Death carries off a man busy picking flowers with an besotted mind, like a great flood does a sleeping village.
Gautama BuddhaRead
Harm no other beings. They are just your brothers and sisters.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the importance of treating all living beings with kindness and compassion, as they are interconnected.
Gautama Buddha's quote encourages us to recognize the inherent connection we share with all beings. By viewing others as our 'brothers and sisters,' it calls for a compassionate approach to life, promoting harmony and respect in our interactions. This perspective fosters empathy and non-violence, reminding us that harming others ultimately harms ourselves, as we are all part of the same existence.
Themes
CompassionKindnessInterconnectednessNon-ViolenceEmpathy
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about environmental ethics, one could use this quote to highlight the need for compassion towards all living beings.
More from Gautama Buddha
All quotes βA 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.
Gautama BuddhaRead
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.
Gautama BuddhaRead
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.
Gautama BuddhaRead
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
Similar quotes
False words are not only evil in themselves, but they infect the soul with evil.
PlatoRead
The word of the oldest of the old of our peoples didn't stop. It spoke the truth, saying that our feet couldn't walk alone, that our history of pain and shame was repeated and multiplied in the flesh and blood of the brothers and sisters of other lands and skies.
Subcomandante MarcosRead
Nights without beginning that had no end. Talking about a past as if it'd really happened. Telling themselves that this time next year, this time next year, things were going to be different.
Raymond CarverRead
Who are you? You don't belong to the police?' 'I am better than the police,' said Poirot. He said it without conscious arrogance. It was, to him, a simple statement of fact.
Agatha ChristieRead
Nanny's philosophy of life was to do what seemed like a good idea at the time, and do it as hard as possible. It had never let her down.
Terry PratchettRead
In our daily life, we encounter people who are angry, deceitful, intent only on satisfying their own needs. There is so much anger, distrust, greed, and pettiness that we are losing our capacity to work well together.
Margaret J. WheatleyRead