1,972 Quotes About Buddhism

If we see the universe as a whole, nothing is changing in it. The scenes of the past are still there in the past. The scenes of future are already there in the future. You, the soul, are passing through them and experiencing the illusion of change. Karma gives you the fuel, Desires give you direction. If you didn't have any Karma or Desires, you would just float in eternity.

If a shopkeeper gives you exactly what you ask for, you will just take it and come home. If he says, "I don't have exactly what you ask for. But I have a substitute." Then a conversation will start between you and him; an attachment will start forming between you and him; you will go to him again and again." Maya (Space-Time) is that shopkeeper. It never gives you exactly what you want.

If you’re reading these words, perhaps it’s because something has kicked open the door for you, and you’re ready to embrace change. It isn’t enough to appreciate change from afar, or only in the abstract, or as something that can happen to other people but not to you. We need to create change for ourselves, in a workable way, as part of our everyday lives.

Sitting still is a pain in the ass.

If you are a Buddhist, inspire yourself by thinking of the bodhisattva. If you are a Christian, think of the Christ, who came not to be served by others but to serve them in joy, in peace, and in generosity. For these things, these are not mere words, but acts, which go all the way, right up to their last breath. Even their death is a gift, and resurrection is born from this kind of death. (157)

Thoughts don't become things; thoughts ARE things.

We long for permanence but everything in the known universe is transient. That’s a fact but one we fight.

Watchfulness is the path of immortality:Unwatchfulness is the path of death.Those who are watchful never die:Those who do not watch are already as dead.Those who with a clear mind have seen this truth,Those who are wise and ever watchful,They feel the joy of watchfulness,The joy of the path of the great.And those who in high thought and in deep contemplationWith ever living power advance on the path,They in the end reach NIRVANA,The peace supreme and infinite joy.~ Buddha

Because the development of inner calm & energy happens completely within & isn’t dependent on another person or a particular situation, we begin to feel a resourcefulness and independence that is quite beautiful—and a huge relief.