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
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.
In practice
In a motivational speech about personal responsibility.
Death carries off a man busy picking flowers with an besotted mind, like a great flood does a sleeping village.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The tongue like a sharp knife ... Kills without drawing blood.
Methinks that the moment my legs began to move, my thoughts began to flow.
I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience.
No hour is ever eternity, but it has its right to weep.
Thought and theory must precede all salutary action; yet action is nobler in itself than either thought or theory.
There are no mistakes, only happy accidents.
Do not worry about not holding high position; worry rather about playing your proper role. Worry not that no one knows of you; seek to be worth knowing.
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