Death carries off a man busy picking flowers with an besotted mind, like a great flood does a sleeping village.
Gautama BuddhaRead
Speak the truth do not become angered and give when asked, even be it a little. By these three conditions one goes to the presence of the gods.
Interpretation
This quote emphasizes the importance of truthfulness, composure, and generosity.
In this quote by Gautama Buddha, the essence lies in achieving a virtuous life by adhering to three fundamental principles: speaking truthfully, maintaining calmness in the face of anger, and being generous even with small acts. By focusing on these values, one can cultivate a strong moral character that aligns with spiritual growth and divine presence.
In practice
In a discussion about ethical leadership, one might quote Buddha to emphasize the importance of honesty and calmness.
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.
...like a magnetic compass turning north, I always tried to head in the direction of the better, which is the direction to God. ...the directions that appeared to lead away from Christianity led me deeper into it.
No government ought to be without censors; and where the press is free no one ever will.
Civilisation is partly about restraining the male of the species from engaging in the violence of the hunter-gatherer period. But it doesn't take an awful lot to unleash it.
The assumption that animals are without rights, and the illusion that our treatment of them has no moral significance, is a positively outrageous example of Western crudity and barbarity. Universal compassion is the only guarantee of morality.
Grassroots groups challenge the "business-as-usual" environmentalism that is generally practiced by the more privileged wildlife-and conservation-oriented groups. The focus of activists of color and their constituents reflects their life experiences of social, economic, and political disenfranchisement.
I've come to think that's what heaven is- a place in the memory of others where our best selves live on.
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