Death carries off a man busy picking flowers with an besotted mind, like a great flood does a sleeping village.
Gautama BuddhaRead
Long is the night to him who is awake; long is a mile to him who is tired; long is life to the foolish who do not know the true law.
Interpretation
This quote emphasizes the perception of time and life, suggesting that awareness and understanding shape our experiences.
Gautama Buddha's quote reflects on how the perception of time can be influenced by one's state of mind and understanding of life. For someone who is awake, the night seems long; for the weary, distance feels prolonged. Similarly, the foolish, who lack awareness of deeper truths, find life to be long and burdensome. This highlights the importance of mindfulness and wisdom in navigating life's challenges.
In practice
In a motivational talk about mindfulness and awareness.
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.
Sweet Mercy! to the gates of heaven This minstrel lead, his sins forgiven; The rueful conflict, the heart riven With vain endeavour, And memory of Earth's bitter leaven Effaced forever.
I'd rather be strongly wrong than weakly right.
The simplest acts of kindness are by far more powerful then a thousand heads bowing in prayer.
Read yourself, not books. Truth isn't outside, that's only memory, not wisdom. Memory without wisdom is like an empty thermos bottle - if you don't fill it, it's useless.
My father used to say, 'Let them see you and not the suit. That should be secondary.'
I hope that even if you remember not a single word of mine, you remember those of Seneca, another of those old Romans I met when I fled down the Classics corridor, in retreat from career ladders, in search of ancient wisdom: As is a tale, so is life: not how long it is, but how good it is, is what matters.
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