To forgive is not to forget. The merit lies in loving in spite of the vivid knowledge that one that must be loved is not a friend. There is not merit in loving an enemy when you forget him for a friend.
Mahatma GandhiRead
The sacrifice which causes sorrow to the doer of the sacrifice is no sacrifice. Real sacrifice lightens the mind of the doer and gives him a sense of peace and joy. The Buddha gave up the pleasures of life because they had become painful to him.
Interpretation
What this quote means
True sacrifice brings joy and peace, rather than sorrow.
This quote emphasizes that genuine sacrifice should not bring pain or regret to the person making the sacrifice. Instead, it should lead to a sense of inner peace and happiness, reflecting the idea that the choices we make should enhance our well-being rather than detract from it, as exemplified by Buddha's renunciation of life's pleasures when they became sources of suffering.
Themes
SacrificePeaceJoyBuddhaGandhiMindfulnessService
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech on community service, this quote can highlight the true essence of selflessness.
More from Mahatma Gandhi
All quotes →Love never claims, it ever gives. Love ever suffers, never resents never revenges itself.
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Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.
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The real test of nonviolence lies in its being brought in contact with those who have contempt for it.
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Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.
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The devotion of such titans of spirit as Lenin to an Ideal must bear fruit. The nobility of his selflessness will be an example through centuries to come, and his Ideal will reach perfection.
Mahatma GandhiRead
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