Death carries off a man busy picking flowers with an besotted mind, like a great flood does a sleeping village.
Gautama BuddhaRead
By your own folly you will be brought as low as your worst enemy wishes.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Your own mistakes can lead to your downfall, often worse than any adversary's intentions.
This quote by Gautama Buddha emphasizes the idea that an individual's own foolishness and poor decisions can bring them down more severely than the actions of their enemies. It serves as a reminder that self-awareness and responsibility for one's actions are crucial in avoiding self-inflicted harm.
Themes
FollyEnemyDownfallWisdomSelf-Awareness
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about personal responsibility.
More from Gautama Buddha
All quotes βA 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.
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When the mind loses its density, you become translucent, like the flower. Spirit - the formless - shines through you into the world.
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