Death carries off a man busy picking flowers with an besotted mind, like a great flood does a sleeping village.
Gautama BuddhaRead
All that we are is the result of what we have thought. If people speak or act with evil thoughts, pain follows them. If people speak or act with pure thoughts, happiness follows them, like a shadow that never leaves them.
Interpretation
Our thoughts shape our reality; positive thoughts lead to happiness while negative thoughts lead to pain.
This quote by Gautama Buddha emphasizes the profound impact of our thoughts on our lives. It suggests that our mental state directly influences our actions and experiences, indicating that negative thoughts can lead to suffering, whereas pure and positive thoughts can result in lasting happiness. Essentially, it underscores the importance of cultivating a positive mindset, as our thoughts are the foundation of our reality and experience.
In practice
During a motivational seminar about the power of positive thinking.
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.
You can improve your talent, but your talent is a given, a mysterious constant. You must make it the best of its kind.
That which neither weapon nor flame could accomplish will be achieved by a sweet speaking tongue in council.
Be patient and understanding. Life is too short to be vengeful or malicious.
Wherever the invitation of men or your own occasions lead you, speak the very truth, as your life and conscience teach it, and cheer the waiting, fainting hearts of men with new hope and new revelation.
If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing slowly ... very slowly.
In any dark time, there is a tendency to veer toward fainting over how much is wrong or unmended in the world. Do not focus on that. Do not make yourself ill with overwhelm. There is a tendency to fall into being weakened by perseverating on what is outside your reach, by what cannot yet be. Do not focus there. That is spending the wind without raising the sails.
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