Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Gandhi and Buddha Quotes


***Mohandas Karamachand Gandhi,***

( one of the most influential figures in modern social and political activism,considered these traits to be the most spiritually perilous to humanity.
Wealth without Work Pleasure without Conscience Science without Humanity Knowledge without Character Politics without Principle Commerce without Morality Worship without Sacrifice )

Peace will not come out of a clash of arms but out of justice lived and done by unarmed nations in the face of odds.
Democracy and violence can ill go together.Evolution of democracy is not possible if we are not prepared to hear the other side.

A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave.

Hatred ever kills, love never dies; such is the vast difference between the two.

What is obtained by love is retained for all time. What is obtained by hatred proves a burden in reality for it increases hatred.

Non-cooperation with evil is a sacred duty.

Nonviolence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man

The weak can never forgive.Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.

What kind of victory is it when someone is left defeated?

***You must be the change you wish to see in the world.***

may be long before the law of love will be recognizedin international affairs.

The machinery's of governmentstand between and hide the hearts of one people from those of another.

To forgive is not to forget. The merit lies in loving in spite of the vivid knowledge that the one that must be loved is not a friend.

You assist an evil system most effectively by obeying its orders and decrees. An evil system never deserves such allegiance.Allegiance to it means partaking of the evil.A good person will resist an evil system with his or her whole soul.

Nonviolence is not a garment to be put on and off at will. Its seat is in the heart, and it must be an inseparable part of our being.
Violent means will give violent freedom.

However much I may sympathize with and admire worthy motives, I am anuncompromising opponent of violent methods even to serve the noblest ofcauses.

Man and his deed are two distinct things. Whereas a good deed should callforth approbation, and a wicked deed disapprobation, the doer of the deed,whether good or wicked always deserves respect or pity as the case may be.
Hate the sin and not the sinner is a precept which though easy enough tounderstand is rarely practiced, and that is why the poison of hatred spreads in the world.

Nonviolence and cowardice are contradictory terms. Nonviolence is thegreatest virtue, cowardice the greatest vice. Nonviolence springs fromlove, cowardice from hate. Nonviolence always suffers, cowardice wouldalways inflict suffering. Perfect nonviolence is the highest bravery.Nonviolent conduct is never demoralizing, cowardice always is.
Destruction is not the law of humans. Man lives freely only by his readiness to die, if need be, at the hands of his brother, never by killing him. Every murder or other injury, no matter for what cause, committed or inflicted onanother is a crime against humanity.

Man's nature is not essentially evil. Brute nature has been known to yieldto the influence of love. You must never despair of human nature.

It is the law of love that rules mankind. Had violence, i.e. hate, ruled uswe should have become extinct long ago. And yet, the tragedy of it is thatthe so-called civilized men and nations conduct themselves as if the basisof society was violence.

Power is of two kinds. One is obtained by the fear of punishment and theother by acts of love. Power based on love is a thousand times moreeffective and permanent then the one derived from fear of punishment.

Whether humanity will consciously follow the law of love, I do not know.But that need not disturb me. The law will work just as the law of gravitation works, whether we accept it or not. The person who discovered the law of love was a far greater scientist than any of our modern scientists. Only our explorations have not gone far enough and so it is not possible for everyone to see all its workings.

It is good to see ourselves as others see us. Try as we may, we are neverable to know ourselves fully as we are, especially the evil side of us. This we can do only if we are not angry with our critics but will take in goodheart whatever they might have to say.


Gandhi was once asked what he thought about western civilization. Hisresponse was: "I think it would be a good idea."









****BUDDHA****
Buddha (563 - 483 BC)

Let us live in joy, never falling sick like those who hate us. Let us live in freedom, without hatred even amongthose who hate.

"Your mind is everything, What you think you become."-Buddha
He who causes suffering shall suffer. There is no escape.

It is our minds that create this world.

"If anything is worth doing, do it with all your heart."

Love yourself and be awake-Today, tomorrow, always.

First establish yourself in the way,Then teach others, And so defeat sorrow.

To straighten the crookedYou must first do a harder thing-Straighten yourself.

You are your only master.Who else?Subdue yourself,And discover your master.


We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts we make the world.


The gift of truth excels all other gifts.


Do not overrate what you have received, nor envy others. He who envies others does not obtain peace of mind.


May all that have life be delivered from suffering.


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