Bhikkhu Quotes & Sayings

Those who read books cannot understand the teachings and, what's more, may even go astray. But those who try to observe the things going on in the mind, and always take that which is true in their own minds as their standard, never get muddled. They are able to comprehend suffering, and ultimately will understand Dharma. Then, they will understand the books they read. — Buddhadasa Bhikkhu

The desire for true happiness
is nothing to feel ashamed about. — Thanissaro Bhikkhu

In this world everything changes except good deeds and bad deeds; these follow you as the shadow follows the body. — Bhikkhu Bodhi

Don't be a slave to style. Don't take more from the world than you're willing to give back. And learn to undo the perceptions-so heavily promoted by the media-that shopping is a form of therapy and that a purchase is nothing but a victory or a gain. — Thanissaro Bhikkhu

To what will you look for help if you will not look to that which is stronger than yourself? — C.S. Lewis

Because I would never work for a niche publication or a niche program on television and because I am a journalist and not an opinion person, my job is to try to see how many different points of view I can represent or how. It's not even a question of who you don't offend because you are always going to offend somebody. The question is how can you get people to listen to the information you have to present. — Gwen Ifill

Of course, people should improve, and their unpleasant behavior should change, however trivial it appears to be. Yet, taking these relatively trivial actions into our own hearts would only ruin the happiness that we are all entitled to. — Bhikkhu Rahula

It was never about money for us it was about us against the system. That system that kills the human spirit. We stand for something to those dead souls inching along the freeways in their metal coffins. We show them that the human spirit is still alive — Bhikkhu Bodhi

The habit of employing self-deception to maintain one's self esteem has often become so ingrained that the first step to developing accurate self-awareness is honest acknowledgment of the existence of hidden emotions, motives and tendencies in the mind without immediately suppressing them. — Bhikkhu Analayo

Without approval and without scorn, but carefully studying the sentences word by word, one should trace them in the Discourses and verify them by the Discipline. If they are neither traceable in the Discourses nor verifiable by the Discipline, one must conclude thus: 'Certainly, this is not the Blessed One's utterance; this has been misunderstood by that bhikkhu - or by that community, or by those elders, or by that elder.' In that way, bhikkhus, you should reject it. — Gautama Buddha

The key to maintaining your inspiration in the day-to-day work of meditation practice is to approach it as play - a happy opportunity to master practical skills, to raise questions, experiment, and explore. — Thanissaro Bhikkhu

I am by nature a worried optimist ... — Madeleine Albright

When the Aggregates arise, decay and die, O bhikkhu, every moment you are born, decay, and die. — Gautama Buddha

Religion must affirm, in the clearest terms, that morality and ethical values are not mere decorative frills of personal opinion, not subjective superstructure, but intrinsic laws of the cosmos built into the heart of reality. — Bhikkhu Bodhi

The teaching on karma starts with the principle that people experience happiness and sorrow based on a combination of their past and present intentions. If we act with unskillful intentions either for ourselves or for others, we're going to suffer. If we act with skillful intentions, we'll experience happiness. So if we want to be happy, we have to train our intentions to always be skillful. — Thanissaro Bhikkhu

What we call life ... is the combination of the Five Aggregates, a combination of physical and mental energies. These are constantly changing; they do not remain the same for two consecutive moments. Every moment they are born and they die. 'When the Aggregates arise, decay and die, O bhikkhu, every moment you are born, decay, and die.' This, even dow during this life time, every moment we are born and die, but we continue. If we can understand that in this life we can continue without a permanent, unchanging substance like Self or Soul, why can't we understand that those forces themselves can continue without a Self or a Soul behind them after the non-functioning of the body? — Walpola Rahula

Leave out my name from the gift if it be a burden, but keep my song. — Rabindranath Tagore

By citing the UN Charter I indicate that the defensive party to the conflict should use only proportionate force, try to avoid civilian casualties, and end combat operations as soon as possible. These are provisions recognized by almost all authorities on international jurisprudence. — Bhikkhu Bodhi

The Buddha's last words instructed us to be heedful - to see our actions as important and to keep that importance in mind at all times. — Thanissaro Bhikkhu

The tool the Buddha holds out to free the mind from desire is understanding. Real renunciation is not a matter of compelling ourselves to give up things still inwardly cherished, but of changing our perspective on them so that they no longer bind us. When we understand the nature of desire, when we investigate it closely with keen attention, desire falls away by itself, without need for struggle. — Bhikkhu Bodhi

Remember that you don't have to like or admire someone to feel compassion for that person. All you have to do is wish for that person to be happy. — Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Searching all directions with one's awareness, one finds no one dearer than oneself. In the same way, others are fiercely dear to themselves. So one should not hurt others if one loves oneself. — Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Suppose that a man were to drop a salt crystal into a small amount of water in a cup. What do you think? Would the water in the cup become salty because of the salt crystal, and unfit to drink?

Yes, lord. Why is that? There being only a small amount of water in the cup, it would become salty because of the salt crystal, and unfit to drink.

Now suppose that a man were to drop a salt crystal into the River Ganges. What do you think? Would the water in the River Ganges become salty because of the salt crystal, and unfit to drink?

No, lord. Why is that? There being a great mass of water in the River Ganges, it would not become salty because of the salt crystal or unfit to drink. — Thanissaro Bhikkhu

moment that the parents of one's friends choose to die or go to — Julian Fellowes