders, you have now been seen. You will not build the house again.

But ...meat eating in any form, in any manner, and in any place is unconditionally and once and for all prohibited ...Meat eating I have not permitted to anyone, I do not permit, I will not permit.

Realizing the doctrine of dependent-arising, the wise do not at all partake of extreme views

Happy indeed are the arahants! No craving can be found in them. Cut off is the conceit 'I am,' Burst asunder is delusion's net.

When the sleeping snake is gone, then you can rest at ease.

Analyzing through special insight and realizing the lack of inherent existence constitute understanding of the signless.

Watch the thought and its ways with care, and let it spring from love born out of concern for all beings.

When one sees that everything exists as an illusion, one can live in a higher sphere than ordinary man.

Our life is a creation of our mind.

Better than a long speech is a single quietening word.

Do not say anything harsh: what you have said will be said back to you.

Believe only what you yourself test and judge to be true.

If a string has one end, it has another.

Letting go of our suffering is the hardest work we will ever do.

True charity occurs only when there are no notions of giving, giver, or gift.

Dispassion is the best of mental states. . . .

Peace comes from within; do not try to seek it without.

To share happiness, and to have done something good before leaving this life is sweet.

Make an island of yourself, make yourself your refuge; there is no other refuge. Make truth your island, make truth your refuge; there is no other refuge.

Your suffering is my suffering and your happiness is my happiness.

If we destroy something around us we destroy ourselves. If we cheat another, we cheat ourselves.

When one feels no shame in telling a deliberate lie, there is no evil, I tell you, he will not do.

A fool acquires knowledge only to his own disadvantage. It destroys what good he has, and turns his brains.

A good horse runs with seeing just the shadow of the whip.

Comparing oneself to others in such terms as "Just as I am so are they, just as they are so am I," he should neither kill nor cause others to kill.

All compounded things are subject to decay. Strive with diligence!

O men! you can take life easily but, remember, none of you can give life! So, have mercy, have compassion! And, never forget, that compassion makes the world noble and beautiful.

Offensive acts come back upon the evil doer, like dust that is thrown against the wind.

Ye must leave righteous ways behind, not to speak of unrighteous ways.

When one is overcome by this wretched, clinging desire in the world, one's sorrows increase like grass growing up after a lot of rain.

There has to be evil so that good can prove its purity above it. To live a pure unselfish life, one must count nothing as one's own in the midst of abundance.

Meat is not agreeable to the wise: it has a nauseating odor, it causes a bad reputation, it is food for the carnivorous; I say this, Mahamati, it is not to be eaten.

Seeker, empty the boat, lighten the load, be free of craving and judgment and hatred, and feel the joy of the way.

He who harms living beings is, for that reason, not an ariya (a Noble One); he who does not harm any living being is called an ariya.

It is ignorance that smothers, and it is carelessness that makes it invisible. The hunger of craving pollutes the world, and the pain of suffering causes the greatest fear.

I do not perceive even one other thing, O monks, that when undeveloped and uncultivated entails such great suffering as the mind. The mind when undeveloped and uncultivated entails great suffering.