Meaningful Quotes

[Losang_Tenpa]

"From the backstabbing co-worker to the meddling relative, you are in charge of how you react to the people and events in your life. You can either give negativity power over your life or you can choose happiness instead. Take control and choose to focus on what is important in your life." - Anais Nin

[Losang_Tenpa]

"If what you want to tell me is neither true, nor good, nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?" - Socrates
In ancient Greece, Socrates was reputed to hold knowledge in high esteem. One day an acquaintance met the great philosopher and said, “Do you know what I just heard about your friend?”

“Hold on a minute,” Socrates...... replied. “Before you talk to me about my friend, it might be good idea to take a moment and filter what you’re going to say. That’s why I call it the triple filter test. The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?”

“Well, no,” the man said, “actually I just heard about it and…”

“All right,” said Socrates. “So you don’t really know if it’s true or not. Now, let’s try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something good?”

“Umm, no, on the contrary…”

“So,” Socrates continued, “you want to tell me something bad about my friend, but you’re not certain it’s true. You may still pass the test though, because there’s one filter left—the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?”

“No, not really.”

[Losang_Tenpa]

This has always been one of my favorites.

We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time. T. S. Eliot

I know that these quotes are not really Dharma in origin, but they seem to embody a touch of Dharma nonetheless

[Losang_Tenpa]

"No matter how many meetings are held in the name of world peace, there will be no happiness until people abstain from harming others. Ethical conduct is not a ritualistic obedience to some exterior imposed code of behaviour. It is rather a healthy pattern of harmlessness, which you have consciously? and voluntarily chosen because you recognise it is the key to extract your positive potential and the foundation of all happiness."- Lama Jamyang Lekshey

[vajrastorm]

Yes, world peace comes from inner peace. World peace cannot come about through meetings of high powers, no matter how many meetings are conducted. We, in our individual capacity, must first develop inner peace. Only from that ground, can peace start to grow and spread and ultimately become world peace.

Inner peace, the root of world peace, must be cultivated through a determined course of non-harming of all beings.

I remember, as a young person, I used to be puzzled and to turn over many times in my mind, a quotation to the effect that “to have peace we must be prepared for war”. I believe this is the mind-set that has led to so many instances of aggression in the modern world. War and aggression can never be solutions. How can peace arise out of the ashes of war?

[DSFriend]

"If what you want to tell me is neither true, nor good, nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?" - Socrates
In ancient Greece, Socrates was reputed to hold knowledge in high esteem. One day an acquaintance met the great philosopher and said, “Do you know what I just heard about your friend?”

“Hold on a minute,” Socrates...... replied. “Before you talk to me about my friend, it might be good idea to take a moment and filter what you’re going to say. That’s why I call it the triple filter test. The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?”

“Well, no,” the man said, “actually I just heard about it and…”

“All right,” said Socrates. “So you don’t really know if it’s true or not. Now, let’s try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something good?”

“Umm, no, on the contrary…”

“So,” Socrates continued, “you want to tell me something bad about my friend, but you’re not certain it’s true. You may still pass the test though, because there’s one filter left—the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?”

“No, not really.”

Thanks for the quote. Certainly an advice which is valid and most applicable to us today.

[pgdharma]

"No matter how many meetings are held in the name of world peace, there will be no happiness until people abstain from harming others. Ethical conduct is not a ritualistic obedience to some exterior imposed code of behaviour. It is rather a healthy pattern of harmlessness, which you have consciously? and voluntarily chosen because you recognise it is the key to extract your positive potential and the foundation of all happiness."- Lama Jamyang Lekshey

Thanks, TS for this meaningful quote

[triesa]

"If what you want to tell me is neither true, nor good, nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?" - Socrates
In ancient Greece, Socrates was reputed to hold knowledge in high esteem. One day an acquaintance met the great philosopher and said, “Do you know what I just heard about your friend?”

“Hold on a minute,” Socrates...... replied. “Before you talk to me about my friend, it might be good idea to take a moment and filter what you’re going to say. That’s why I call it the triple filter test. The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?”

“Well, no,” the man said, “actually I just heard about it and…”

“All right,” said Socrates. “So you don’t really know if it’s true or not. Now, let’s try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something good?”

“Umm, no, on the contrary…”

“So,” Socrates continued, “you want to tell me something bad about my friend, but you’re not certain it’s true. You may still pass the test though, because there’s one filter left—the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?”

“No, not really.”

Thanks for the quote. Certainly an advice which is valid and most applicable to us today.

Great quote and very useful indeed.  "Truth, goodness and usefulness"........this will reduce a lot of idol talking and gossiping.

[WoselTenzin]

Yes, world peace comes from inner peace. World peace cannot come about through meetings of high powers, no matter how many meetings are conducted. We, in our individual capacity, must first develop inner peace. Only from that ground, can peace start to grow and spread and ultimately become world peace.

Inner peace, the root of world peace, must be cultivated through a determined course of non-harming of all beings.

I remember, as a young person, I used to be puzzled and to turn over many times in my mind, a quotation to the effect that “to have peace we must be prepared for war”. I believe this is the mind-set that has led to so many instances of aggression in the modern world. War and aggression can never be solutions. How can peace arise out of the ashes of war?

I think you are so right vajrastorm.  World peace comes from inner peace and can never arise from the ashes of war.  Inner peace is the basic building block of world peace.  From historical results, we know for sure Hitler and Mao Tze Tung never had inner peace.  That is why the result of their reign have been disastrous.  Massive massacre of the human race and destruction of any artifacts or traces of anything of cultural value to the human race. This is a reflection of anger and aggression within their minds.   

I remember many moons ago when I was in school, my teacher told me about an international meet of world leaders (can't remember what meeting that was) where the program for the meeting incorporated 2-3 days of leisure program where world leader and their first ladies spend time on an informal basis (for eg games of golf, dinner parties etc) to get to know each other before the meeting proper commenced . 
The purpose of this informal gathering is to foster friendship and understanding before they get into actual serious discussion where their decisions will impact the rest of the world.  My point is that the organiser of the meeting saw the importance of fostering peace in the minds of world leaders through cultivating friendship among them. With peace among the world leaders, the chances of world peace would be more likely. 

 

[pgdharma]

Yes, world peace comes from inner peace. World peace cannot come about through meetings of high powers, no matter how many meetings are conducted. We, in our individual capacity, must first develop inner peace. Only from that ground, can peace start to grow and spread and ultimately become world peace.

Inner peace, the root of world peace, must be cultivated through a determined course of non-harming of all beings.

Yes, world peace comes from inner peace. We should learn to forgive, let go and move on as everything is transient and not permanent. We should also act, speak and think in reference to what others need and not what we need. When we learn to give in terms of good thoughts and actions than we will find that love, growth and fulfillment are possible. We should not find faults in others, but to check ourselves of any shortcomings. To quote H.H.Dalai Lama, "To be aware of a single shortcomings in oneself is more useful than to be aware of a thousand in someone else."

[KhedrubGyatso]

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.

I have it in my hp so I can contemplate on it daily. I like it because it help me deal with life's situations better especially when I have to face bad times, ' sacrifices'  or emotional upsets while doing charity work , community or dharma work. I also remember him saying that the difference between a bodhisattva and us is that although they have the same body of suffering like us, they do not let their  pains, emotions  etc stop them from doing their holy deeds. We on the other hand usually help others when we are in a better position than others or when we have surplus. When we are down , usually we stop helping others. We do not view others needs  as more important than ours.We are not prepared to suffer for others like a holy being. The quote here help me to close this gap -  that we do need effort , patience and perseverence and do have to experience suffering and unpleasantness  when helping others  as our  bodhimind is still weak.

[dondrup]

"If what you want to tell me is neither true, nor good, nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?" - Socrates

Not telling the truth is lying.  Saying something bad about others is divisive and hurtful.  Finally saying something not useful is idle chatter.  These are four non virtuous actions of speech.  Hence we should be mindful when we talk to avoid creating negative speech karma.

[dondrup]

"No matter how many meetings are held in the name of world peace, there will be no happiness until people abstain from harming others. Ethical conduct is not a ritualistic obedience to some exterior imposed code of behaviour. It is rather a healthy pattern of harmlessness, which you have consciously? and voluntarily chosen because you recognise it is the key to extract your positive potential and the foundation of all happiness."- Lama Jamyang Lekshey

Ethical conduct brings about concentration of our mind. With concentration, we gain wisdom. With wisdom, we will understand that true happiness comes from not harmng others but from benefiting and cherishing others. World Peace is easy to accomplish when we realise this truth.

[Manjushri]

This is one of my favourite quotes:

"Be careful of your thoughts, for your thoughts become your actions.
Be careful of your actions, for your actions become your habits.
Be careful of your habits, for your habits become your character.
Be careful of your character, for your character becomes your destiny."

To me, this beautifully highlights the relationship between ones body, speech and mind with karma.

How you think, affects your motivation which in turn is portrayed in one's actions. If that action stays and continues over and over again, it becomes a habituation, and can be brought forward not only in this life but ur future lives. With how you act and the habits that you have, because the way you think will affect your actions thus developing your habit, it forms the person you are, the person other people identifies in you hence they perceive who you are, your character, as a result of your body, speech and mind.

Your body, speech and mind (motivation) ultimately generates the karma, good or bad, which will be the ONLY thing that determines your destiny - your environmental conditions, and what you are to face, in the present and future lives.

Beautiful innit, how everything is so interconnected?... Love this quote, along with another one:

"Expect nothing and nothing will disappoint you". 

Your soup for the day. hehe.

Love,
Manjushriii

[KhedrubGyatso]

Another of my favourite: