Quotes from Walpola Rahula

Now , what is Absolute Truth? According to Buddhism, the Absolute Truth is that there is nothing absolute in the world, that everything is relative, conditioned and impermanent, and that there is no unchanging, everlasting, absolute substance like Self, Soul or Atman within or without.

A] being is nothing but a combination of physical and mental forces or energies. What we call death is the total non-functioning of the physical body. Do all these forces and energies stop altogether with the non-functioning of the body?

There is a path leading to the realization of Nirvana. But Nirvana is not the result of this path. You may get to the mountain along a path, but the mountain is not the result, not an effect of the path.

It is not correct to say that life is moving, but life is movement itself. Life and movement are not two different things. In other words, there is no thinker behind the thought. Thought itself is the thinker. If you remove the thought, there is no thinker to be found.

Mere suffering exists, but no sufferer is found; The deeds are, but no doer is found.

T]he Absolute Truth is that there is nothing absolute in the world, that everything is relative, conditional and impermanent, and that there is no unchanging, everlasting, absolute substance like Self, Soul, Atman within or without.

One can clearly see here that Buddhism is strongly opposed to any kind of war, when it lays down that trade in arms and lethal weapons is an evil and unjust means of livelihood.

Hatred is never appeased by hatred in this world; it is appeased by love. This is an eternal Law.

whatever is impermanent is dukkha' (yad aniccam ta? dukkha ?).

When this physical body is no more capable of functioning, energies do not die with it, but continue to take some other shape or form, which we call another life.

You may see the light, but the light is not the result of your eyesight.

One physician may gravely exaggerate an illness and give up hope altogether. Another may ignorantly declare that there is no illness and that no treatment is necessary, thus deceiving the patient with false consolation. You may call the first one pessimistic and the second one optimistic. Both are equally dangerous.

Buddhism does not recognize a spirit opposed to matter, as is accepted by most other systems of philosophies and religions. Mind is only a faculty or organ (indriya) like the eye or the ear. It can be controlled and developed like any other faculty [...]. The difference between the eye and the mind as faculties is that the former senses the world of colours and visible forms, while the latter senses the world of ideas and thoughts and mental objects.

Mere suffering exists, but no sufferer is found; The deed are, but no doer is found.

Joy (p?ti), the quality quite contrary to the pessimistic, gloomy or melancholic attitude of mind.

It is always seeing through knowledge or wisdom (ñ??a-dassana), and not believing through faith.

According to the Buddha, there are four ways of treating questions: (1) Some should be answered directly; (2) others should be answered by way of analysing them; (3) yet others should be answered by counter-questions; (4) and lastly, there are questions which should be put aside.

Further, the Buddha explained to ?nanda how one could be one's own island or refuge, how one could make the Dhamma one's own island or refuge: through the cultivation of mindfulness or awareness of the body, sensations, mind and mind-objects (the four Satipa??h?nas).2 There is no talk at all here about an ?tman or Self.

According to the Buddha, there are four ways of treating questions: (1) Some should be answered directly; (2) others should be answered by way of analysing them; (3) yet others should be answered by counter-questions; (4) and lastly, there are questions which should be put aside.1

T]here is no permanent unchanging spirit which can be considered 'Self' or 'Soul', or 'Ego'.

To be attached to one thing (to a certain view) and to look down upon other things (views) as inferior—this the wise men call a fetter.'2

Words are symbols representing things and ideas known to us; and these symbols do not and cannot convey the true nature of even ordinary things. Language is considered deceptive and misleading in the matter of understanding of the Truth.

Because Nirvana is thus expressed in negative terms, there are many who have got a wrong notion that it is negative, and expresses self-annihilation. Nirvana is definitely no annihilation of self, because there is no self to annihilate. If at all, it is the annihilation of the illusion, of the false idea of self.

One should be bold and sincere and look at one's own mind as one looks at one's face in a mirror. Here is no attitude of criticizing or judging, or discriminating between right and wrong, or good and bad. It is simply observing, watching, examining. You are not a judge, but a scientist. When you observe your mind, and see its true nature clearly, you become dispassionate with regard to its emotions, sentiments and states.