Quotes from Buddha

Do not overrate what you have received, nor envy others. He who envies others does not obtain peace of mind.

All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become.

What we think, we become.

Whatever words we utter should be chosen with care for people will hear them and be influenced by them for good or ill.

To keep the body in good health is a duty... otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.

There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting.

Work out your own salvation. Do not depend on others.

He who walks in the eightfold noble path with unswerving determination is sure to reach Nirvana.

He who gives away shall have real gain. He who subdues himself shall be free; he shall cease to be a slave of passions. The righteous man casts off evil, and by rooting out lust, bitterness, and illusion do we reach Nirvana.

Virtue is persecuted more by the wicked than it is loved by the good.

Better than worshiping gods is obedience to the laws of righteousness.

Chaos is inherent in all compounded things. Strive on with diligence.

We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world.

A woman of the world is anxious to exhibit her form and shape, whether walking, standing, sitting, or sleeping. Even when represented as a picture, she desires to captivate with the charms of her beauty and, thus, to rob men of their steadfast heart.

I am not the first Buddha who came upon Earth, nor shall I be the last. In due time, another Buddha will arise in the world - a Holy One, a supremely enlightened One, endowed with wisdom in conduct, auspicious, knowing the universe, an incomparable leader of men, a master of angels and mortals.

The foolish man conceives the idea of 'self.' The wise man sees there is no ground on which to build the idea of 'self;' thus, he has a right conception of the world and well concludes that all compounds amassed by sorrow will be dissolved again, but the truth will remain.

I was born into the world as the king of truth for the salvation of the world.

Let my skin and sinews and bones dry up, together with all the flesh and blood of my body! I welcome it! But I will not move from this spot until I have attained the supreme and final wisdom.

When one has the feeling of dislike for evil, when one feels tranquil, one finds pleasure in listening to good teachings; when one has these feelings and appreciates them, one is free of fear.

All wrong-doing arises because of mind. If mind is transformed can wrong-doing remain?

Charity bestowed upon those who are worthy of it is like good seed sown on a good soil that yields an abundance of fruits. But alms given to those who are yet under the tyrannical yoke of the passions are like seed deposited in a bad soil. The passions of the receiver of the alms choke, as it were, the growth of merits.

The mind is everything. What you think you become.

A wise man, recognizing that the world is but an illusion, does not act as if it is real, so he escapes the suffering.

Meditation brings wisdom; lack of meditation leaves ignorance. Know well what leads you forward and what hold you back, and choose the path that leads to wisdom.