Death carries off a man busy picking flowers with an besotted mind, like a great flood does a sleeping village.
May all sentient beings be happy and free of suffering.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote expresses a universal wish for the happiness and liberation of all beings, highlighting compassion and empathy.
Gautama Buddha's quote emphasizes the importance of compassion and the universal desire for happiness and freedom from suffering. It reflects the core teachings of Buddhism, which advocate for the well-being of all sentient beings, suggesting that true peace and happiness can only be achieved when everyone is liberated from their pains and struggles. This sentiment encourages individuals to foster kindness and support for one another, recognizing that the alleviation of suffering for others contributes to a more harmonious existence.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a speech promoting mental health awareness.
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.
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.
Similar quotes
Environmental degradation, overpopulation, refugees, narcotics, terrorism, world crime movements, and organized crime are worldwide problems that don't stop at a nation's borders.
Dying before dying has two important consequences: It liberates the individual from the fear of death and influences the actual experience of dying at the time of biological demise.
Of all the creatures that man kills for his amusement there is only one that he kills out of hatred—other men. Man hates nothing as much as himself. That is why war is called the leprosy of the human soul.
Lies 1: There is only the present and nothing to remember. Lies 2: Time is a straight line. Lies 3: The difference between the past and the futures is that one has happened while the other has not. Lies 4: We can only be in one place at a time. Lies 5: Any proposition that contains the word 'finite' (the world, the universe, experience, ourselves...) Lies 6: Reality as something which can be agreed upon. Lies 7: Reality is truth.
Dogs and philosophers do the greatest good and get the fewest rewards.
The search for the purpose of life has puzzled people for thousands of years. That’s because we typically begin at the wrong starting point—ourselves. We ask self-centered questions like What do I want to be? What should I do with my life? What are my goals, my ambitions, my dreams for my future? But focusing on ourselves will never reveal our life’s purpose.