Death carries off a man busy picking flowers with an besotted mind, like a great flood does a sleeping village.
Gautama BuddhaRead
Good men and bad men differ radically. Bad men never appreciate kindness shown them, but wise men appreciate and are grateful. Wise men try to express their appreciation and gratitude by some return of kindness, not only to their benefactor, but to everyone else
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the contrasting attitudes of good and bad individuals towards kindness, emphasizing the gratefulness of wise men.
In this quote, Gautama Buddha illustrates the fundamental difference between good and bad individuals in how they perceive and respond to kindness. While bad men are incapable of appreciating acts of kindness, wise men not only recognize such gestures but are driven by gratitude to reciprocate kindness and spread it further. This reflects the moral principle that true wisdom involves recognizing the value of kindness and fostering a cycle of goodwill in interactions with others.
Themes
KindnessGratitudeWisdomAppreciationGoodness
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be shared in a speech about the importance of kindness in leadership.
More from Gautama Buddha
All quotes →A kind man who makes good use of wealth is rightly said to possess a great treasure; but the miser who hoards up his riches will have no profit.
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There are having flowers in Spring, breezes in Summer, moon in Autumn, snows in Winter. If there is nothing worrying over you, it will be the best seasons at all times.
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Make an island of yourself, make yourself your refuge; there is no other refuge. Make truth your island, make truth your refuge; there is no other refuge.
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When a wise man is advised of his errors, he will reflect on and improve his conduct. When his misconduct is pointed out, a foolish man will not only disregard the advice but rather repeat the same error.
Gautama BuddhaRead
The tongue like a sharp knife ... Kills without drawing blood.
Gautama BuddhaRead
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