Great Throughts Treasury

"All that we are is the result of what we have thought; it is founded on our thoughts, it is made up of our thoughts. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him, as the wheel follows the foot of he who draws the carriage."

"Anger will never disappear so long as there are thoughts of resentment in the mind. Anger will disappear just as soon as thoughts of resentment are forgotten."

"Be a lamp unto yourselves! Work out your liberation with diligence! Fill your mind with compassion!"

"Decay is inherent in all component things. Work out your own salvation with diligence."

"Do not become attached to the things you like, do not maintain aversion to the things you dislike. Sorrow, fear and bondage come from one's likes and dislikes."

"Do not overlook negative actions merely because they are small; however small a spark may be, it can burn a haystack as big as a mountain."

"Everything is a succession of appearances whose source is the accumulation of causes and conditions."

"Faith, modesty, humbleness, endeavor and wisdom are the great sources of strength to him who is seeking Enlightenment. Among these, wisdom is the greatest of all and the rest are but aspects of wisdom."

"Happiness follows sorrow, sorrow follows happiness, but when one no longer discriminates between happiness and sorrow, a good deed and a bad deed, one is able to realize freedom."

"Happiness never decreases by being shared."

"Hatred does not cease by hatred at any time; hatred ceases by love."

"He who beholds in all beings in the self and the self in all beings, he never turns away from it. When to a man who understands, the self has become all things, what sorrow, what trouble can there be to him who once beheld that unity?"

"I am not collecting my knowledge from letters and books, but I have it within my own Self; because heaven and earth with all their inhabitants, and moreover God himself, is in man."

"If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him like a shadow that never leaves him."

"Let no man think lightly of good, saying in his heart, it will not benefit me. Even by the falling of water-drops a water-pot is filled; the wise man becomes full of good, even if he gather it little by little."

"Like a beautiful flower full of color, but without scent, are the fine but fruitless words of him who does not act accordingly."

"On life's journey faith is nourishment, virtuous deeds are a shelter, wisdom is the light by day and right mindfulness is the protection by night. If a man lives a pure life nothing can destroy him; if he has conquered greed nothing can limit his freedom."

"Pain is the outcome of sin."

"Some there are who are clear-sighted and do not need my teachings, and some whose eyes are clouded with dust who will not heed it though given, but between these two there are also some with but little dust in their eyes, who can be helped to see; and for the sake of these I will go back among mankind and teach."

"Temperance is a tree which has for a root very little contentment, and for fruit, calm and peace."

"The mind is everything. What we think, we become."

"The wise man learns to meet the changing circumstances of life with an equitable spirit, being neither elated by success nor depressed by failure. Thus one realizes the truth of non-duality."

"There is nothing that can not be accomplished by the spirit of gratitude and self-sacrifice."

"There is nothing that can be called a “Self,” and there is no such thing as “mine” in all the world."

"Through zeal knowledge is gotten, through lack of zeal knowledge is lost; let a man who knows this double path of gain and loss thus place himself that knowledge may grow."

"To be idle is a short road to death and to be diligent is a way of life; foolish people are idle, wise people are diligent."

"To conquer oneself is a greater victory than to conquer thousands in battle."

"To him in whom loves dwells, the whole world is but one family."

"To utter pleasant words without practicing them is like a fine flower without fragrance."

"What you are is what you have been, what you will be is what you do now."

"Who ever lives looking for pleasure only, his senses uncontrolled, immoderate in his enjoyments, idle and weak, the tempter will certainly overcome him, as the wind blows down a weak tree."

"Without knowledge there is no meditation, without meditation there is no knowledge: he who has knowledge and meditation is near unto Nirvana."

"As a mother would risk her life to protect her child, her only child, even so should one cultivate a limitless heart with regard to all beings. With good will for the entire cosmos, cultivate a limitless heart: Above, below, & all around, unobstructed, without hostility or hate. Whether standing, walking, sitting, or lying down, as long as one is alert, one should be resolved on this mindfulness. This is called a sublime abiding here & now."

"Let no one deceive another or despise anyone anywhere, or through anger or irritation wish for another to suffer."

"Think: Happy, at rest, may all beings be happy at heart. Whatever beings there may be, weak or strong, without exception, long, large, middling, short, subtle, blatant, seen & unseen, near & far, born & seeking birth: May all beings be happy at heart."

"Know all things to be like this: A mirage, a cloud castle, A dream, an apparition, Without essence, but with qualities that can be seen. Know all things to be like this: As the moon in a bright sky In some clear lake reflected, Though to that lake the moon has never moved. Know all things to be like this: As an echo that derives From music, sounds and weeping, Yet in that echo is no melody. Know all things to be like this: As a magician makes illusions Of horses, oxen, carts, and other things, Nothing is as it appears."

"Know all things to be like this: A mirage, a cloud castle A dream, an apparition, Without essence but with qualities that can be seen; Know all things to be like this: As the moon in a bright sky, In some clear lake reflected, Though to that lake the moon has never moved; Know all things to be like this: As an echo that derives, From music, sounds and weeping, Yet in that echo is no melody; Know all things to be like this: As a magician makes illusions, Of horses, oxen, carts and other things, Nothing is as it appears."

"Intention Rain falls, wind blows, plants bloom, leaves mature and are blown away; these phenomena are all interrelated with causes and conditions, are brought about by them, and disappear as the causes and conditions change. "

"All that we are is the result of what we have thought; it is founded on our thoughts. If a man speaks or acts with pure thought, joy will follow him, like a shadow that never leaves him. In the light of his vision he has found his freedom: his thoughts are peace. his words peace. his work peace. "

"We already have perfect compassion, perfect wisdom, perfect joy. We only need to settle our minds so they can arise from deep within us. Develop the quiet, even state of mind. When praised by some and condemned by others, free the mind from hate and pride, and gently go your way in peace. "

"However young, The seeker who sets out upon the way Shines bright over the world. But day and night The man who is awake Shines in the radiance of the spirit. Meditate. Live purely. Be quiet. Do your work, with mastery. Like the moon, Come out from behind the clouds! Shine."

"The thought manifests as the word; The word manifests as the deed; The deed develops into habit; And habit hardens into character; So watch the thought and its ways with care, And let it spring from love Born out of concern for all beings… As the shadow follows the body, As we think, so we become."

"A Brahman saw the Buddha meditating by the River. He engaged the Buddha in conversation. "What caste are you? Asked the Brahman. "Caste is irrelevant." Said the Buddha. "How so," said the Brahman, "surely you would agree that Brahman and royalty are of considerable worth whereas peasants and commoners are not?" "Caste and riches matter not," replied the Buddha, "it is one's conduct that matters." "How so," said the Brahman. "In that fire comes from any type of wood so can a wise person come from any caste. It is through the knowing of truth that one becomes noble not through caste. The noble one is the one that doesn't cling to unworthy attachments. The noble one realizes the true way that things are, he no longer thinks of himself as a self and thus has gained clarity." "You are truly wise," said the Brahman."

"A Brahman saw the Buddha resting under a tree in meditation. The Brahman was impressed with the Buddha's way. He asked, "Are you a god?" "No, Brahman, I'm not a god." "Are you an angel?" "No", replied the Buddha. "You must be a spirit then?" “No, I'm not a spirit," said the Buddha. "Then what are you?" "I'm awake.""

"A dog is not considered a good dog because he is a good barker. a man is not considered a good man because he is a good talker."

"A family is a place where minds come in contact with one another. If these minds love one another the home will be as beautiful as a flower garden. But if these minds get out of harmony with one another it is like a storm that plays havoc with the garden."

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

"A fool associating himself with a wise man all his life sees not the truth, just as the spoon does not enjoy the taste of the soup."

"A controlled mind is conducive to joyfulness."

"A corporeal phenomenon, a feeling, a perception, a mental formation, a consciousness, which is permanent and persistent, eternal and not subject to change, such a thing the wise men in this world do not recognize; and I also say that there is no such thing."