20 Quotes by Walpola Rahula about Buddhism



  • Author Walpola Rahula
  • Quote

    One physician may gravely exaggerate an illness and give up hope altogether. Another may ignorantly declare that there is no illness and that no treatment is necessary, thus deceiving the patient with false consolation. You may call the first one pessimistic and the second one optimistic. Both are equally dangerous.

  • Tags
  • Share


  • Author Walpola Rahula
  • Quote

    …When the secret is discovered, when the Truth is seen, all the forces which feverishly produce the continuity of samsara in illusion become calm and incapable of producing any more karma-formations, because there is no more illusion, no more 'thirst' for continuity. It is like mental disease which is cured when he cause or the secret of the malady is discovered and seen by the patients.

  • Tags
  • Share

  • Author Walpola Rahula
  • Quote

    One should be bold and sincere and look at one's own mind as one looks at one's face in a mirror.Here is no attitude of criticizing or judging, or discriminating between right and wrong, or good and bad. It is simply observing, watching, examining. You are not a judge, but a scientist. When you observe your mind, and see its true nature clearly, you become dispassionate with regard to its emotions, sentiments and states.

  • Tags
  • Share

  • Author Walpola Rahula
  • Quote

    Because Nirvana is thus expressed in negative terms, there are many who have got a wrong notion that it is negative, and expresses self-annihilation. Nirvana is definitely no annihilation of self, because there is no self to annihilate. If at all, it is the annihilation of the illusion, of the false idea of self.

  • Tags
  • Share

  • Author Walpola Rahula
  • Quote

    Now , what is Absolute Truth? According to Buddhism, the Absolute Truth is that there is nothing absolute in the world, that everything is relative, conditioned and impermanent, and that there is no unchanging, everlasting, absolute substance like Self, Soul or Atman within or without.

  • Tags
  • Share

  • Author Walpola Rahula
  • Quote

    There is a path leading to the realization of Nirvana. But Nirvana is not the result of this path. You may get to the mountain along a path, but the mountain is not the result, not an effect of the path.

  • Tags
  • Share