Great Throughts Treasury

This site is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Alan William Smolowe who gave birth to the creation of this database.

Related Quotes

Thich Nhất Hanh

When we come into contact with the other person, our thoughts and actions should express our mind of compassion, even if that person says and does things that are not easy to accept. We practice in this way until we see clearly that our love is not contingent upon the other person being lovable.

Suffering |

Thomas Brooks

In private prayer we have a far greater advantage as so the exercise of our own gifts and graces and parts that we have in public...in public duties we are more passive, but in private duties we are more active. Now, the more our gifts and parts and graces are exercised, the more they are strengthened and increased. All acts strengthen habits. The more sin is acted, the more it is strengthened. And so it is with our gifts and graces; the more they are acted, the more they are strengthened.

Earth | Enjoyment | Eternal | God | Happy | Imperfection | Men | Mourning | Pain | Present | Prison | Society | Weakness | Society | God |

Thomas Nashe

Beauty is but a flower, which wrinkles will devour; brightness falls from the air; queens have died young and fair; dust hath closed Helen's eye. I am sick, I must die.

God | Good | Little | Will | God |

William Blake

I looked for my soul but my soul I could not see. I looked for my God but my God eluded me. I looked for a friend and then I found all three.

Artifice | Children | Death | Earth | Experience | God | Light | Love | Man | Men | Patience | Price | Prosperity | Prudence | Prudence | Wife | Wisdom | God |

William Blake

What seems to be, is, to those to whom it seems to be, and is productive of the most dreadful consequences to those to whom it seems to be, even of torments, despair, eternal death.

Children | God | Love | Man | Men | Patience | Price | Prison | Prudence | Prudence | Wisdom | God |

Walt Whitman, fully Walter "Walt" Whitman

Out of the rolling ocean the crowd came a drop gently to me, whispering I love you, before long I die, I have travel'd a long way merely to look on you to touch you, for I could not die till I once look'd on you, for I fear'd I might afterward lose you. Now we have met, we have look'd, we are safe, return in peace to the ocean my love, I too am part of that ocean my love, we are not so much separated, behold the great rondure, the cohesion of all, how perfect! But as for me, for you, the irresistible sea is to separate us, as for an hour carrying us diverse, yet cannot carry us diverse forever; be not impatient--a little space--know you I salute the air, the ocean and the land, every day at sundown for your dear sake my love.

Beginning | Little | Play | Tears |

Walt Whitman, fully Walter "Walt" Whitman

Turbulent, fleshy, sensual, eating, drinking and breeding, no sentimentalist, no stander above men and women or apart from them, no more modest than immodest. Unscrew the locks from the doors! Unscrew the doors themselves from their jambs! Whoever degrades another degrades me, and whatever is done or said returns at last to me. Through me the afflatus surging and surging, through me the current and index.

Indifference | Life | Life | Looks | Man | People | Will | Witness | Woman | Loss | Old |

Wang Wei, aka Wang Youcheng

I can never see my old friend again— the river Han still streams to the east I might question some old man of his place— river and hills—empty is Tsaichou.

Love | Poverty |

Welsh Proverbs

Truth will sleep on thorns. Lies will not sleep on feathers.

Vimala Thakar

Nothing in life is trivial. Life is whole wherever and whenever we touch it, and one moment or event is not less sacred than another.

Anxiety | Anxiety | Humanity | Indifference | Afraid |

Vernon Howard, fully Vernon Linwood Howard

Mental silence is the perfect response to a challenge.

Means | System | Wants | Will |

Atharva Veda, or Atharvaveda

The Divine Guru has opened his eyes. Doubt has been dispelled; my service has been successful.

Disease |

Vance Havner

It has not dawned upon most of us that we do not need some new thing so much as some old things that would be new if anybody tried them.

Disease | Sin |

William Shakespeare

O here will I set of my everlasting rest and shake the yoke of inauspicious stars from this world wearied flesh eyes look your last arms take your last embrace and lips all you the doors of breath seal with a righteous kiss a dateless bargain to engrossing death.

Darkness | Heaven | Love | Man | Power | Sympathy |

William Shakespeare

Order gave each thing view.

Darkness | Heaven | Man | Power | Sympathy |

William Shakespeare

So will I turn her virtue into pitch, and out of her own goodness make the net that shall enmesh them all.

Tears | World | Blessed |

William Shakespeare

Sigh no more Ladies, sigh no more men were deceivers ever, one foote in Sea, and one on shore, too one thing constant never. Much Ado About Nothing

English Proverbs

Heaven helps those who help themselves.