Death carries off a man busy picking flowers with an besotted mind, like a great flood does a sleeping village.
Gautama BuddhaRead
Monks, when ignorance is abandoned, and knowledge arises in the monk, with the ending of ignorance and the arising of knowledge he clings neither to sense-pleasures, nor does he cling to views, nor to precepts and vows, nor to a Self-doctrine. Not clinking, he is not disturbed; not disturbed, he attains individually nibbana.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of abandoning ignorance to achieve enlightenment and inner peace.
This quote by Gautama Buddha highlights the transformative journey of a monk who relinquishes ignorance and embraces knowledge. In doing so, the monk learns to let go of attachments to sensory pleasures, rigid beliefs, and the concept of a self, which leads to a state of undisturbed tranquility and ultimately, nibbana—a state of ultimate liberation from the cycle of suffering.
Themes
IgnoranceKnowledgeAttachmentNibbanaEnlightenment
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a meditation workshop to emphasize the importance of understanding one’s own mind.
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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.
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The tongue like a sharp knife ... Kills without drawing blood.
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