Meaningful Quotes

[Gypsy]

My favorite is from my Guru : Whether we do work and suffer but for others or we do work and suffer for ourselves, either way we have to suffer. That is the nature of samsara. So let us suffer for others and then suffering has meaning.

This is so true Khedrub Gyatso, i agree with your guru. As long as we are in samsara, suffering never ends. So what's the difference make between suffer for ourselves and for others? In a Buddhist way of view, we always put others' benefit as priority, hence we help others who's in need, we lessen their burden/sufferings, be it financially, physically or mentally...Unfortunately nowadays people are indulging in ourselves, the "me" attitude is deep rooted in us, we would rather spend time party on Saturday nights than spend time doing some charity work over the weekend. Self-indulgence is always the culprit of us doing things selfishly and never care about others. This causes suffering to ourselves too, if you believe in karma.

[Klein]

Wisdom quotes from Lao Tzu that are very Buddhist in nature:

Be Content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.

Because of a great love, one is courageous.

Great acts are made up of small deeds.

[Klein]

Thought provoking quotes from HH The Dalai Lama:

1.  Love is the absence of judgment.

2.  Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.

3.  If you can cultivate the right attitude, your enemies are your best spiritual teachers because their presence provides you with the opportunity to enhance and develop tolerance, patience and understanding.

[Positive Change]

Some favourite quotes from inspirational people of our time:

“I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.”
? Mother Teresa

“Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time and always start with the person nearest you.”
? Mother Teresa

"Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck."
? HH The Dalai Lama

"There is a saying in Tibetan, 'Tragedy should be utilized as a source of strength. No matter what sort of difficulties, how painful experience is, if we lose our hope, that’s our real disaster."
? HH The Dalai Lama

Watch your thoughts, they become words.
Watch your words, they become actions.
Watch your actions, they become habits.
Watch your habits, they become character.
Watch your character, they become destiny.
? Unknown Author (but brilliant!)

[pgdharma]

I love this quote from His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama:

"The first beneficiary of compassion is always oneself. When compassion, or warmheartedness, arises in us and our focus shifts away from our own narrow self-interest, it is as if we open an inner door. It reduces fear, boosts confidence and brings us inner strength. By reducing distrust, it opens us to others and brings us a sense of connection to others, and sense of purpose and meaning in life."

[sahara]

I love this quote from Mahatma Gandhi 

Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”

“An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind.”

“Hate the sin, love the sinner.”
 
Yes ! u need to find your inner peace then you can share your compassion wherever you are, no matter what situation you are in........

[pgdharma]

"The deep roots of failure in our lives is to think, 'Oh how useless and powerless I am.' It is essential to think strongly and forcefully, 'I can do it,' without boasting or fretting." -  Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama

Yes, if we think we can do it, just do it. By always saying we cannot do this or that, we are creating the cause of not being able to, thus it is important to think we can do it then we can create the cause of doing it.

[Klein]

This is a quote from HH The Dalai Lama. How do we practise love and compassion in order to achieve inner peace?

"As human beings we all want to be happy and free from misery… we have learned that the key to happiness is inner peace. The greatest obstacles to inner peace are disturbing emotions such as anger, attachment, fear and suspicion, while love and compassion and a sense of universal responsibility are the sources of peace and happiness."

[Klein]

Some profound quotes from Reverend Thich Nhat Hanh:

"People suffer because they are caught in their views. As soon as we release those views, we are free and we don't suffer anymore."

"People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar."

In other words, change our perspectives even though we'll be in unknown zones that may feel scary. It's all about making wise choices.

[pgdharma]

 “There is a saying in Tibetan that “at the door of the miserable rich man sleeps the contented beggar.” The point of this saying is not that poverty is a virtue, but that happiness does not come from wealth, but from setting limits to one’s desires, and living within those limits with satisfaction.”-The Dalai Lama

I like this profound and thought provoking fact. If only we understand and be satisfied with what we have compared with what others have. The cause of suffering is greed. If people get rid of these negative emotions, they will be happy.

[Klein]

The following quotes from Albert Einstein are very profound. Although he's a scientist, his words are very Buddhist. I guess the truth is the truth regardless of what religion or school of thought we're from.

"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."

"A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new."

"Anger dwells only in the bosom of fools."

[KhedrubGyatso]

Everything in life is temporary, because everything changes...
That's why it takes great courage to love, knowing it might end anytime but having the faith it will last forever...

Isn't the above beautiful?
Many people cannot give love because they are afraid it won't last and they have to endure disappointment and suffering.This arises from thinking about one's situation. If we sincerely wish to benefit others and give love to those who need it, we will find the courage to overcome our own fears of failure etc..

The faith factor becomes very strong if we understand karma. Any action however small will multiply to yield big fruits  and will not be wasted. Hence whatever good we do with our body , speech and mind even if it is just a small prayer will go a long way in creating the cause for happiness to others through countless lifetimes.

[Klein]

Found this quote in my facebook and absolutely love it. It's what I call a rude awakening.

"The only thing standing in between you and your goal is the bullshit story you keep telling yourself as to why you can't achieve it."

This quote is so true because no matter genuine our obstacles are, if we want our goal bad enough, there is always a way to overcome them. Unfortunately, we still convince ourselves with the poor me bullshit stories. hehe. As Nike says, JUST DO IT.

[Positive Change]

I love this quote a lot and its by non other than Mother Theresa:

"I have found the paradox: that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love."

May we grow the love no matter what...

[Manjushri]

There was a quote I heard a long time ago, when I was a teenager. Not sure who it's from but it goes like this:

"Expect nothing and nothing will disappoint you".

From this basis, I think that we shouldn't base our reality on our expectations because reality and expectations rarely do meet. And when they don't meet, we feel the depression, the anger which arises from the inability to control the situation we are in. And when we are in that stage, we keep finding ways to make our expectations meet reality, and in doing that, we fall deeper into the hole we are digging ourselves into.

Funny how so many quotes relate to the fundamental teachings of Buddhism and the wisdom behind it. I love it. Buddhism is so practical to prepare you to face the world, whatever it has to offer and throw to you.