Death carries off a man busy picking flowers with an besotted mind, like a great flood does a sleeping village.
Gautama BuddhaRead
The evils of the body are murder, theft, and adultery; of the tongue, lying, slander, abuse and idle talk; of the mind, covetousness, hatred and error.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote identifies various moral wrongs associated with physical actions, speech, and mental states.
Gautama Buddha's quote points out that harm can arise from different aspects of human behavior—physical evils such as murder and theft, verbal transgressions like lying and slander, and mental failings including covetousness and hatred. Each category of wrongdoing impacts individuals and society, emphasizing the importance of mindfulness and moral conduct in all areas of life.
Themes
MoralityWrongdoingConductMindfulnessEthics
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about ethics, this quote can highlight the importance of being mindful of one's actions and words.
More from Gautama Buddha
All quotes →A kind man who makes good use of wealth is rightly said to possess a great treasure; but the miser who hoards up his riches will have no profit.
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There are having flowers in Spring, breezes in Summer, moon in Autumn, snows in Winter. If there is nothing worrying over you, it will be the best seasons at all times.
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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.
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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.
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The tongue like a sharp knife ... Kills without drawing blood.
Gautama BuddhaRead
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