Talk:Gautama Buddha

For verification

"I gained nothing at all from Supreme Enlightenment, and for that very reason it is called Supreme Enlightenment."

               -- Gotama Buddha

From the BSD fortune cookie file

This might be from a Mahāyāna sutra but I guarantee that it does not appear in the Pāli Canon and is therefore not attributable to the historical Buddha. -Metalello 01:10, 30 October 2011 (UTC)

Alternative translation for "Do not go by revelation;..."

This is a much more readable translation, but as i cannot read the original i just put it here, maybe someone who can could decide whether it's accurate enough to put it on the main page as an alternative translation.

"Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it."

This is an extremely faulty translation that manages to almost exactly reverse the meaning of the original text. It must never be put on the front page. - Metalello (talk) 23:16, 16 September 2017 (UTC)

Kills without drawing blood

The internet has this all over as a Gautama quote, but I can't find it sourced anywhere...

"The tongue like a sharp knife... Kills without drawing blood."

Does anyone here know if this is attributed correctly, and/or where it's from more specifically? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 71.70.239.190 (talk) 14:16, 4 November 2010

Not Buddha, this is just one of those proverbial "Chinese proverbs." In the mid 20th century it was popular to attribute it to Confucius, and attributions to Buddha only appear towards the end of the 20th century. The earliest English rendering I find in print is Adam Grainger, Western Mandarin, or the Spoken Language of Western China (1900, Shanghai: American Presbyterian Mission Press), p. 149, where it is identified (in the index) as a proverb about slander: "the tip of the tongue kills without drawing blood." (The translation is literal. An idiomatic English translation would be "the sharp tongue...") ~ Ningauble 17:26, 4 November 2010 (UTC)

I concur with this assessment but a similar statement does appear in the Sutta Nipata, verse 657: 'To (every) man that is born, an axe is born in his mouth, by which the fool cuts himself, when speaking bad language.' http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/sbe10/sbe1035.htm Metalello 01:22, 30 October 2011 (UTC)

Dhammapada?

The Dhammapada section in this article is larger and non-duplicative of the separate Dhammapada article on wikiquote. Considering the numbers of quotations from the Dhammapada, the significance of that text, and the potential for growth (in further quotations from the text), it seems to me that we should move the Dhammapada section in Gautama Buddha to the separate article Dhammapada with a clear reference accordingly. Thoughts and opinions would be appreciated. Thanks. tartaruga 17:45, 24 December 2006 (UTC)

This seems reasonable. Two things we should be careful of:

1. Since the original work is obviously not in English, we need published translations. To avoid potential copyright violations in either article, we should use a public-domain translation as a source. For simplicity, I would recommend vetting all quotes against s:Dhammapada (Muller), a Wikisource article that uses the translation from a 19th-century book edited by F. Max Muller, putting it well out of copyright.
2. It would be nice to credit contributors to this article's Dhammapada section with their contributions at Talk:Dhammapada. However, I don't believe it's necessary by our license requirements, because those contributions remain available through both articles' edit histories. Just be sure to include an edit summary that makes clear the material was transferred from this article.

Thanks for bringing this up. ~ Jeff Q (talk) 20:47, 24 December 2006 (UTC)

All seem to me quite reasonable. It will be nice to reconstruct relevant articles (one question: we have already Suttanipaka?; spelling might be wrong) Aphaia 20:52, 24 December 2006 (UTC)

• As per the discussion above, I moved the Dhammapada section in Gautama Buddha to its own wikiquote article, Dhammapada. I tried to maintain the original quotations as much as possible, but, due to copyright concerns (explained above), I had to significantly change much of the original material to conform to publically available sources.
  • In cite checking, I used both the Wikisource Muller translation from the 19th Century and Two other translations available online and made free for distribution by the authors and the Insight Society. When none of the available translations were close to the originally posted quote, I offered multiple, alternative translations. Hope this makes everyone happy. Or at least not vindictive.  :)
  • Thanks to Jeff Q and Aphaia for comments. tartaruga 16:30, 15 January 2007 (UTC)

I removed a few of the many Dhammapada external links in Gautama Buddha considering that Dhammapada quotations are now in their own separate entry and no longer here. Links to translations of the Dhammapada thus seem less relevant in this page since there are no quotations to the Dhammapada here. If anything, the links should be removed and added to the Dhammapada article. Thoughts? (Since the edit was undone, I am guessing that their is an objection to their removal). Thanks. tartaruga 15:02, 23 January 2007 (UTC)

Since there was no objection, I moved the Dhammapada external links to the Dhammapada entry (joining the Dhammapada quotations which were formerly part of this entry). If there are any objections, please voice them here before reverting the edit. Thank you. tartaruga 17:21, 30 January 2007 (UTC)

"There is no wealth like knowledge, and no poverty like ignorance."

I'm pretty sure Ali said that... and I agree. Can Someone source why they're applying this as to Buddha?

Unsourced

Meditation brings wisdom; lack of meditation leaves ignorance. Know well what leads you forward and what hold you back, and choose the path that leads to wisdom.

Wikiquote no longer allows unsourced quotations, and they are in process of being removed from our pages (see Wikiquote:Limits on quotations); but if you can provide a reliable and precise source for any quote on this list please move it to Gautama Buddha. --Antiquary 19:45, 6 April 2009 (UTC)

• The no-mind not-thinks no thoughts about no things.

• This existence of ours is as transient as autumn clouds,

To watch the birth and death of beings is like looking at the movements of a dance,

A lifetime is like a flash of lightning in the sky,

Rushing by, like a torrent down a steep mountain

• Know all things to be like this,

A mirage, a cloud castle

A dream, an apparition,

Without essence but with qualities that can be seen,

Know all things to be like this,

As the moon in a bright sky,

In some clear lake reflected,

Though to that lake the moon has never moved,

Know all things to be like this,

As an echo that derives,

From music, sounds and weeping,

Yet in that echo is no melody

Know all things to be like this,

As a magician makes illusions,

Of horses, oxen, carts and other things,

Nothing is as it appears

• Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.

• Joy comes not through possession or ownership but through a wise and loving heart.

• People with opinions just go around bothering each other.

• There has to be evil so that good can prove its purity above it.

• There is no way to Happiness. Happiness is the way.

• Teach this triple truth to all: A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are the things which renew humanity.

• It is a man's own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways.

• There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting.

• There are two mistakes one can make along the road to truth - not going all the way, and not starting.

• The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.

• Work out your own salvation. Do not depend on others.

• Every human being is the author of his own health or disease.

• The foot feels the foot when it feels the ground.

• Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.

• Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one getting burned.

• When a man has pity on all living creatures then only is he noble.

These quotes are unsourced and their authenticity as sayings of the Gautama Buddha has been questioned.

Life is no more than a dewdrop balancing on the end of a blade of grass.

• Your work is to discover your work and then with all your heart to give yourself to it.
  • Loose translation (“rendering”, “interpretation”) of verse 166 of the Dhammapada by Thomas Byrom, 1976.
  • Alternatively rendered by Anne Bancroft as:
    “Your work is to find out what your work should be and not to neglect it for another’s. Clearly discover your work and attend to it with all your heart.”.
  • More faithful translations:
    • Let one not neglect one’s own welfare for the sake of another, however great. Clearly understanding one’s own welfare, let one be intent upon the good.
      ("Attavagga: The Self" (Dhp XII), translated from the Pali by Acharya Buddharakkhita, verse 166, 1985)
    • Don't sacrifice your own welfare for that of another, no matter how great. Realizing your own true welfare, be intent on just that.
      ("Attavagga: Self", by Thanissaro Bhikkhu, verse 166, 1997)

• The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly.

• To keep the body in good health is a duty... otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.
  • Buddha, in The Inner Matrix: A Guide to Transforming Your Life and Awakening Your Spirit (24 March 2014), p. 136

• • • Book: The 4 nobles truths sutra.
  • Geshe Tashi Tsering. The first turning the wheel of dharma Sutra.

Budha: “to keep the body in good health is a duty… Otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.”

https://www.wisdompubs.org/book/four-noble-truths/selections

• Words have the power to both destroy and heal. When words are both true and kind, they can change our world.

• If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change.

• Let us all be thankful for this day, for we have learned a great deal; if we have not learned a great deal, then at least we learned slightly; if we did not learn slightly, then at least we did not become sick; if we did become sick, then at least we did not die. So, let us all be thankful.

• On life's journey faith is nourishment, virtuous deeds are a shelter, wisdom is the light by day and right mindfulness is the protection by night. If a man lives a pure life, nothing can destroy him.

• Teach this triple truth to all: A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are the things which renew humanity.

• Desire is the cause for all your sickness and misery.

• It is your mind that creates this world.

• Believe nothing, O monks, merely because you have been told it … or because it is traditional, or because you yourselves have imagined it. Do not believe what your teacher tells you merely out of respect for the teacher. But whatsoever, after due examination and analysis, you find to be conducive to the good, the benefit, the welfare of all beings—that doctrine believe and cling to, and take it as your guide.
  • Reported in Life (March 7, 1955), p. 102. Reported in unverified in his writings in Respectfully Quoted: A Dictionary of Quotations (1989).

• Only three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.
  • Attributed in the opening to Lisa See's China Dolls (2014)

• The Buddha said 'Salvation doesn't come from the sight of me. It demands strenuous effort and practise. So work hard and seek your own salvation constantly.'
  • Dalai Lama, in Seven Years in Tibet (1997).

IF this whole section is "from" Paul Carus then by definition they are not quotes of the Buddha and should not be appearing here If they are then "Paul Carus" should simply site the Sutta/Sutra number

/* The Gospel of Buddha (1894) */

The Gospel of Buddha (1894)

The Gospel of Buddha is a compilation from ancient records by Paul Carus

Neither fire, nor moisture, nor wind can destroy the blessing of good deeds, and blessings enlighten the whole world.

Ch. 58 The Buddha Replies to the Deva

On a certain day when the Blessed One

dwelt at Jetavana, the garden of Anathapindika,

a celestial deva came to him in the shape of a Brahman

enlightened and wearing clothing as white as snow.

The deva asked,

What is the sharpest sword?

What is the deadliest poison?

What is the fiercest fire?

What is the darkest night?"

The Blessed One replied,

The sharpest sword is a word spoken in wrath;

the deadliest poison is covetousness;

the fiercest fire is hatred;

the darkest night is ignorance.

The deva said,

What is the greatest gain?

What is the greatest loss?

Which armour is invulnerable?

What is the best weapon?

The Blessed One replied,

The greatest gain is to give to others;

the greatest loss is to greedily receive without gratitude;

an invulnerable armor is patience;

the best weapon is wisdom.

The deva said,

Who is the most dangerous thief?

What is the most precious treasure?

Who can capture the heavens and the earth?

Where is the securest treasure-trove?

The Blessed One replied,

The most dangerous thief is unwholesome thought;

the most precious treasure is virtue;

the heavens and the earth may be captured by the mind's eye;

surpassing rebirth locates the securest treasure-trove.

The deva asked,

What is attraction?

What is repulsion?

What is the most horrible pain?

What is the greatest enjoyment?

The Buddha replied,

Attraction is wholeness;

repulsion is unwholesomeness;

the most tormenting pain is bad conscience;

the height of bliss is redeemed awakening.

The deva asked,

What causes ruin in the world?

What breaks off friendships?

What is the most violent fever?

Who is the best physician?"

The Blessed One replied,

Ruin in the world is caused by ignorance;

friendships are broken off by envy and selfishness;

the most violent fever is hatred;

the best physician is the Buddha;

The deva continued,

Now I have only one doubt to resolve and absolve:

What is it fire cannot burn,

nor moisture corrode,

nor wind crush down,

but is able to enlighten the whole world.

To conquer oneself is a greater task than conquering others.

The Buddha replied,

Blessing!

Neither fire, nor moisture, nor wind

can destroy the blessing of good deeds,

and blessings enlighten the whole world.

Hearing these answers,

the deva was overflowing with joy.

Then clasping hands, bowed down in respect and

disappeared suddenly from the presence of the Buddha.

• True charity occurs only when there are no notions of giving, giver, or gift.
  • David Ross, 1,001 Pearls of Wisdom, 2006, p. 26

• We forgive principally for our own sake, so that we may cease to bear the burden of rancour.
  • David Ross, 1,001 Pearls of Wisdom, 2006, p. 30

• Rather than continuing to seek the truth, simply let go of your views.
  • David Ross, 1,001 Pearls of Wisdom, 2006, p. 39

Unsourced quotes about Gautama Buddha

• Buddha conquered the lands of China, Japan, entire South-east Asia, Burma, Indonesia, Java, Sumatra, Sri Lanka and other countries without sending out even one soldier; he spread the message of karuna (mercy), prema (compassion), samanata (equality) and atmasanyam ( tolerance) throughout the world many centuries before Jesus and Mohammad; even today the flame of his sandesha ( message) lights up the whole world and entire humanity with the soft glow of manavatavadi (humanitarian), vaidhnyanik (scientific) and addhatmik (spiritual) message of India.
  • J. K. Verma — no citations of wide notabilty or even scholarly relevance found for this person, thus far (2011·12·07)

Additional names

If I make mistake dont jump on wagon attackin me, this is from my memory, and it's good. Buddha is also known as:

one who has achieved a state of perfect enlightenment

Gautama Buddha

Gautama Siddhartha

prince, this could be contributed in more that one area

—This unsigned comment is by 66.2.70.66 (talk • contribs) . & : —This unsigned comment is by 69.219.216.130 (talk • contribs) .

The Kalamas's Dilemma

The following quote is in the disputed section:

“

Believe nothing, O monks, merely because you have been told it … or because it is traditional, or because you yourselves have imagined it. Do not believe what your teacher tells you merely out of respect for the teacher. But whatsoever, after due examination and analysis, you find to be conducive to the good, the benefit, the welfare of all beings—that doctrine believe and cling to, and take it as your guide.

”

It's clearly part of the 'The Kalamas's Dilemma' which is from Anguttara Nikaya. The same part of the 'The Kalamas's Dilemma' is already quoted from a different translation. PhilKnight (talk) 20:43, 22 May 2012 (UTC)

True but that translation is badly faulty and should not be used anywhere. - Metalello (talk) 00:08, 17 September 2017 (UTC)

Resource for misattributions

See http://www.fakebuddhaquotes .com/ There are so many hundreds it's hard to say which merit inclusion here but certainly some of them do for being so widespread. (Note: the spam filter won't let me link it directly.) —Justin (koavf)❤T☮C☺M☯ 05:07, 8 July 2014 (UTC)

That site and http://www.realbuddhaquotes .com/ have quite a few real Buddha quotes as well; most of which I've just added. CensoredScribe (talk) 15:23, 22 June 2015 (UTC)

Kalama quote

It gives the wikipedia article on the Kalama sutra as a source - but that has a rather different version. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalama_Sutta

• Do not go upon what has been acquired by repeated hearing (anussava),
• nor upon tradition (paramparā),
• nor upon rumor (itikirā),
• nor upon what is in a scripture (piṭaka-sampadāna)
• nor upon surmise (takka-hetu),
• nor upon an axiom (naya-hetu),
• nor upon specious reasoning (ākāra-parivitakka),
• nor upon a bias towards a notion that has been pondered over (diṭṭhi-nijjhān-akkh-antiyā),
• nor upon another's seeming ability (bhabba-rūpatāya),
• nor upon the consideration, The monk is our teacher (samaṇo no garū)
• Kalamas, when you yourselves know: "These things are good; these things are not blamable; these things are praised by the wise; undertaken and observed, these things lead to benefit and happiness," enter on and abide in them.'}}

Which in turn cites this as a source: Kalama Sutra By Soma Thera

I think it might be better to use this (or another attributed source by a respected translator), because as it is, the current version is really unattributed, linking to a source that has a different version from the text used here, and somewhat different in meaning.

Robertinventor (talk) 18:12, 16 August 2015 (UTC)

Quotes requiring additional source information

Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love.

No one saves us but ourselves, no one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path but Buddhas clearly show the way.

The following quotes need additional source information, including translator, date of publication and page number.

• Open are the doors to the Deathless
  to those with ears.
  Let them show their conviction.
  • Ayacana Sutta

• Conquerors are those like me
  who have reached fermentations' end.
  I've conquered evil qualities,
  and so, Upaka, I'm a conqueror
  • Ariyapariyesana Sutta

• In crossing the river [from Saṃsāra to emancipation] (...) crocodiles are a designation for women.
  • Majjhima Nikaya, Sutta 3

• Know from the rivers in clefts and in crevices: those in small channels flow noisily, the great flow silent. Whatever’s not full makes noise. Whatever is full is quiet.

• Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Just as the candle won't be shortened, one's happiness never decreases by being shared.

• Whatever precious jewel there is in the heavenly worlds, there is nothing comparable to one who is Awakened.

• In whom there is no sympathy for living beings: know him as an outcast.

• Both formerly and now, it is only suffering that I describe, and the cessation of suffering.

• If a man going down into a river, swollen and swiftly flowing, is carried away by the current — how can he help others across?

• The world is afflicted by death and decay. But the wise do not grieve, having realized the nature of the world.

• Resolutely train yourself to attain peace.
  • Utthana Sutta

• As I am, so are these. As are these, so am I.’ Drawing the parallel to yourself, neither kill nor get others to kill.
  • Nalaka Sutta

• Do not go by revelation;
  Do not go by tradition;
  Do not go by hearsay;
  Do not go on the authority of sacred texts;
  Do not go on the grounds of pure logic;
  Do not go by a view that seems rational;
  Do not go by reflecting on mere appearances;
  Do not go along with a considered view because you agree with it;
  Do not go along on the grounds that the person is competent;
  Do not go along because "the recluse is our teacher."
  Kalamas, when you yourselves know: These things are unwholesome, these things are blameworthy; these things are censured by the wise; and when undertaken and observed, these things lead to harm and ill, abandon them...
  Kalamas, when you know for yourselves: These are wholesome; these things are not blameworthy; these things are praised by the wise; undertaken and observed, these things lead to benefit and happiness, having undertaken them, abide in them.
  • Kalama Sutta - Angutarra Nikaya 3.65

• It cannot happen that a woman may become a Tathāgata, a Sammsambuddha.
  • Aṅguttara Nikāya 3.14.

• It is in the nature of things that joy arises in a person free from remorse.
  • Cetana Sutta, Anguttara Nikaya

• Ardently do today what must be done. Who knows? Tomorrow, death comes.
  • Bhaddekaratta Sutta.

• Meditate … do not delay, lest you later regret it.
  • Sallekha Sutta

• To support mother and father, to cherish wife and children, and to be engaged in peaceful occupation — this is the greatest blessing.
  • Mangala Sutta

• A mind unruffled by the vagaries of fortune, from sorrow freed, from defilements cleansed, from fear liberated — this is the greatest blessing
  • Mangala Sutta

• Just as with her own life, A mother shields from hurt, Her own son, her only child,Let all-embracing thoughts For all beings be yours.
  • Metta Sutta

• Those who cling to perceptions and views wander the world offending people.
  • Magandiya Sutta

• Whatever living beings there may be — feeble or strong, long, stout, or of medium size, short, small, large, those seen or those unseen, those dwelling far or near, those who are born as well as those yet to be born — may all beings have happy minds.
  • Karaniya Metta Sutta

• Radiate boundless love towards the entire world — above, below, and across — unhindered, without ill will, without enmity.
  • Metta Sutta

• The root of suffering is attachment.
  • Pali canon

Regarding the "Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, And the life of the candle will not be shortened." quote:

On the Wikiquotes:Candles page, it is attributed to the Buddha by using a non-specific Sutta Nipata source. These following sites are split on the question of authenticity:

• + http://www.searchquotes.com/quotation/Thousands_of_candles_can_be_lit_from_a_single_candle%2C_and_the_life_of_the_candle_will_not_be_shorten/173/

• variable - https://www.quora.com/Inspirational-Quotes-3/Inspirational-Quotes-Who-said-Thousands-of-candles-can-be-lighted-from-a-single-candle-and-the-life-of-the-single-candle-will-not-be-shortened-Happiness-never-decreases-by-being-shared

• "fakish" - http://fakebuddhaquotes.com/thousands-of-candles-can-be-lighted-from-a-single-candle-and-the-life-of-the-single-candle-will-not-be-shortened-happiness-never-decreases-by-being-shared/

I do not know how reliable these sites are for use here, but the http://fakebuddhaquotes.com site seems to have put some research into their answer. Thank you, Wordreader (talk) 05:43, 16 January 2017 (UTC)

Anguttara Nikaya

Adaptation or translation by an unspecified author.

Friends

Nothing is as intractable as an untamed heart.

The untamed heart is intractable.

Nothing is as tractable as a tamed heart.

The tamed heart is tractable.

Nothing tends toward loss as does an untamed heart.

The untamed heart tends towards loss.

Nothing tends toward growth as does a tamed heart.

The tamed heart tends towards growth.

Nothing brings suffering as does

the untamed, uncontrolled unattended and unrestrained heart.

That heart brings suffering.

Nothing brings joy as does a

tamed, controlled, attended and restrained heart.

This heart brings joy.

Samyutta Nikaya (Connected Discourses)

Online Translations

[A devata] Giving what does one give strength? Giving what does one give beauty? Giving what does one give ease? Giving what does one give sight? Who is the giver of all? Being asked, please explain to me

[The Blessed One] Giving food, one gives strength; Giving clothes, one gives beauty; Giving a vehicle, one gives ease; Giving a lamp, one gives sight.

The one who gives a residence Is the giver of all. But the one who teaches the Dhamma Is the giver of the Deathless

• Whoever doesn’t flare up at someone who’s angry wins a battle hard to win.
  • Samyutta Nikaya

• When watching after yourself, you watch after others. When watching after others, you watch after yourself
  • Samyutta Nikaya

• Women, with their two-fingered wisdom [i.e. stupid], have a difficult time [understanding what I teach].
  • Mara says this (Mara is a Demon in Buddhist parables), Saṃyutta Nikāya 4.

• Whatever is felt is within suffering.
  • 36.11

Soma and Mara An adapation of a translation by C.A.F. Rhys-Davids

Once Soma, having returned from her alms round

and having eaten her meal, entered the woods to meditate.

Deep in the woods, she sat down under a tree.

Everything changes, nothing remains without change....

The tempter Mara, desirous and capable of arousing fear, wavering and dread,

and wishing her to interrupt her focused meditation, came to her and said,

Your intent is difficult, even for the sages;

Completion cannot be reached by a woman regardless the wisdom reaped."

Then Soma thought, "Who is this speaking, human or nonhuman?

Surely it is evil Mara desiring to interrupt my focused meditation."

Knowing that it was Mara, she said,

"What does gender matter with regard to a well-composed mind,

which experiences insight in the light of the dharma?"

The evil Mara thought, "Soma knows me"

and sorrowful for the evil, instantly vanished into darkness.

In protecting oneself, others are protected; In protecting others, oneself is protected.

Bamboo Acrobats An adaptation of a translation by John Ireland.

The Exalted One was dwelling in the Sumbha country,

in a location of the Sumbhas called Sedaka

There He addressed the monks:

"Once upon a time, a bamboo-acrobat set up his pole

and called to his pupil, Medakathalika, saying,

'Come my lad Medakathalika,

climb the pole and stand on my shoulders!'

'All right master,'

replied the pupil to the bamboo-acrobat.

The student then climbed the pole

and stood on the master's shoulders.

Then the bamboo-acrobat said to his pupil:

'Now Medakathalika, protect me well and I shall protect you.

Thus watched and warded by each other,

we will show our tricks, get a good fee and

come down safe from the bamboo pole.'

At these words Medakathalika the pupil

said to the bamboo-acrobat,

'No, no! That won't do master!

Look after yourself and I'll look after myself.

Thus watched and warded each by himself,

we'll show our tricks and get a good fee and

come down safe from the bamboo-pole.'"

"In the synthesis is the right way,"

said the Exalted One,

"Just as Medakathalika the pupil said to his master,

'I shall protect myself,'

by this the Foundation of Mindfulness is practiced.

'I shall protect others,'

by this the Foundation of Mindfulness is practiced.

In protecting oneself, others are protected;

In protecting others, oneself is protected."

Words have the power to both destroy and heal. When words are both true and kind, they can change our world.

And how does one in protecting oneself, protect others?

By frequent practice, development and

making much of the Foundation of Mindfulness.

Thus in protecting oneself, others are protected.

And how does one, in protecting others, protect oneself?

By forbearance and nonviolence,

By loving kindness and compassion.

Thus in protecting others, one protects oneself.

With the intention, 'I shall protect myself,'

the Foundation of Mindfulness is practiced.

With the intention, 'I shall protect others,'

the Foundation of Mindfulness is practiced.

In protecting oneself, others are protected;

In protecting others, oneself is protected."

• And this, monks, is the noble truth of the origination of dukkha: the craving that makes for further becoming — accompanied by passion & delight, relishing now here & now there — i.e., craving for sensual pleasure, craving for becoming, craving for non-becoming.
  • 56.11 Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta: Setting the Wheel of Dhamma in Motion translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Majjhima Nikaya (Middle Length Discourses)

• Whatever is subject to origination is all subject to cessation.
  • Sutta 74 (Dighanaka Sutta)

• This is deathless, the liberation of the mind through lack of clinging.
  • Sutta 106

Quotes requiting editorial work

The following quotes have formatting errors, grammatical errors, and are not organized in a way conforming to Wikiquote standard practice

On Social issues

On Women

• A woman, may turn out better than a man:

She may be wise and virtuous, A devoted wife,

revering her mother-in-law.

"The son to whom she gives birth May become a hero,

The son of such a blessed woman

May even rule the realm.

• S i 86 Samyutta Nikaya, KosalaSamyutta

On Caste

• "Even though one mutters many chants,

One does not become a brahmin by birth

If one is rotten with in and defiled,

Supporting oneself by fraudulent means.

"Whether khattiya, brahmin, vessa, sudda,

Candala or scavenger,

If one is energetic and resolute,

Always firm in exertion,

One attains the supreme purity

Know, O brahmin, that this is so.

• Samyutta Nikaya, SagathaVagga

The brahmin Sundarika Bharadvaja approached the Blessed One and said to him: "What is the worthy one's birth?" The Blessed One said:

• "Ask not of birth but ask of conduct:

Fire is indeed produced from any wood.

A resolute sage,though from low family,

Is a thoroughbred restrained by a sense of shame.

• Samyutta Nikaya, Brahmanasamyutta

• I prescribe purity of the four castes.

• Assalayana Sutta

• Not by birth is one an outcast;

not by birth is one a brahman.

By deed one becomes an outcast,

by deed one becomes an brahman.

• Vasala Sutta: Discourse on Outcasts

• Since both dark and bright qualities, which are blamed and praised by the wise, are

scattered indiscriminately among the four castes, the wise do not recognize the claim

about the Brahmin caste being the highest. Why is that? Because, anyone from

the four castes who becomes a monk, an Arahant who has destroyed the corruptions, who

has lived the life, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, reached the highest

goal, destroyed the fetter of becoming, and become emancipated through superknowledge—he is

proclaims supreme by virtue of Dhamma and not of non-Dhamma.

• DN 27, The Agganna Sutta

• "There are these ten things that a person gone-forth should reflect on often. Which ten?

"'I have become casteless': a person gone forth should often reflect on this...

• AN 10.48, Dasadhamma Sutta

• Just as whatever great rivers there are — such as the Ganges, the Yamunā, the Aciravatī, the Sarabhū, the Mahī — on reaching the ocean, give up their former names and are classed simply as 'ocean'; in the same way, when members of the four castes — noble warriors, brahmans, merchants, & workers — go forth from home to the homeless life in this Dhamma (teachings) & Vinaya (discipline) declared by the Tathāgata, they give up their former names and clans and are classed simply as 'contemplatives, sons of the Sakyan'... This is the fourth amazing & astounding quality of this Dhamma & Vinaya because of which, as they see it again & again, the monks take great joy in this Dhamma & Vinaya.

• Uposatha Sutta, Udana 5.5

• In the Way of Liberation, there is no caste.

To the eyes of an enlightened person, all people are

equal. Every person’s blood is red. Every person’s tears

are salty. We are all human beings. We must find a way

for all people to be able to realize their full dignity and

potential.

• Old Path White Clouds, Page 421

On War

Victory breeds enmity,

The defeated one sleeps badly.

The peaceful one sleeps at ease,

Having abandoned victory and defeat."

• Samyutta Nikaya, Kosala Samyutta, Battle.

On God

"Who is it that shapes our lives? Is it Iśvara, a personal creator? If Iśvara be the maker, all living things should have silently to submit to their maker's power. They would be like vessels formed by the potter's hand; and if it were so, how would it be possible to practise virtue? If the world had been made by Iśvara there should be no such thing as sorrow, or calamity, or evil; for both pure and impure deeds muse come from him. If not, there would be another cause beside him, and he would not be self-existent. Thus, thou seest, the thought of Iśvara is overthrown. "Again, it is said that the Absolute has created us. But that which is absolute cannot be a cause. All things around us come from a cause as the plant comes from the seed; but how can the Absolute be the cause of all things alike? If it pervades them, then, certainly, it does not make them. "Again, it is said that Self is the maker. But if self is the maker, why did it not make things pleasing? The causes of sorrow and joy are real and objective. How can they have been made by self? "Again, if we adopt the argument that there is no maker, our fate is such as it is, and there is no causation, what use would there be in shaping our lives and adjusting means to an end? "Therefore, we argue that all things that exist are not without cause. However, neither Iśvara, nor the absolute, nor the self, nor causeless chance, is the maker, but our deeds produce results both good and evil according to the law of causation. "Let us, then, abandon the heresy of worshipping Iśvara and of praying to him; let us no longer lose ourselves in vain speculations of profitless subtleties; let us surrender self and all selfishness, and as all things are fixed by causation, let us practise good so that good may result from our actions."

• Gospel of Buddha by Paul Carus, Chapter 23, Page 71

'If Whatever a person experiences - pleasant, painful, or neither pleasant nor painful is all caused by a supreme being's act of creation,'. Then in that case, a person is a killer of living beings because of a supreme being's act of creation. A person is a thief... unchaste... a liar... a divisive speaker... a harsh speaker... an idle chatterer... greedy... malicious... a holder of wrong views because of a supreme being's act of creation.' When one falls back on creation by a supreme being as being essential, monks, there is no desire, no effort [at the thought], 'This should be done. This shouldn't be done.' When one can't pin down as a truth or reality what should & shouldn't be done, one dwells bewildered & unprotected. One cannot righteously refer to oneself as a contemplative.

• AN 3.61,Tittha Sutta

User: Peter1c, where do you find them to be unformatted, ungrammatical and unorganized? When I inserted these quotes for the first time, I cited online sources, books and reliable Buddhist literature. These quotes are taken from Pali Tipitaka and are translated from Pali to English by renowned Buddhist Scholars such as Bhikkhu Bodhi and Thanissaro Bhkkhu. I also organized them under the tag social issues since they speak on problems of social evils such as Indian Caste System, opression of women by men, creator god and bloody war. These quotes are very necessary since they address social evils and refutes them in a polite way. I further request you to kindly not to remove these quotes when the consensus is build. I also would like to tag User: Joshua Jonathan who is well versed in Buddhist related topics and edits on different wikis. With best regards, Terabar (talk) 11:34, 7 March 2017 (UTC)

Hi Terabar. Thank you for your message. Here are my concerns in more detail:

• For quotes organized by theme, Wikiquote has theme pages. On author pages, quotes are organized chronologically. There are a few exceptions, but it is my understanding that these are being phased out.
• Wikiquote does not use ref tags. We use inline citations.
• Each quote must be formatted as follows:

• Quote
  Continuation of quote with multiple lines

  Continuation of quote with multiple paragraphs

• Citation

• Many of the added quotes are haphazardly indented and do not follow the correct format.
• You seem to have pasted some quotes without attending to linefeeds. Unlike HTML, WML does attend to whitespace.
• Terms that may be unfamiliar to readers must be linked to Wikipedia pages that define them (e.g. Iśvara).
• Quotes should be sourced from written publications if possible. Do the online sources you cited refer to written sources? Are written sources available?
• Sources must include publication title and date. Translations must cite translator.
• In "There are these ten things ..." you have unmatched quotation marks

I could continue the list. Wikiquote has standards of editorial competence, and with all due respect you frankly don't seem to be trying very hard to meet them. I encourage you to look carefully at other articles and then reformat and resubmit your quotations with careful attention to quality. ~ Peter1c (talk) 17:12, 8 March 2017 (UTC)

Someone please check behind me ...

Hello. I added a quote to the Misattributed section, but I'm not sure if I did the right thing. ("Believe nothing, no matter where you read it ...") I found it cited on fakebuddhaquotes.com, which seems to be a comprehensive source. But as User:Koavf pointed out (almost 10 years ago!), the site lists hundreds of such bogus/iffy quotes, and it's hard to say how many merit mention here. I added it because I've seen it in many times, originally in a Dear Abby column in the '70s. It was one of my favorite quotes for years, until I finally realized it's BS because it basically means, "Believe whatever you want." :/

So anyway, as a newbie here, I'd appreciate it if someone more knowledgeable could check what I added. If it doesn't pass muster, just revert; no hard feelings. :) Thanks all! Yesthatbruce (talk) 04:33, 10 February 2024 (UTC)

If you've seen it multiple times in the wild, then it makes sense to include it here. Our policy on the topic is when a quote is "widely" misattributed. See also Wikiquote:Misattribution, which is its own page for some reason, but is not a policy (yet). Lastly, Wikiquote:FAQ#What_should_I_do_when_I_find_a_misattribution?. Great work. —Justin (koavf)❤T☮C☺M☯ 06:10, 10 February 2024 (UTC)

Cool! Thanks for getting back so quickly. Yesthatbruce (talk) 06:32, 10 February 2024 (UTC)