True religion is real living; living with all one's soul, with all one's goodness and righteousness. — Albert Einstein
Buddhism is all about science. If science is the systematic pursuit of the accurate knowledge of reality, then science is Buddhism, Buddhism is science. — Robert Thurman
To define Buddhism without a lot of words and phrases, we can simply say, 'Don't cling or hold on to anything. Harmonize with actuality, with things as they are.' — Ajahn Chah
The complete teachings of all Buddhas - past, present, and future - are to be found within the essence of every human being. — Huineng
If you study carefully, you will see that Buddhism is based on reason. There is an element of flexibility inherent in it, which is not found in any other religion. — B. R. Ambedkar
What is most important is to go deep into ourselves and discover the loving kindness and compassion of the buddha within - the awakened nature we all possess. — Shinjo Ito
Zen Buddhism is a discipline where belief isn't necessary. — David Sylvian
This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness. — Dalai Lama
I describe myself as a simple Buddhist monk. No more, no less. — Dalai Lama
Buddha means awareness, the awareness of body and mind that prevents evil from arising in either. — Bodhidharma
Buddha was not a Christian, but Jesus would have made a good Buddhist. — Ray Wylie Hubbard
In the monastery of your heart, you have a temple where all Buddhas unite. — Milarepa
I haven't got any Buddhism. I live by letting things happen. — Dogen
Buddhism has become a socially recognized religious philosophy for Americans, whereas it used to be considered an exotic religion. — Thurston Moore
Short Real Buddhist Quotes
If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him. — Linji Yixuan
Buddhism teaches you to embrace change. — Koo Stark
The mouth prays to Buddha, but the heart is full of evil. — Vietnamese Proverbs
True religion is the life we lead, not the creed we profess. — Louis Nizer
Manifest plainness, embrace simplicity, reduce selfishness, have few desires. — Lao Tzu
Instead of becoming the world’s expert on Buddhism, just let go, let go, let go. — Ajahn Sumedho
My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness. — Dalai Lama
Real Buddhist Image Quotes
The real difficulty is to overcome how you think about yourself.
Good Buddhist Quotes
If the problem can be solved why worry? If the problem cannot be solved worrying will do you no good. — Shantideva
However many holy words you read, However many you speak, What good will they do you If you do not act on upon them? — Buddha
Good men and bad men differ radically. Bad men never appreciate kindness shown them, but wise men appreciate and are grateful. Wise men try to express their appreciation and gratitude by some return of kindness, not only to their benefactor, but to everyone else — Buddha
It is when you finally learn that your are all in your mind that your real life begins.
Since everything is but an apparition, having nothing to do with good or bad, acceptance or rejection, one may well burst out in laughter. — Longchenpa
Movement is good for the body. Stillness is good for the mind. — Sakyong Mipham
Saints and ordinary folks are the same from the start. Inquiring about a difference is like asking to borrow string when you've got a good strong rope. Every Dharma is known in the heart. — Hsu Yun
Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody is going to know whether you did it or not.
I see no contradiction between Buddhism and Christianity ... I intend to become as good a Buddhist as I can. — Thomas Merton
To enjoy good health, to bring true happiness to one's family, to bring peace to all, one must first discipline and control one's own mind. If a man can control his mind he can find the way to Enlightenment, and all wisdom and virtue will naturally come to him. — Buddha
If you cannot find a good companion to walk with, walk alone, like an elephant roaming the jungle. It is better to be alone than to be with those who will hinder your progress. — Buddha
There has to be evil so that good can prove its purity above it. — Buddha
Buddhist Quotes
Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle. Happiness never decreases by being shared. — Buddha
Follow the three R's: - Respect for self. - Respect for others. - Responsibility for all your actions. — Dalai Lama
Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other. — Dalai Lama
I never see what has been done; I only see what remains to be done. — Marie Curie
The whole moon and the entire sky are reflected in one dewdrop on the grass. — Dogen
Every civilization:
Hindu, Buddhist, Confucianist, Christian, Jewish and Muslim, all of them understood that LEARNING was to make a BETTER HUMAN BEING, LEARNING was NOT to MAKE MORE MONEY;
It was to make a BETTER HUMAN BEING. — Hamza Yusuf
A real leader faces the music, even when he doesn't like the tune.
We suffer because we want life to be different from what it is. We suffer because we try to make pleasurable what is painful, to make solid what is fluid, to make permanent what is always changing. — Sakyong Mipham
Life and death are of supreme importance. Time swiftly passes by and opportunity is lost. Each of us should strive to awaken. Awaken. Take heed, do not squander your life. — Dogen
Three things cannot long be hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth. — Confucius
All rising to great places is by a winding stair. — Buddha
Buddhist Life Quotes
Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality. — Dalai Lama
One moment can change a day, One day can change a life and One life can change the world — Buddha
If you light a lamp for somebody, it will also brighten your path. — Buddha
Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day. — A. A. Milne
This is bravery: using the challenge of daily life to sharpen our mind and open our heart. — Sakyong Mipham
The real workout starts when you want to stop.
Waking up this morning, I smile. Twenty-four brand new hours are before me. I vow to live fully in each moment and to look at all beings with eyes of compassion. — Nhat Hanh
He who experiences the unity of life sees his own self in all beings. — Buddha
Realization is not knowledge about the universe, but the living experience of the nature of the universe. Until we have such living experience, we remain dependent on examples, and subject to their limits. — Namkhai Norbu
In a controversy, the instant we feel anger, we have already ceased striving for truth and have begun striving for ourselves. — Abraham Joshua Heschel
Buddhism Quotes
If you cannot find the truth right where you are, where else do you expect to find it? — Dogen
Do not encumber your mind with useless thoughts. What good does it do to brood on the past or anticipate the future? Remain in the simplicity of the present moment. — Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
If we learn to open our hearts, anyone, including the people who drive us crazy, can be our teacher. — Pema Chodron
The real question is not whether life exists after death. The real question is whether you are alive before death.
In the sky, there is no distinction of east and west; people create disticntions out of their own minds and then believe them to be true. — Buddha
On the day that you were born, you began to die. Do not waste a single moment more! — Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship. — Buddha
Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance.
Treat every moment as your last. It is not preparation for something else. — Shunryu Suzuki
Learn to be happy in any and all circumstances, whether you're experiencing pleasure or pain, whether there's loss or gain, whether the world loves you or hates you. Learn to be happy. — Frederick Lenz
Life is fragile, like the dew hanging delicately on the grass, crystal drops that will be carried away on the first morning breeze. — Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
I've tried Buddhism, Scientology, Numerology, Transcendental Meditation, Qabbala, t'ai chi, feng shui and Deepak Chopra but I find straight gin works best. — Phyllis Diller
Buddhist Monk Quotes
I follow four dictates: face it, accept it, deal with it, then let it go. — Sheng-yen
The past is gone, the future is not yet here, and if we do not go back to ourselves in the present moment, we cannot be in touch with life. — Nhat Hanh
You haven't partied until you've partied at dawn in complete silence with Buddhist monks. — Cameron Diaz
Real magic in relationships means an absence of judgment of others.
Anger and hatred are the real enemies that we must confront and defeat, not the 'enemies' who appear from time to time in our lives. — Dalai Lama
No blame, no reasoning, no argument, just understanding. If you understand, and you show that you understand, you can love, and the situation will change. — Nhat Hanh
Buddhist monks have known for centuries that meditation can change the mind. Now we are inspired by His Holiness to examine with our technology the precise brain changes that occur with practice... The unique collaboration on meditation is just beginning. — Richard Davidson
A real decision is measured by the fact that you've taken a new action. If there's no action, you haven't truly decided.
I can't tell how moving it is to open my email and see a picture of 1,500 Buddhist monks and nuns in the Himalayan kingdom of Ladakh forming a human 350 against the backdrop of the melting glaciers. This is not their fault, and yet they're stepping up to be part of the solution. — Bill McKibben
He who can curb his wrath as soon as it arises, as a timely antidote will check snake's venom that so quickly spreads, - such a monk gives up the here and the beyond, just as a serpent sheds its worn-out skin. — Buddha
When I was a teenager, I wanted to be in a group, or I wanted to work for Greenpeace, or I wanted to be a Buddhist monk. Those were the only three things I really wanted to do. I was doing some sort of soul searching in life. — Dave Wakeling
Originally, I was interested in athletic pursuits like snowboarding, martial arts and surfing. When I went to the Himalayas and met a number of Buddhist monks I was introduced to a new way of looking at life. — Frederick Lenz
Wise Buddhist Quotes
Ultimately, happiness comes down to choosing between the discomfort of becoming aware of your mental afflictions and the discomfort of being ruled by them. — Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
The answer lies within ourselves. If we can't find peace and happiness there, it's not going to come from the outside. — Tenzin Palmo
You are never alone or helpless. The force that guides the stars guides you too. — Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar
People often complain about lack of time when lack of direction is the real problem.
When a wise man is advised of his errors, he will reflect on and improve his conduct. When his misconduct is pointed out, a foolish man will not only disregard the advice but rather repeat the same error. — Buddha
Do not give your attention to what others do or fail to do; give it to what you do or fail to do. — Buddha
Whatever we do lays a seed in our deepest consciousness, and one day that seed will grow. — Sakyong Mipham
Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody's going to know whether you did it or not.
For ages this idea has been proclaimed in the consummately wise teachings of religion, probably not alone as a means of insuring peace and harmony among men, but as a deeply founded truth. The Buddhist expresses it in one way, the Christian in another, but both say the same: We are all one. — Nikola Tesla
The fragrance of sandalwood and rosebay does not travel far. But the fragrance of virtue rises to the heavens. — Buddha
There is no fire like passion
No crime like hatred,
No sorrow like separation,
No sickness like hunger,
And no joy like the joy of freedom. — Buddha
The tongue like a sharp knife ... Kills without drawing blood. — Buddha
Buddhist Philosophy Quotes
"All conditioned things are impermanent" - when one sees this with wisdom, one turns away from suffering. — Buddha
If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him. — Buddha
To walk safely through the maze of human life, one needs the light of wisdom and the guidance of virtue. — Buddha
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. — Buddha
Whatever words we utter should be chosen with care for people will hear them and be influenced by them for good or ill. — Buddha
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. — Buddha
All philosophies are mental fabrications. There has never been a single doctrine by which one could enter the true essence of things. — Akkineni Nagarjuna
From the high spiritual flights of the Vedanta philosophy, of which the latest discoveries of science seem like echoes, to the low ideas of idolatry with its multifarious mythology, the agnosticism of the Buddhists and the atheism of the Jains, each and all have a place in the Hinduism religion. — Swami Vivekananda
The gift of truth excels all other gifts. — Buddha
Zen Buddhist Quotes
Sitting quietly, doing nothing, Spring comes, and the grass grows, by itself. — Matsuo Basho
Mind is everything. What we think, we become. — Buddha
It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. — Buddha
Man suffers only because he takes seriously what the gods made for fun. — Alan Watts
Before enlightenment; chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment; chop wood, carry water. — Buddha
Harmonizing opposites by going back to their source is the distinctive quality of the Zen attitude, the Middle Way: embracing contradictions, making a synthesis of them, achieving balance. — Taisen Deshimaru
Nothing ever exists entirely alone; everything is in relation to everythiong else. — Buddha
To say one is revolutionary is a little like saying one is a Zen Buddhist - if you say you are, you probably aren't. — Lawrence Ferlinghetti
The greatest effort is not concerned with results. — Atisa
The foot feels the foot when it feels the ground. — Buddha
Daily Buddhist Quotes
We are formed and molded by our thoughts. Those whose minds are shaped by selfless thoughts give joy when they speak or act. — Buddha
Unity can only be manifested by the Binary. Unity itself and the idea of Unity are already two. — Buddha
Through violence, you may 'solve' one problem, but you sow the seeds for another. — Dalai Lama
Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love. — Buddha
Hatred does not cease through hatred at any time. Hatred ceases through love. This is an unalterable law. — Buddha
Those who are free of resentful thoughts surely find peace. — Buddha
At a personal level, as a Buddhist practitioner, I deliberately visualize and think about death in my daily practice. Death is not separated from our lives. Due to my research and thoughts about death, I have some guarantee and some conviction that it will be a positive experience. — Dalai Lama
Sackcloth and kelp soup are not required, but the Buddhist reminder of the need to live lightly on the earth is a helpful guide to the daily habits and needs of us all. — Tom Brokaw
Chaos is inherent in all compounded things. Strive on with diligence. — Buddha
Buddhist Meditation Quotes
Do not try to become anything. Do not make yourself into anything. Do not be a meditator. Do not become enlightened. When you sit, let it be. What you walk, let it be. Grasp at nothing. Resist nothing. — Ajahn Chah
All meditation must begin with arousing deep compassion. Whatever one does must emerge from an attitude of love and benefitting others. — Milarepa
I'm expressin' with my full capabilities,
And now I'm livin in correctional facilities.
Cause some don't agree with how I do this,
I get straight and meditate like a Buddhist. — Dr. Dre
If you let cloudy water settle, it will become clear. If you let your upset mind settle, your course will also become clear. — Buddha
In horror of death, I took to the mountains - again and again I meditated on the uncertainty of the hour of death, capturing the fortress of the deathless unending nature of mind. Now all fear of death is over and done. — Milarepa
Breathing in, I calm body and mind. Breathing out, I smile. Dwelling in the present moment I know this is the only moment. — Nhat Hanh
When sitting in meditation, say, "That's not my business!" with every thought that comes by. — Ajahn Chah
If you have a glass full of liquid you can discourse forever on its qualities, discuss whether it is cold, warm, whether it is really and truly composed of H-2-O, or even mineral water, or saki. Meditation is Drinking it! — Taisen Deshimaru
Meditate. Live purely. Be quiet. Do your work with mastery. Like the moon, come out from behind the clouds! Shine. — Buddha
After a few years of meditation practice we can even learn how to occasionally ignore ourselves. And what relief that can be! — Wes Nisker
People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don't even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child -- our own two eyes. All is a miracle. — Nhat Hanh
Master your words. Master your thoughts. Never allow your body to do harm. Follow these three roads with purity And you will find yourself upon the one way, The way of wisdom. — Buddha
A wise man, recognizing that the world is but an illusion, does not act as if it is real, so he escapes the suffering. — Buddha
Your worst enemy cannot harm you as much as your own unguarded thoughts. — Buddha
How easy it is to see your brother's faults, How hard it is to face your own. — Buddha
The world, indeed, is like a dream and the treasures of the world are an alluring mirage! Like the apparent distances in a picture, things have no reality in themselves, but they are like heat haze. — Buddha
A good friend who points out mistakes and imperfections and rebukes evil is to be respected as if he reveals the secret of some hidden treasure. — Dalai Lama
Man must have results, real results, in his inner and outer life. I do not mean the results which modern people strive after in their attempts at self-development. These are not results, but only rearrangements of psychic material, a process the Buddhists call 'samsara' and which our Holy Bible calls 'dust'. — Jacob Needleman
Let a man avoid evil deeds as a man who loves life avoids poison. — Buddha
There is no fire like passion: there is no evil and hatred. — Buddha
Whatever is subject to origination is all subject to cessation. — Buddha
A good friend who points out mistakes is to be respected, as if he reveals a secret of hidden treasure. — Buddha
Why do what you will regret? Why bring tears upon yourself? Do only what you do not regret, And fill yourself with joy. — Buddha
The real destroyer of inner peace is fear and distrust. Fear develops frustration, frustration develops anger, anger develops violence. — Dalai Lama
Endurance is one of the most difficult disciplines but it is to the one who endures that the final victory comes. — Buddha
A priest once quoted to me the Roman saying that a religion is dead when the priests laugh at each other across the altar. I always laugh at the altar, be it Christian, Hindu, or Buddhist, because real religion is the transformation of anxiety into laughter. — Alan Watts
You too shall pass away. Knowing this, how can you quarrel? — Buddha
There is no fire like passion, there is no shark like hatred, there is no snare like folly, there is no torrent like greed. — Buddha
It is better to do nothing Than to do what is wrong. For whatever you do, you do to yourself. — Buddha
The Four Reliances. First, rely on the spirit and meaning of the teachings, not on the words; Second, rely on the teachings, not on the personality of the teacher; Third, rely on real wisdom, not superficial interpretation; And fourth, rely on the essence of your pure Wisdom Mind, not on judgmental perceptions. — Buddha
On a long journey of human life, faith is the best of companions; it is the best refreshment on the journey; and it is the greatest property. — Buddha
When I hear real faithful people - whether it's a real Christian, or a real Buddhist, or a real Muslim - I hear them use the language I use for a friend. So my metaphor for God is friend. — Patch Adams
Whatever an enemy might do to an enemy, or a foe to a foe, the ill-directed mind can do to you even worse. — Buddha
Health, contentment, and trust are your greatest possessions. And freedom your greatest joy. — Buddha
Make an island of yourself, make yourself your refuge; there is no other refuge. Make truth your island, make truth your refuge; there is no other refuge. — Buddha
Born out of concern for all beings. — Buddha
The experience taught me to be present in the real Buddhist sense of paying attention to the moment. — Sandra Cisneros
To conquer oneself is a greater task than conquering others. — Buddha
This, perhaps, goes to show that conditional self-esteem, as I have said for many years, is an insidious, real sickness, so much so that even Buddhists carelessly sneak it in and sometimes encourage their clients to achieve it. — Albert Ellis
Through my love for you, I want to express my love for the whole cosmos, the whole of humanity, and all beings. By living with you, I want to learn to love everyone and all species. If I succeed in loving you, I will be able to love everyone and all species on Earth... This is the real message of love. — Nhat Hanh
The Ill-directed mind can do to you even worse — Buddha
To cease from evil, to do good, and to purify the mind yourself, this is the teaching of all the Buddhas. — Buddha
If a man going down into a river, swollen and swiftly flowing, is carried away by the current - how can he help others across? — Buddha
Both formerly and now, it is only suffering that I describe, and the cessation of suffering. — Buddha
The great achievement of Zen Buddhism, and all of its cultural expressions in painting or the tea ceremony or rock gardens, is a rejection of earlier Buddhist ideas which were dependent
upon narrative - all the mythological creatures that populate the Buddhist galaxy. Zen insisted on the real located in nature. — Diego Cortez
What we, thanks to Jung, call "synchronicity" (coincidence on steroids), Buddhists have long known as "the interpenetration of realities." Whether it's a natural law of sorts or simply evidence of mathematical inevitability (an infinite number of monkeys locked up with an infinite number of typewriters eventually producing 'Hamlet,' not to mention 'Tarzan of the Apes'), it seems to be as real as it is eerie. — Tom Robbins
Freedom is the real source of human happiness and creativity. Irrespective of whether you are a believer or nonbeliever, whether Buddhist, Christian, or Jew, the important thing is to be a good human being. — Dalai Lama
I don't believe people let things slide away. It's the nature of the universe that everything dissolves into oblivion and by every route possible, but human beings invest a lot of cleverness trying to cling to past events, real or imagined. And because we can't succeed, we get angry and frustrated and feel guilty. Except the Buddhists. — Robert Reed
Buddhist mindfulness is about the present, but I also think its about being real. Being awake to everything. Feeling like nothing can hurt you if you can look it straight on. — Krista Tippett
Ignorance, vulnerability, fear, anger, and desire are expressions of the infinite potential of your buddha nature. There's nothing inherently wrong or right with making such choices. The fruit of Buddhist practice is simply the recognition that these and other mental afflictions are nothing more or less than choices available to us because our real nature is infinite in scope. — Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
Since things neither exist nor do not exist, are neither real nor unreal, are utterly beyond adopting and rejecting - one might as well burst out laughing. — Longchenpa
In Conclusion
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