Death carries off a man busy picking flowers with an besotted mind, like a great flood does a sleeping village.
Gautama BuddhaRead
By whomsoever no evil is done in deed, or word, or thought, him I call a Brahmin (holy man) who is guarded in these three.
Interpretation
What this quote means
A true holy person is someone who refrains from causing harm in actions, words, and thoughts.
This quote by Gautama Buddha emphasizes the importance of non-harmfulness as a fundamental virtue of a holy person, or Brahmin. It suggests that true spirituality and holiness are defined not merely by rituals or appearances, but by one's inner thoughts, spoken words, and actions that do not cause harm to others.
Themes
Non-ViolenceHolinessThoughtWordDeedBuddhismVirtue
In practice
Example use cases
During a meditation retreat, this quote could be shared to encourage participants to focus on kindness in thoughts, words, and actions.
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.
Gautama BuddhaRead
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.
Gautama BuddhaRead
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.
Gautama BuddhaRead
The tongue like a sharp knife ... Kills without drawing blood.
Gautama BuddhaRead
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