Quotes About Wisdom

Rather follow the example of the wise, which the same authority states, "use Law against Laws; the higher against the lower; and by the Art of Alchemy transmute that which is undesirable into that which is worthy, and thus triumph.

Bhima smiles. "Beti, the past is always present," she says. "No such thing as bringing it up. The past is like the skin on your hand—it was there yesterday and it is here today. It never goes anywhere. Maybe when you're older you'll understand this better.

The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it." —FLANNERY O'CONNOR "I

The body is wise. It often knows more - and sooner - than our brains do. Every family, every home in India seemed to have its own saga of melodrama and heartache.

As children, we were taught to be afraid of tigers and lions. Nobody taught us what I know today—the most dangerous animal in this world is a man with wounded pride.

She's been at his apartment in Brooklyn, complaining about his couch being covered in cat hair. Bryan had taken her face in his hands and said, " You know what your problem is, Smita? You focus on the cat hair. Try focusing on the cat. Perhaps that's what love was--an embrace of the commonplace? Perhaps that's where wisdom lay--in recognizing the grandeur of everyday domestic life?

Thubten Chodron

Lord Buddha himself taught that basically, human nature is pure, egoless, just as the sky is by nature clear, not cloudy. Clouds come and go, but the blue sky is always there; clouds don't alter the fundamental nature of the sky. Similarly, the human mind is fundamentally pure.

It is very important that you become your own psychologist. Then you can treat yourself through the understanding wisdom of your own mind; you'll be able to relax...

When the powerful wisdom that understands the nature of the mind arises, the dark clouds of ego disappear. Beyond the ego—the agitated, uncontrolled mind—lie everlasting peace and satisfaction. That's why Lord Buddha prescribed penetrative analysis of both your positive and your negative sides. In particular, when your negative mind arises, instead of being afraid, you should examine it more closely.

It is never too late. Even if you are going to die tomorrow, Keep yourself straight and clear and be a happy human being today. If you keep your situation happy day by day, you will eventually reach the greatest happiness of enlightenment. – Lama Yeshe

Meditation is an alert state of mind, the opposite of sluggishness; meditation is wisdom. You should remain aware every moment of your daily life, fully conscious of what you are doing and why and how you are doing it.

The mind is very powerful. Therefore, it requires firm guidance. A powerful jet plane needs a good pilot; the pilot of your mind should be the wisdom that understands its nature. In that way, you can direct your powerful mental energy to benefit your life instead of letting it run about uncontrollably like a mad elephant, destroying yourself and others.

The transformation of the mind is the ultimate healing. I may be the one saying all this, but the actual healing has to come from you, from your own mind. The healing comes through your meditation, through your positive thinking, which basically means through your own wisdom and compassion. Meditation on emptiness and on loving kindness and compassion ends the need for healing. Through this ultimate healing, you will never have to experience disease again. (p. 10)

Relying on the boat of a human body, Free yourself from the great river of pain! As it is hard to find this boat again, This is no time to sleep, you fool. [11]

We are lovers of beauty without extravagance, and lovers of wisdom without unmanliness. Wealth to us is not mere material for vainglory but an opportunity for achievement; and poverty we think it no disgrace to acknowledge but a real degradation to make no effort to overcome.

We should realize that a city is better off with bad laws, so long as they remain fixed, than with good laws that are constantly being altered, that lack of learning combined with sound common sense is more helpful than the kind of cleverness that gets out of hand, and that as a general rule states are better governed by the man in the street than by intellectuals.

History is Philosophy teaching by example.

Ignorance is bold and knowledge reserved.

The secret of Happiness is Freedom, and the secret of Freedom, Courage.

Ignorance is bold, and knowledge is reserved

In practice we always base our preparations against an enemy on the assumption that his plans are good; indeed, it is right to rest our hopes not on a belief in his blunders, but on the soundness of our provisions. Nor ought we to believe that there is much difference between man and man, but to think that the superiority lies with him who is reared in the severest school.

A man who has the knowledge but lacks the power clearly to express it is no better off than if he never had any ideas at all.

Three of the greatest failings, want of sense, of courage, or of vigilance.