Death carries off a man busy picking flowers with an besotted mind, like a great flood does a sleeping village.
Gautama BuddhaRead
A victor only breeds hatred, while a defeated man lives in misery, but a man at peace within lives happily, abandoning up ideas of victory and defeat.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Inner peace is more valuable than external victories or defeats.
This quote by Gautama Buddha emphasizes the importance of internal tranquility over external circumstances such as winning or losing. It suggests that true happiness comes not from achieving status as a victor or suffering as a defeated individual, but from cultivating a peaceful mind that transcends dualities like success and failure.
Themes
PeaceHappinessVictoryDefeatInner Peace
In practice
Example use cases
During a meditation retreat, this quote can inspire participants to focus on inner peace.
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.
Gautama BuddhaRead
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