Death carries off a man busy picking flowers with an besotted mind, like a great flood does a sleeping village.
Gautama BuddhaRead
May we live like the lotus, at home in muddy water.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote encourages resilience and grace in challenging situations.
The lotus flower grows beautifully in muddy waters, symbolizing purity and enlightenment despite adversity. By wishing to live like the lotus, the quote expresses the idea of thriving and maintaining one's beauty and peace even when surrounded by difficulties and challenges. It embodies the ability to remain composed and grounded in the midst of life's messiness.
Themes
LotusMuddy WaterResiliencePurityEnlightenment
In practice
Example use cases
During a meditation retreat, I shared the quote to inspire others to embrace their challenges.
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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