Buddha, also known as Siddhartha Gautama, was a spiritual teacher who lived in ancient India and founded Buddhism. His teachings and philosophy have had a profound impact on the world and continue to inspire millions of people to this day.
Siddhartha Gautama was born in the 5th century BCE in the city of Lumbini, in what is now modern-day Nepal. He was the son of a wealthy king and grew up in luxury and comfort. However, despite his privileged upbringing, Siddhartha was deeply troubled by the suffering he saw in the world.
At the age of 29, Siddhartha left his comfortable life behind and set out on a spiritual quest to find the meaning of life and end suffering. He studied with various spiritual teachers and practiced extreme asceticism, but none of these approaches brought him the enlightenment he sought.
Eventually, Siddhartha sat down under a bodhi tree and meditated for days until he finally achieved enlightenment. He realized the nature of reality and the cause of suffering, which he called the Four Noble Truths. These are:
- The truth of suffering: Suffering exists and is a part of life.
- The truth of the cause of suffering: The cause of suffering is desire and attachment.
- The truth of the cessation of suffering: Suffering can be overcome by letting go of desire and attachment.
- The truth of the path to the cessation of suffering: The path to the cessation of suffering is the Eightfold Path.
The Eightfold Path consists of right understanding, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. By following this path, one can end suffering and achieve enlightenment.
After achieving enlightenment, Siddhartha spent the rest of his life teaching others about his discoveries. He traveled throughout India, attracting a large following of disciples who became known as Buddhists. He taught them about the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, as well as other important concepts such as the impermanence of all things and the interconnectedness of all beings.
Buddha’s teachings have had a profound impact on the world, particularly in Asia where Buddhism has been a major religion for thousands of years. His message of compassion, mindfulness, and non-attachment has inspired countless people to live more peaceful and fulfilling lives. His teachings continue to be relevant today, as people seek ways to find meaning and purpose in their lives and overcome the suffering that is a part of the human condition.
“Quiet the mind and the soul will speak.”
“What you think, you become. What you feel, you attract. What you imagine, you create.”
“Happiness will never come to those who fail to appreciate what they already have.”
“You don’t have a Soul. You are a soul. You have a body.”
“If you want to fly, give up everything that weighs you down.”
“All suffering is caused by ignorance. People inflict pain on others in the selfish pursuit of their own happiness or satisfaction.”
“Before you speak, let your words pass through three gates: Is it true? Is it necessary? Is it kind?”
“Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.”
“There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting.”
“Purity or impurity depends on oneself, no one can purify another.”
“Every morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.”
“In the end, only three things matters: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you.”
“Don’t rush anything. When the time is right it’ll happen.”
“To understand everything is to forgive everything.”
“When it hurts, observe. Life is trying to teach you something.”
“Change is never painful. Only resistance to change is painful.”
“One moment can change a day, one day can change a life, and one life can change the world.”
“The root of all suffering is attachment.”
“The trouble is, you think you have time.”
“Your mind is a powerful thing. When you start to filter it with positive thoughts your life will start to change.”
“If you truly loved yourself, you could never hurt another.”
“Be where you are; otherwise you will miss your life.”
“All that we are is the result of what we have thought.”
“Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.”
“Happiness does not depend on what you have or who you are. It solely relies on what you think.”
“Suffering is not holding you, you are holding suffering.”
“Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship.”
“Virtue is persecuted more by the wicked than it is loved by the good.”
“Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.”
“I never see what has been done; I only see what remains to be done.”
“If you knew what I know about the power of giving, you would not let a single meal pass without sharing it in some way.”
“No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.”
“When you realize how perfect everything is you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky.”
“Give, even if you only have a little.”
“You only lose what you cling to.”
“Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.”
“I never see what has been done; I only see what remains to be done.”
“I will not look at another’s bowl intent on finding a fault: a training to be observed.”
“Whatever words we utter should be chosen with care for people will hear them and be influenced by them for good or ill.”
“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.”
“It is a man’s own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways.”
“It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you.”
“Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.”
“Those who have failed to work toward the truth have missed the purpose of living.”
“Long is the night to him who is awake; long is a mile to him who is tired; long is life to the foolish who do not know the true law.”
“Ardently do today what must be done. Who knows? Tomorrow, death comes.”
“Meditate… do not delay, lest you later regret it.”
“One should strive to understand what underlies sufferings and diseases – and aim for health and well-being while gaining in the path.”
“Delight in meditation and solitude. Compose yourself, be happy. You are a seeker.”
“Like a fine flower, beautiful to look at but without scent, fine words are fruitless in a man who does not act in accordance with them.”
“Meditate. Live purely. Be quiet. Do your work with mastery. Like the moon, come out from behind the clouds! Shine”
“What you think, you become. What you feel, you attract. What you imagine, you create.”
“If you are quiet enough, you will hear the flow of the universe. You will feel its rhythm. Go with this flow. Happiness lies ahead. Meditation is key.”
“Though one should live a hundred years without wisdom and control, yet better, indeed, is a single day’s life of one who is wise and meditative.”
“If you light a lamp for someone else it will also brighten your path.”
“Neither fire, nor wind, birth, nor death, can erase our good deeds.”
“Happiness comes when your work and words are of benefit to yourself and others.”
“Work out your own salvation. Do not depend on others.”
“If we fail to look after others when they need help, who will look after us?”
“One who acts on truth is happy in this world and beyond.”
“Remembering a wrong is like carrying a burden on the mind.”
“There is no fear for one whose mind is not filled with desires.”
“Irrigators channel waters; fletchers straighten arrows; carpenters bend wood; the wise master themselves.”
“Stop, stop. Do not speak. The ultimate truth is not even to think.”
“Endurance is one of the most difficult disciplines, but it is to the one who endures that the final victory comes.”
“Avoid evil deeds as a man who loves life avoids poison.”
“If anything is worth doing, do it with all your heart.”
“You are far from the end of your journey. The way is not in the sky. The way is in the heart. See how you love.”
“Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love; this is the eternal rule.”
“There has to be evil so that good can prove its purity above it.”
“True love is born from understanding.”
“Just as a mother would protect her only child with her life, even so let one cultivate a boundless love towards all beings.”
“Ambition is like love, impatient both of delays and rivals.”
“Just as a snake sheds its skin, we must shed our past over and over again.”
“Everything that has a beginning has an ending. Make your peace with that and all will be well.”
“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly.”
“To conquer oneself is a greater task than conquering others.”
“If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change.”
“To live a pure unselfish life, one must count nothing as one’s own in the midst of abundance.”
“If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete.”
“Have compassion for all beings, rich and poor alike; each has their suffering. Some suffer too much, others too little.”
“Teach this triple truth to all: A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are the things which renew humanity.”
“As rain falls equally on the just and the unjust, do not burden your heart with judgement but rain your kindness equally on all.”
“In separateness lies the world’s greatest misery; in compassion lies the world’s true strength.”
“For the good of the many, for the happiness of the many, out of compassion for the world.”
“People with opinions just go around bothering each other.”
“The tongue like a sharp knife kills without drawing blood.”
“Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.”
“You will not be punished for your anger. You will be punished by your anger.”
“Conquer anger with non-anger. Conquer badness with goodness. Conquer meanness with generosity.”
“Your worst enemy cannot harm you as much as your own unguarded thoughts.”
“Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.”
“Anger will never disappear so long as thoughts of resentment are cherished in the mind. Anger will disappear as soon as thoughts of resentment are forgotten.”
“Chaos is inherent in all compounded things. Strive on with diligence.”
“It is a man’s own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways.”
“Silence the angry man with love. Silence the ill-natured man with kindness. Silence the miser with generosity. Silence the liar with truth.”
“Friendship is the only cure for hatred, the only guarantee of peace.”
“Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.”
“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”
“Those who are free of resentful thoughts surely find peace.”
“It’s better to travel well than to arrive.”
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