Buddha, born as Siddhartha Gautama, was a sage whose teachings laid the foundation for Buddhism. His life, from a prince ensconced in luxury to an ascetic seeking truth, embodies a profound spiritual transformation. After years of rigorous meditation and contemplation, he attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. His insights into the nature of suffering and the path to liberation have illuminated the lives of millions across millennia.
The most important contribution of Buddha to the world is the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, which outline the nature of suffering and the practical steps towards its cessation. His teachings emphasize ethical living, mental discipline, and the development of wisdom and compassion.
One of Buddha’s most brilliant quotes, “Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment,” is a profound encapsulation of his teachings. This quote is a timeless call to mindfulness, urging individuals to anchor themselves in the now. In an era where the pace of life is ever-accelerating, and distractions are ubiquitous, this message is a vital reminder of the importance of presence.
Understanding this quote is crucial as it fosters clarity and focus in an age of constant digital connectivity and preoccupation with what has been or what’s to come. It encourages a deeper engagement with our immediate experiences, fostering a life of intention and awareness.
In today’s society, where anxiety and stress are prevalent, Buddha’s wisdom offers a sanctuary of peace. It prompts us to reflect on our habitual patterns of thought and to cultivate a serene mind, capable of facing life’s vicissitudes with equanimity. As we heed Buddha’s words, we find that the richness of life unfolds not in the distant horizons of time, but in the profound depths of the present.
Lord Buddha says: “1. Spend 5 minutes at the beginning of each day remembering
we all want the same things (to be happy and be loved)
and we are all connected to one another.
2. Spend 5 minutes breathing in, cherishing yourself; and, breathing out
cherishing others. If you think about people you have difficulty cherishing,
extend your cherishing to them anyway.
3. During the day extend that attitude to everyone you meet.
Practice cherishing the “simplest” person (clerks, attendants, etc)
or people you dislike.
4. Continue this practice no matter what happens or what anyone does to you.
These thoughts are very simple, inspiring and helpful.
The practice of cherishing can be taken very deeply if done wordlessly,
allowing yourself to feel the love and appreciation that
already exists in your heart.”
Lord Buddha says: “A dog is not considered a good dog because he is a good barker. a man is not considered a good man because he is a good talker”
Lord Buddha says: “A family is a place where minds come in contact with one another. If these minds love one another the home will be as beautiful as a flower garden. But if these minds get out of harmony with one another it is like a storm that plays havoc with the garden.”
Lord Buddha says: “A man asked Gautama Buddha, “I want happiness.”
Buddha said, “First remove “I,” that’s Ego, then remove “want,” that’s Desire.
See now you are left with only “Happiness.”
Lord Buddha says: “A man is not called wise because he talks and talks again; but if he is peaceful, loving and fearless then he is in truth called wise”
Lord Buddha says: “A Zen master urged his students to practice diligently in order to transcend the world of birth and death.
A student asked him, “Sir, please tell us how to transcend the world of birth and death.”
He said, “You have to look for the world of no birth and no death.”
The student asked, “But where can we find the world of no birth and no death?”
“You look for it right in the world of birth and death.”
Lord Buddha says: “After the enlightened cave-yogi and songmaster Milarepa left this world, a scrap of rice paper was found inscribed with his handwriting. His ascetic followers were astounded, for it stated that beneath a nearby boulder was buried all the gold that ascetic Mila had hoarded during his life.
A few eager disciples dug around and under that large rock. In the earth they discovered a ragged cloth bundle. Opening the knotted bundle with shaking hands, they discovered only a lump of dried shit.
There was another scribbled note as well. It said: “If you understand my teaching so little that you actually believed I ever valued or hoarded gold, you are truly heirs to my shit.”
The note was signed “The Laughing Vajra, Milarepa.”
Lord Buddha says: “All that we are is the result of what we have thought: it is founded on our thoughts and made up of our thoughts. If a man speak or act with an evil thought, suffering follows him as the wheel follows the hoof of the beast that draws the wagon…. If a man speak or act with a good thought, happiness follows him like a shadow that never leaves him.”
Lord Buddha says: “All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become.”
Lord Buddha says: “All things appear and disappear because of the concurrence of causes and conditions. Nothing ever exists entirely alone; everything is in relation to everything else.”
Lord Buddha says: “All wrong-doing arises because of mind. If mind is transformed can wrong-doing remain?”
Lord Buddha says: “An insincere and evil friend is more to be feared than a wild beast; a wild beast may wound your body, but an evil friend will wound your mind”
Lord Buddha says: “An old monk was sweeping the yard in a monastery under the scorching sun.
Another monk passed by and asked him, “How old are you?”
The old monk replied, “I’m seventy-seven.”
“You are so old! Why are you still working so hard here?”
“Well, because I’m here.”
“But why are you working under the scorching sun?”
“Because the sun is there.”
Act without worrying about the results, and strive for excellence without dwelling on it. If we put all of our hearts into what we do without complaining, we can become one with the “Way.”
Lord Buddha says: “Anger will never disappear so long as thoughts of resentment are cherished in the mind”
Lord Buddha says: “As rain falls equally on the just and the unjust, do not burden your heart with judgements but rain your kindness equally on all.”
Lord Buddha says: “As you walk and eat and travel, be where you are. Otherwise you will miss most of your life.”
Lord Buddha says: “Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.”
Lord Buddha says: “Believe nothing on the faith of traditions,even though they have been
held in honor for many generations and in diverse places.
Do not believe a thing because many people speak of it.
Do not believe on the faith of the sages of the past.
Do not believe what you yourself have imagined,
persuading yourself that a God inspires you.
Believe nothing on the sole authority of your masters and priests.
After examination, believe what you yourself have tested and found to be reasonable, and conform your conduct thereto.”
Lord Buddha says: “Bhikkus, all is burning. And what is the all that is burning?
The eye is burning, visible forms are burning, eye-consciousness is burning, eye-contact is burning; also whatever is felt as pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant that arises with eye-contact as its condition, that too is burning. Burning with what? Burning with the fire of greed, with the fire of hate, with the fire of delusion, with birth, ageing and death, with sorrow, with lamentation, with pain, grief and despair it is burning.”
Lord Buddha says: “Conquer the angry one by not getting angry; conquer the wicked by goodness; conquer the stingy by generosity, and the liar by speaking the truth.”
Lord Buddha says: “Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.”
Lord Buddha says: “Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment”
Lord Buddha says: “Do not overlook tiny good actions, thinking they are of no benefit; even tiny drops of water in the end will fill a huge vessel.
Do not overlook negative actions merely because they are small; however small a spark may be, it can burn down a haystack as big as a mountain.”
Lord Buddha says: “Doubt everything. Find your own light”
Lord Buddha says: “Even as a solid rock is unshaken by the wind, so are the wise unshaken by praise or blame.”
Lord Buddha says: “First, rely on the spirit and meaning of the teachings,
not on the words;
Second, rely on the teachings,
not on the personality of the teacher;
Third, rely on real wisdom,
not superficial interpretation;
And fourth, rely on the essence of your pure Wisdom Mind,
not on judgmental perceptions.”
Lord Buddha says: “Following the Noble Path is like entering a dark room with a light in the hand; the darkness will all be cleared away, and the room will be filled with light.”
Lord Buddha says: “Generosity brings happiness at every stage of its expression. We experience joy in forming the intention to be generous. We experience joy in the actual act of giving something. And we experience joy in remembering the fact that we have given.”
Lord Buddha says: “Happiness does not depend on what you have or who you are, it solely relies on what you think.”
Lord Buddha says: “He who experiences the unity of life sees his own Self in all beings, and all beings in his own Self, and looks on everything with an impartial eye.”
