The best source of pithy quotes and aphorisms is the Dhammapada. But the sutras (discourses) are also rife with pearls of compassion and wisdom from the Buddha. Here are 100 collected by BrainyQuote.com, and you can vote on each by clicking on "Buddha."
- 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. Buddha
- A jug fills drop by drop. Buddha
- All that we are is the result of what we have thought. If a person speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows. If one speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows, like a shadow that never leaves. Buddha
- 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. Buddha
- All wrongdoing arises because of mind. If mind is transformed can wrongdoing remain? Buddha
- Ambition is like love, impatient both of delays and rivals. Buddha
- 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. Buddha
- 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. Buddha
- Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace. Buddha
- Unsatisfactoriness is inherent in all compounded things. Strive on with diligence. Buddha
- Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment. Buddha
- Do not overrate what you have received, nor envy others. He who envies others does not obtain peace of mind. Buddha
- Even death is not to be feared by one who has lived wisely. Buddha
- Every human being is the author of his own health or disease. Buddha
- Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love; this is the eternal rule. Buddha
