Death carries off a man busy picking flowers with an besotted mind, like a great flood does a sleeping village.
Gautama BuddhaRead
Overcome the angry by non-anger; overcome the wicked by goodness; overcome the miser by generosity; overcome the liar by truth.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the power of positive responses to negativity.
In this quote, Gautama Buddha teaches us that various negative traits and behaviors can be countered effectively by their positive counterparts. The message is clear: anger can be transformed through patience and calm, wickedness can be met with kindness, stinginess can be countered with generosity, and lies can be dispelled with the truth. This wisdom offers a guide for personal conduct and interpersonal relations, encouraging individuals to respond to negativity with virtue and integrity.
Themes
AngerGoodnessGenerosityTruthWisdom
In practice
Example use cases
During a meditation retreat, one might share this quote to emphasize the importance of peaceful living.
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.
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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.
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The tongue like a sharp knife ... Kills without drawing blood.
Gautama BuddhaRead
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