Read here some eastern philosophy quotes.
Eastern philosophy refers to the philosophical traditions and thought systems that originated in the East, particularly in Asia. These philosophies often have a holistic and spiritual approach to life and the world, and often prioritize concepts such as mindfulness, harmony, and the interconnectedness of all things. Eastern philosophy is often associated with religions such as Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, and Jainism. These philosophies have had a significant impact on the development of Eastern cultures and continue to influence modern Western thought and practices.
In this post, we are sharing some powerful eastern philosophy quotes from some famous philosophers of the Asian region that can help you live a happy life.
Some Eastern Philosophers
- Buddha
- Lao Tzu
- Chanakya
- Liezi: Taoist text
- Confucius
- Zhuangzi
- Swami Vivekananda
- Sun Tzu
- Bodhidharma
- Patañjali
- Adi Shankaracharya
- Kabir
- Guru Nanak
- Sai Baba
- Rabindranath Tagore
- Mahatma Gandhi
- Osho
Powerful Eastern Philosophy Quotes
Quotes by Buddha
Buddha, whose original name was Siddhartha Gautama, spent his life as a wandering ascetic. After leading a life of begging, penance, and meditation, he attained enlightenment at Bodhgaya and became the Buddha.
1. “Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn’t learn a lot at least we learned a little, and if we didn’t learn a little, at least we didn’t get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn’t die; so, let us all be thankful.” ― Buddha
2. “All that we are is the result of what we have thought: it is founded on our thoughts and made up of our thoughts. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, suffering follows him as the wheel follows the hoof of the beast that draws the wagon… If a man speaks or acts with a good thought, happiness follows him like a shadow that never leaves him.” ― Gautama Buddha
3. “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.” ― Buddha
4. “Be where you are; otherwise, you will miss your life.” ― Gautama Buddha
5. “Kindness should become the natural way of life, not the exception.” ― Buddha
6. “It is better to travel well than to arrive.” ― Buddha
7. “To live a pure unselfish life, one must count nothing as one’s own in the midst of abundance.” ― Buddha
8. “You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger.” ― Buddha
9. “Just as the great ocean has one taste, the taste of salt, so also this teaching and discipline has one taste, the taste of liberation.” ― Buddha
10. “Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it.” ― Buddha
11. “There is no fire like passion, there is no shark like hatred, there is no snare like folly, there is no torrent like greed.” ― Gautama Buddha
12. “Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” ― Buddha
13. “Just as a snake sheds its skin, we must shed our past over and over again.” — Buddha
14. “What you are is what you have been. What you’ll be is what you do now.” ― Buddha
15. “Even as a solid rock is unshaken by the wind, so are the wise unshaken by praise or blame.” — Buddha
16. “Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.” ― Buddha
17. “We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves.” ― Buddha
18. “Every morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.” ― Buddha
19. “No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.” ― Buddha
20. “There is nothing so disobedient as an undisciplined mind, and there is nothing so obedient as a disciplined mind.” ― Gautama Buddha
21. “If you find no one to support you on the spiritual path, walk alone. There is no companionship with the immature.” ― Buddha
22. “Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.” ― Buddha
Quotes by Lao Tzu
Lao Tzu was a semi-legendary ancient Chinese Taoist philosopher and the founder of philosophical and religious Taoism.
23. “Simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures. Simple in actions and thoughts, you return to the source of being. Patient with both friends and enemies, you accord with the way things are. Compassionate toward yourself, you reconcile all beings in the world.” ― Lao Tzu
24. “Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” ― Lao Tzu
25. “Be careful what you water your dreams with. Water them with worry and fear and you will produce weeds that choke the life from your dream. Water them with optimism and solutions and you will cultivate success. Always be on the lookout for ways to turn a problem into an opportunity for success. Always be on the lookout for ways to nurture your dream.” ― Lao Tzu
26. “To know and to think we know not, is the crown. Not to know and to think we know, is the affliction.” ― Lao Tzu
27. “Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.” ― Lao Tzu
28. “At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.” ― Lao Tzu
29. “Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” ― Lao Tzu
30. “Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.” ― Lao Tzu
31. “A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.” ― Lao Tzu
32. “When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everybody will respect you.” ― Lao Tzu
33. “You have only to rest in inaction and things will transform themselves. Smash your form and body, spit out hearing and eyesight, forget you are a thing among other things, and you may join in great unity with the deep and boundless.” ― Zhuangzi
34. “A man with outward courage dares to die; a man with inner courage dares to live.” ― Lao Tzu
Quotes by Chanakya
Chanakya was an ancient Indian polymath identified as Kautilya or Vishnugupta. He was the author of the ancient Indian political treatise Arthashastra.
35. “Education is the best friend. An educated person is respected everywhere. Education beats the beauty and the youth.” ― Chanakya
36. “Before you start some work, always ask yourself three questions – Why am I doing it, What the results might be and Will I be successful? Only when you think deeply and find satisfactory answers to these questions, go ahead.” ― Chanakya
37. “A man is great by deeds, not by birth.” ― Chanakya
38. “Treat your kid like a darling for the first five years. For the next five years, scold them. By the time they turn sixteen, treat them like a friend. Your grown-up children are your best friends.” ― Chanakya
39. “The fragrance of flowers spreads only in the direction of the wind. But the goodness of a person spreads in all directions.” ― Chanakya
40. “A man is born alone and dies alone, and he experiences the good and bad consequences of his karma alone, and he goes alone to hell or the Supreme abode.” ― Chanakya
41. “Do not reveal what you have thought upon doing, but by wise council keep it secret being determined to carry it into execution.” ― Chanakya
42. “Just as it is impossible to know when a swimming fish is drinking water, so it is impossible to find out when a government servant is stealing money.” ― Chanakya
43. “The life of an uneducated man is as useless as the tail of a dog which neither covers its rear end nor protects it from the bites of insects.” ― Chanakya
44. “Dharma is law in its widest sense—spiritual, moral, ethical and temporal. Every individual, whether the ruler or the ruled, is governed by his or her own dharma. To the extent that society respected dharma, society protected itself; to the extent, society offended it, society undermined.” ― Chanakya
45. “A person should not be too honest. Straight trees are cut first and honest people are screwed first.” ― Chanakya
46. “As soon as the fear approaches near, attack and destroy it.” ― Chanakya
47. “We should not fret for what is past, nor should we be anxious about the future; men of discernment deal only with the present moment” ― Chanakya
48. “The arrow shot by the archer may or may not kill a single person. But stratagems devised by wise men can kill even babes in the womb.” ― Chanakya
Quotes by Liezi
The Liezi is a Taoist text attributed to Lie Yukou.
49. “Let your eyes see what they see, not what others want you to see. Let your ears hear what they naturally hear, not what others want you to hear. Let your mouth speak your mind freely and not be constrained by other people’s approval or disapproval. Let your mind think what it wants to think and not let other people’s demands dictate your thoughts. If your senses and your mind are not allowed to do what they want to do naturally, you are denying them their rights. When you cannot think, sense, feel, or act freely, then your body and mind are injured. Break these oppressions, and you will cultivate life.” ― Liezi
50. “Strength should always be complemented by softness. If you resist too much, you will break. Thus, the strong person knows when to use strength and when to yield, and good fortune and disaster depend on whether you know how and when to yield.” — Liezi
51. “To solve a problem, you need to remove the cause, not the symptom.” ― Liezi
52. “If a branch is too rigid, it will break. Resist, and you will perish. Know how to yield, and you will survive.” ― Liezi
53. “A person with a mind is bound to be filled with conceptions. These conceptions prevent him from knowing things directly, so a person with a mind shall never really know.” ― Liezi
54. “If you play a game where scrap pieces of glass are at stake, you will play skillfully. If your expensive belt buckle is at stake, you’ll start to get clumsy. If it’s your money that’s at stake, you’ll fumble. It’s not that you’ve lost your skill. It’s because you are so flustered by things happening outside that you’ve lost your calmness inside. Lose your stillness and you will fail in everything you do.” ― Liezi
55. “In infancy, our blood is strong and our energy is plentiful. Mind and body thought and action is one. Everything we do is in harmony with the natural order. The infant is not affected by things that happen around him. Virtue and ethics cannot restrain his will. Naked and free of social conventions, he follows the natural path of the heart.” ― Liezi
56. “If you can dispense with reputation, then you are free from care. Reputation is only a visitor, but the reality is here to stay.” ― Liezi
57. “Once you transcend the external differences, anything can be merged with anything.” ― Liezi
58. “Division and differentiation are the processes by which things are created. Since things are emerging and dissolving all the time, you cannot specify the point when this division will stop.” ― Liezi
59. “Develop flexibility and you will be firm; cultivate yielding and you will be strong.” ― Liezi
60. “Complete people gaze into the blue sky above, plunge into the center of the earth below, and run freely in the eight directions without even a change of mood.” ― Liezi
61. “When you know that illusion and transformation are no different from birth and death, then you may learn magic.” ― Liezi
62. “People all know the pleasure of life but not the pain of life; they know the fatigue of old age, but not the freedom of old age; they know the horror of death but not the peace of death.” ― Liezi
63. “Complete people gaze into the blue sky above, plunge into the center of the earth below, and run freely in the eight directions without even a change of mood.”
Quotes by Confucius
Confucius was a Chinese philosopher who is traditionally considered the archetype of Chinese sages. The teachings and philosophy of Confucius underlie East Asian culture and society, which are influential throughout China and East Asia to this day.
64. “He who knows all the answers has not been asked all the questions.” ― Confucius
65. “Study the past if you would define the future.” ― Confucius
66. “Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.” ― Confucius
67. “To be wronged is nothing, unless you continue to remember it.” ― Confucius
68. “Respect yourself and others will respect you.” ― Confucius
69. “The man who asks a question is a fool for a minute, the man who does not ask is a fool for life.” ― Confucius
70. “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” ― Confucius
71. “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” ― Confucius
72. “The man of wisdom is never of two minds; the man of benevolence never worries; the man of courage is never afraid.” ― Confucius
73. “If you make a mistake and do not correct it, this is called a mistake.” ― Confucius
74. “Only the wisest and stupidest of men never change.” ― Confucius
75. “When you see a good person, think of becoming like her/him. When you see someone not so good, reflect on your own weak points.” ― Confucius
76. “We have two lives, and the second begins when we realize we only have one.” ― Confucius
77. “Attack the evil that is within yourself, rather than attacking the evil that is in others.” ― Confucius
78. “Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart.” ― Confucius
79. “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.” ― Confucius
80. “If your plan is for one year of plant rice. If your plan is for ten years plant trees. If your plan is for one hundred years educate children. ” ― Confucius
81. “Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance.” ― Confucius
82. “Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without.” ― Confucius
83. “The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials.” ― Confucius
84. “If what one has to say is not better than silence, then one should keep silent.” ― Confucius
85. “It is not the failure of others to appreciate the abilities that should trouble you, but rather your failure to appreciate theirs.” ― Confucius
86. “To put the world in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must first put the family in order; to put the family in order; we must first cultivate our personal life; we must first set our hearts right.” ― Confucius
Quotes by Zhuangzi
Zhuang Zhou was an influential Chinese philosopher who lived around the 4th century BCE during the Warring States period, the Hundred Schools of Thought, a period of great development in Chinese philosophy.
87. “Only he who has no use for the empire is fit to be entrusted with it.” ― Zhuangzi
88. “The fact is that those who do not see themselves but who see others, who fail to grasp of themselves but who grasp others, take possession of what others have but fail to possess themselves. they are attracted to what others enjoy but fail to find enjoyment in themselves.” — Zhuangzi
89. “A man like this will not go where he has no will to go, will not do what he has no mind to do. Though the world might praise him and say he had really found something, he would look unconcerned and never turn his head; though the world might condemn him and say he had lost something, he would look serene and pay no heed. The praise and blame of the world are no loss or gain to him.” ― Zhuangzi
90. “Things joined by profit, when pressed by misfortune and danger, will cast each other aside.” ― Zhuangzi
91. “Let your mind wander in simplicity, blend your spirit with the vastness, follow along with things the way they are, and make no room for personal views – then the world will be governed.” ― Zhuangzi
92. “The fish trap exists because of the fish. Once you’ve gotten the fish you can forget the trap. The rabbit snare exists because of the rabbit. Once you’ve gotten the rabbit, you can forget the snare. Words exist because of meaning. Once you’ve gotten the meaning, you can forget the words. Where can I find a man who has forgotten words so I can talk with him?” ― Zhuangzi
93. “The wise man knows that it is better to sit on the banks of a remote mountain stream than to be emperor of the whole world.” ― Zhuangzi
94. “During our dreams, we do not know we are dreaming. We may even dream of interpreting a dream. Only on waking do we know it was a dream. Only after the great awakening will we realize that this is a great dream.” ― Zhuangzi
95. “Great wisdom is generous; petty wisdom is contentious.” ― Zhuangzi
96. “All attempts to create something admirable are the weapons of evil. You may think you are practicing benevolence and righteousness, but in effect, you will be creating a kind of artificiality. Where a model exists, copies will be made of it; where success has been gained, boasting follows; where debate exists, there will be outbreaks of hostility.” ― Zhuangzi
97. “Your life has a limit, but knowledge has none. If you use what is limited to pursue what has no limit, you will be in danger.” ― Zhuangzi
98. “To forget the whole world is easy; to make the whole world forget you is hard.” ― Zhuangzi
99. “The effect of life in society is to complicate and confuse our existence, making us forget who we really are by causing us to become obsessed with what we are not.” ― Zhuangzi
100. “Not to understand is profound; to understand is shallow. Not to understand is to be on the inside; to understand is to be on the outside.” ― Zhuangzi
Quotes by Swami Vivekananda
Swami Vivekananda was an Indian Hindu monk and philosopher, who was a key figure in introducing Vedanta and Yoga to the Western world.
101. “The great secret of true success, of true happiness, is this: the man or woman who asks for no return, the perfectly unselfish person, is the most successful.” ― Swami Vivekananda
102. “You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul.” ― Swami Vivekananda
103. “The greatest religion is to be true to your own nature. Have faith in yourselves.” ― Swami Vivekananda
104. “Anything that makes weak – physically, intellectually and spiritually, reject it as poison.” ― Swami Vivekananda
105. “We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think. Words are secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far. ” ― Swami Vivekananda
106. “Arise, awake, stop not till the goal is reached.” ― Swami Vivekananda
107. “All power is within you; you can do anything and everything. Believe in that, do not believe that you are weak; do not believe that you are half-crazy lunatics, as most of us do nowadays. You can do anything and everything, without even the guidance of anyone. Stand up and express the divinity within you.” ― Swami Vivekananda
108. “All love is expansion, all selfishness is contraction. Love is therefore the only law of life. He who loves lives, he who is selfish is dying. Therefore love for love’s sake, because it is the only law of life, just as you breathe to live.” ― Swami Vivekananda
109. “Feel nothing, know nothing, do nothing, have nothing, give up all to God, and say utterly, ‘Thy will be done.’ We only dream of this bondage. Wake up and let it go.” ― Swami Vivekananda
110. “In a day, when you don’t come across any problems – you can be sure that you are traveling in the wrong path” ― Swami Vivekananda
111. “In a conflict between the heart and the brain, follow your heart. ” ― Swami Vivekananda
112. “Be not Afraid of anything. You will do Marvelous work. it is Fearlessness that brings Heaven even in a moment.” ― Swami Vivekananda
113. “Each soul is potentially divine. The goal is to manifest this divinity by controlling nature, external and internal. Do this either by work, worship, psychic control, or philosophy – by one, or more, or all of these – and be free. This is the whole of religion. Doctrines, or dogmas, or rituals, or books, or temples, or forms, are but secondary details.” ― Swami Vivekananda
114. “Strength is Life, Weakness is Death. Expansion is Life, Contraction is Death. Love is Life, Hatred is Death.” ― Swami Vivekananda
115. “Comfort is no test of truth. Truth is often far from being comfortable.” ― Swami Vivekananda
116. “Learn Everything that is Good from Others, but bring it in, and in your own way absorb it; do not become others.” ― Swami Vivekananda
117. “All the powers in the universe are already ours. It is we who have put our hands before our eyes and cry that it is dark.” ― Swami Vivekananda
118. “The only religion that ought to be taught is the religion of fearlessness. Either in this world or in the world of religion, it is true that fear is the sure cause of degradation and sin. It is fear that brings misery, fear that brings death, and fear that breeds evil. And what causes fear? Ignorance of our own nature.” ― Swami Vivekananda
119. “We are responsible for what we are, and whatever we wish ourselves to be, we have the power to make ourselves. If what we are now has been the result of our own past actions, it certainly follows that whatever we wish to be in the future can be produced by our present actions; so we have to know how to act.” ― Swami Vivekananda
120. “Books are infinite in number and time is short. The secret of knowledge is to take what is essential. Take that and try to live up to it.” ― Swami Vivekananda
Quotes by Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu was a Chinese military general and philosopher who is traditionally considered the author of The Art of War, an influential work of military strategy that has influenced both Western and East Asian philosophy and military thinking.
121. “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” ― Sun Tzu
122. “Supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting.” ― Sun Tzu
123. “To know your Enemy, you must become your Enemy.” ― Sun Tzu
124. “Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win” ― Sun Tzu
125. “Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak.” ― Sun Tzu
126. “Engage people with what they expect; it is what they are able to discern and confirms their projections. It settles them into predictable patterns of response, occupying their minds while you wait for the extraordinary moment — that which they cannot anticipate.” ― Sun Tzu
127. “Rouse him, and learn the principle of his activity or inactivity. Force him to reveal himself, so as to find out his vulnerable spots.” ― Sun Tzu
128. “If you know the enemy and know yourself, your victory will not stand in doubt; if you know Heaven and know Earth, you may make your victory complete.” ― Sun Tzu
129. “When one treats people with benevolence, justice, and righteousness, and reposes confidence in them, the army will be united in mind and all will be happy to serve their leaders.” ― Sun Tzu
130. “If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant.” ― Sun Tzu
131. “To win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill.” ― Sun Tzu
132. “Convince your enemy that he will gain very little by attacking you; this will diminish his enthusiasm” ― Sun Tzu
133. “Ultimate excellence lies not in winning every battle, but in defeating the enemy without ever fighting.” ― Sun-Tzu
134. “Anger may in time change to gladness; vexation may be succeeded by content. But a kingdom that has once been destroyed can never come again into being; nor can the dead ever be brought back to life.” ― Sun Tzu
135. “When strong, avoid them. If of high morale, depress them. Seem humble to fill them with conceit. If at ease, exhaust them. If united, separate them. Attack their weaknesses. Emerge to their surprise.” ― Sun Tzu
136. “Treat your men as you would your own beloved sons. And they will follow you into the deepest valley.” ― Sun Tzu
137. “The art of war is of vital importance to the State. It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected.” ― Sun Tzu
Quotes by Bodhidharma
Bodhidharma was an Indian Buddhist monk, traditionally credited as the transmitter of Chan Buddhism to China, and considered its first Chinese patriarch. He is known as Damo in China and Daruma in Japan. His name means “the dharma (bodhi) of awakening” in Sanskrit.
138. “If you use your mind to study reality, you won’t understand either your mind or reality. If you study reality without using your mind, you’ll understand both.” ― Bodhidharma
139. “The mind is the root from which all things grow if you can understand the mind, everything else is included. It’s like the root of a tree. All a tree’s fruit and flowers, branches, and leaves depend on its root. If you nourish its root, a tree multiplies. If you cut its root, it dies. Those who understand the mind reach enlightenment with minimal effort.” ― Bodhidharma
140. “If your mind isn’t within the three realms, it’s beyond them. The three realms correspond to the three poisons: greed corresponds to the realm of desire, anger to the realm of form, and delusion to the formless realm. And because karma created by the poisons can be gentle or heavy, these three realms are further divided into six places known as the six states of existence.” ― Bodhidharma
141. “The farther away you are from the truth, the more the hateful and pleasurable states will arise. There is also self—deception.” ― Bodhidharma
142. “According to the Sutras, evil deeds result in hardships and good deeds result in blessings.” ― Bodhidharma
143. “Not thinking about anything is Zen. Once you know this, walking, sitting, or lying down, everything you do is Zen.” ― Bodhidharma
144. “Poverty and hardship are created by false thinking.” ― Bodhidharma
145. “Those who worship don’t know, and those who know don’t worship.” ― Bodhidharma
146. “At every moment where language can’t go, that’s your mind.” ― Bodhidharma
147. “People of this world are deluded. They’re always longing for something-always, in a word, seeking. But the wise wake up. They choose reason over custom. They fix their minds on the sublime and let their bodies change with the seasons. All phenomena are empty. They contain nothing worth desiring.” ― Bodhidharma
148. “The ignorant mind, with its infinite afflictions, passions, and evils, is rooted in the three poisons. Greed, anger, and delusion.” ― Bodhidharma
149. “Even if you have mountains of jewels and as many servants as there are grains of sand along the Ganges, you see them when your eyes are open. But what about when your eyes are shut?You should realize then that everything you see is like a dream or illusion.” ― Bodhidharma
150. “The Dharma is the truth that all natures are pure. By this truth, all appearances are empty.” ― Bodhidharma
151. “When the mortal mind appears, Buddhahood disappears. When the mortal mind disappears, Buddhahood appears. When the mind appears, reality disappears. When the mind disappears, reality appears. Whoever knows that nothing depends on anything has found the Way. And whoever knows that the mind depends on nothing is always at the place of enlightenment.” ― Bodhidharma
152. “If you use your mind to study reality, you won’t understand either your mind or reality. If you study reality without using your mind, you’ll understand both. Those who don’t understand, don’t understand understanding. And those who understand, understand not understanding.” ― Bodhidharma
Quotes by Patañjali
Patanjali is an Indian sage, author, and compiler of Yoga Sutras, a classical yoga text.
153. “Distractions arise from habitual thought patterns when practice is intermittent.” ― Patañjali
154. “It is only when the correct practice is followed for a long time, without interruptions and with a quality of positive attitude and eagerness, that it can succeed.” ― Patañjali
155. “Life cannot be known by the “mind,” its secrets cannot be learned through the “mind.” The proof is, the ceaseless strife and contradiction of opinion among those who trust in the mind. Much less can the “mind” know itself, the more so, because it is pervaded by the illusion that it truly knows, truly is.” ― Patañjali
156. “With this truth-bearing light will begin a new life. Old unwanted impressions are discarded and we are protected from the damaging effects of new experiences.” ― Patañjali
157. “OM: the symbol of the Three in One, the three worlds in the Soul; the three times, past, present, future, in Eternity; the three Divine Powers, Creation, Preservation, Transformation, in the one Being; the three essences, immortality, omniscience, joy, in the one Spirit. This is the Word, the Symbol, of the Master and Lord, the perfected Spiritual Man.” ― Patañjali
158. “The purpose of life, therefore, is the realizing of that prophecy; the unveiling of the immortal man; the birth of the spiritual from the psychical, whereby we enter our divine inheritance and come to inhabit Eternity. This is, indeed, salvation, the purpose of all true religion, in all times.” ― Patañjali
159. “The great secret is this: it is not enough to have intuitions; we must act on them; we must live them.” ― Patañjali
160. “It is the power to focus the consciousness on a given spot, and hold it there Attention is the first and indispensable step in all knowledge.” ― Patañjali
161. “Every morning put your mind into your heart and stand in the presence of God all the day long.” ― Patañjali
162. “Egotism is but the perversion of spiritual being. Ambition is the inversion of spiritual power. Passion is the distortion of love. The mortal is the limitation of the immortal. When these false images give place to true, then the spiritual man stands forth luminous, as the sun, when the clouds disperse.” ― Patañjali
163. “Be happy for those who are happy, be compassionate toward those who are unhappy, be delighted for those who are virtuous, and be indifferent toward the wicked.” ― Patañjali
164. “Nothing in all creation is so like God as silence.” ― Patañjali
Quotes by Adi Shankaracharya
Adi Shankaracharya was an Indian Vedic scholar and teacher. His works present a harmonious reading of the scriptures, synthesizing the Advaita Vedanta teachings of his time, with liberating knowledge of the self at its core.
165. “You never identify yourself with the shadow cast by your body, or with its reflection, or with the body you see in a dream or in your imagination. Therefore you should not identify yourself with this living body, either.” ― Adi Shankaracharya
166. “Where renunciation and longing for liberation are weak, tranquillity and the other virtues are a mere appearance, like the mirage in the desert.” ― Adi Shankaracharya
167. “When our false perception is corrected, misery ends also.” ― Adi Shankaracharya
168. “When your last breath arrives, Grammar can do nothing.” ― Adi Shankaracharya
169. “The Soul appears to be finite because of ignorance. When ignorance is destroyed the Self which does not admit of any multiplicity truly reveals itself by itself: like the Sun when the clouds pass away.” ― Adi Shankaracharya
Quotes by Kabir
Kabir Das was an Indian mystic poet and saint. His writings influenced the Bhakti movement of Hinduism.
170. “If you want the truth, I’ll tell you the truth: Listen to the secret sound, the real sound, which is inside you.” ― Kabir
171. “The river that flows in you also flows in me.” ― Kabir
172. “Wherever you are is the entry point” ― Kabir
173. “The Lord is in me, the Lord is in you, as life is in every seed, put false pride away and seek the Lord within..” ― Kabir
174. “Life, the veil that obscures the heart, and there you will find what you are looking for.” ― Kabir
175. “As the river enters into the ocean, so my heart touches Thee.” ― Kabir
176. “When at last you have come to the ocean of happiness, do not go back thirsty.” ― Kabir
177. “Do not keep the slanderer away, treat him with affection and honor: Body and soul, he scours all clean, babbling about this and that.” ― Kabir
178. “Many have died; you also will die. The drum of death is being beaten. The world has fallen in love with a dream. Only sayings of the wise will remain.” ― Kabir
179. “All know that the drop merges into the ocean, but few know that the ocean merges into the drop.” ― Kabir
180. “A sore pain troubles me day and night, and I cannot sleep; I long for the meeting with my Beloved, and my father’s house gives me pleasure no more. The gates of the sky are opened, the temple is revealed: I meet my husband, and leave at His feet the offering of my body and my mind.” ― Kabir
181. “Don’t go outside your house to see the flowers. My friend, don’t bother with that excursion. Inside your body there are flowers. One flower has a thousand petals. That will do for a place to sit. Sitting there you will have a glimpse of beauty inside the body and out of it, before gardens and after gardens.” ― Kabir
182. “Whether I am in the temple or in the balcony, in the camp or the flower garden, I tell you truly that every moment my Lord is taking His delight in me.” ― Kabir
183. “If you cannot understand something, then you have understood it incorrectly.” ― Kabir
184. “Love does not grow on trees or brought in the market, but if one wants to be “loved” one must first know how to give unconditional love.” ― Kabir
Quotes by Guru Nanak
Guru Nanak was the founder of Sikhism and is the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. His birth is celebrated worldwide as Guru Nanak Gurpurab.
185. “He who has no faith in himself can never have faith in God.” ― Guru Nanak
186. “Even Kings and emperors with heaps of wealth and vast dominion cannot compare with an ant filled with the love of God.” ― Guru Nanak
187. “The world is a drama, staged in a dream” ― Guru Nanak
188. “Speak only that which will bring you honor.” ― Guru Nanak
189. “Owing to ignorance of the rope the rope appears to be a snake; owing to ignorance of the Self the transient state arises of the individualized, limited, phenomenal aspect of the Self.” ― Guru Nanak
190. “I am neither a child, a young man nor an ancient; nor am I of any caste.” ― Guru Nanak
191. “Whatever kind of seed is sown in a field, prepared in due season, a plant of that same kind, marked with the peculiar qualities of the seed, springs up in it.” ― Guru Nanak
192. “Realization of Truth is higher than all else. Higher still is truthful living.” ― Guru Nanak
193. “There is but One God. His name is Truth; He is the Creator. He fears none; he is without hate. He never dies; He is beyond the cycle of births and death. He is self-illuminated. He is realized by the kindness of the True Guru. He was True in the beginning; He was True when the ages commenced and have ever been True. He is also True now.” ― Guru Nanak
194. “Alone let him constantly meditate in solitude on that which is salutary for his soul, for he who meditates in solitude attains supreme bliss.” ― Guru Nanak
195. “If the people use the wealth bestowed on them by God for themselves alone or for treasuring it, it is like a corpse. But if they decide to share it with others, it becomes sacred food.” ― Guru Nanak
196. “Whatever be the qualities of the man with whom a woman is united according to the law, such qualities even she assumes, like a river, united with the ocean.” ― Guru Nanak
Quotes by Sai Baba
Sai Baba was an Indian spiritual master and mystic, revered by both Hindu and Muslim devotees during and after his lifetime. He preached the importance of “realization of the self” and criticized “the love of perishable things”. His teachings focus on the ethical code of love, forgiveness, helping others, charity, contentment, inner peace, and devotion to God and Guru.
197. “What matters is to live in the present, live now, for every moment is now. It is your thoughts and acts of the moment that create your future. The outline of your future path already exists, for you created its pattern by your past.” ― Sai Baba
198. “Life is a song – sing it. Life is a game – play it. Life is a challenge – meet it. Life is a dream – realize it. Life is a sacrifice – offer it. Life is love – enjoy it.” ― Sai Baba
199. “Love one another and help others to rise to higher levels, simply by pouring out love. Love is infectious and the greatest healing energy.” ― Sai Baba
200. “Man learns through experience, and the spiritual path is full of different kinds of experiences. He will encounter many difficulties and obstacles, and they are the very experiences he needs to encourage and complete the cleansing process.” ― Sai Baba
201. “You must be a lotus, unfolding its petals when the sun rises in the sky, unaffected by the slush where it is born or even the water which sustains it!” ― Sai Baba
202. “A house must be built on solid foundations if it is to last. The same principle applies to man, otherwise, he too will sink back into the soft ground and becomes swallowed up by the world of illusion.” ― Sai Baba
203. “All action results from thought, so it is thoughts that matter.” ― Sai Baba
204. “Man is lost and is wandering in a jungle where real values have no meaning. Real values can have meaning to man only when he steps onto the spiritual path, a path where negative emotions have no use.” ― Sai Baba
205. “The life ahead can only be glorious if you learn to live in total harmony with the Lord.” ― Sai Baba
206. “Look out into the universe and contemplate the glory of God. Observe the stars, millions of them, twinkling in the night sky, all with a message of unity, part of the very nature of God.” ― Sai Baba
207. “I am formless and everywhere. I am in everything. I am in everything and beyond. I fill all space. All that you see, taken together, is Me. I do not shake or move.” ― Sai Baba
208. “What is new in the world? Nothing. What is old in the world? Nothing. Everything has always been and will always be.” ― Sai Baba
209. “Man seeks to change the foods available in nature to suit his tastes, thereby putting an end to the very essence of life contained in them.” ― Sai Baba
Quotes by Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore was an Indian Bengali writer and social reformer. He was the author of the poem Gitanjali.
210. “Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark.” ― Rabindranath Tagore
211. “Don’t limit a child to your own learning, for she was born in another time.” ― Rabindranath Tagore
212. “A mind all logic is like a knife with all blades. It makes the hand bleed that uses it.” ― Rabindranath Tagore
213. “If I can’t make it through one door, I’ll go through another door- or I’ll make a door. Something terrific will come no matter how dark the present.” ― Rabindranath Tagore
214. “Everything comes to us that belongs to us if we create the capacity to receive it.” ― Rabindranath Tagore
215. “If you cry because the sun has gone out of your life, your tears will prevent you from seeing the stars.” ― Rabindranath Tagore
216. “You can’t cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water.” ― Rabindranath Tagore
217. “It is very simple to be happy, but it is very difficult to be simple.” ― Rabindranath Tagore
218. “Let your life lightly dance on the edges of time like dew on the tip of a leaf.” ― Rabindranath Tagore
219. “Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky.” ― Rabindranath Tagore
220. “Death is not extinguishing the light; it is only putting out the lamp because the dawn has come.” ― Rabindranath Tagore
221. “Patriotism cannot be our final spiritual shelter; my refuge is humanity. I will not buy glass for the price of diamonds, and I will never allow patriotism to triumph over humanity as long as I live.” ― Rabindranath Tagore
222. “The same stream of life that runs through my veins night and day runs through the world and dances in rhythmic measures. It is the same life that shoots in joy through the dust of the earth in numberless blades of grass and breaks into tumultuous waves of leaves and flowers.” ― Rabindranath Tagore
223. “The highest education is that which does not merely give us information but makes our life in harmony with all existence.” ― Rabindranath Tagore
224. “YOU are the big drop of dew under the lotus leaf, I am the smaller one on its upper side,’ said the dewdrop to the lake.” ― Rabindranath Tagore
225. “Power said to the world, “You are mine.” The world kept it, prisoner, on her throne. Love said to the world, “I am thine.” The world gave it the freedom of her house.” ― Rabindranath Tagore
226. “Great calm, generous detachment, selfless love, the disinterested effort: these are what make for success in life. If you can find peace in yourself and can spread comfort around you, you will be happier than an empress.” ― Rabindranath Tagore
Quotes by Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi was an Indian lawyer and freedom fighter who used nonviolent resistance to lead a successful campaign for India’s independence from British rule.
227. “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” ― Mahatma Gandhi
228. “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” ― Mahatma Gandhi
229. “It’s the action, not the fruit of the action, that’s important. You have to do the right thing. It may not be in your power, may not be in your time, that there’ll be any fruit. But that doesn’t mean you stop doing the right thing. You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result.” ― Mahatma Gandhi
230. “You may never know what results come of your actions, but if you do nothing, there will be no results.” ― Mahatma Gandhi
231. “An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind.” ― Mahatma Gandhi
232. “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” ― Mahatma Gandhi
233. “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed.” ― Mahatma Gandhi
234. “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” ― Mahatma Gandhi
235. “Prayer is not asking. It is a longing of the soul. It is daily admission of one’s weakness. It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart.” ― Mahatma Gandhi
236. “I offer you peace. I offer you love. I offer you friendship. I see your beauty. I hear your need. I feel your feelings.” ― Mahatma Gandhi
237. “Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.” ― Mahatma Gandhi
238. “Man often becomes what he believes himself to be. If I keep on saying to myself that I cannot do a certain thing, it is possible that I may end up really becoming incapable of doing it. On the contrary, if I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning.” ― Mahatma Gandhi
239. “You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is like an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.” ― Mahatma Gandhi
240. “A man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks, he becomes.” ― Mahatma Gandhi
241. “There is nothing that wastes the body like worry, and one who has any faith in God should be ashamed to worry about anything whatsoever. ” ― Mahatma Gandhi
242. “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” ― Mahatma Gandhi
243. “The day the power of love overrules the love of power, the world will know peace.” ― Mahatma Gandhi
244. “Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.” ― Mahatma Gandhi
Quotes by Osho
Osho was an Indian mystic and the founder of the Rajneesh movement. He was seen as the leader of a controversial new religious movement during his life.
245. “Friendship is the purest love. It is the highest form of Love where nothing is asked for, no condition, where one simply enjoys giving.” ― Osho
246. “To be creative means to be in love with life. You can be creative only if you love life enough that you want to enhance its beauty, you want to bring a little more music to it, a little more poetry to it, a little more dance to it.” ― Osho
247. “Each person comes into this world with a specific destiny–he has something to fulfill, some message has to be delivered, some work has to be completed. You are not here accidentally–you are here meaningfully. There is a purpose behind you. The whole intends to do something through you.” ― Osho
248. “Millions of people are suffering: they want to be loved but they don’t know how to love. And love cannot exist as a monologue; it is a dialogue, a very harmonious dialogue.” ― Osho
249. “Listen to your being. It is continuously giving you hints; it is a still, small voice. It does not shout at you, that is true. And if you are a little silent you will start feeling your way. Be the person you are. Never try to be another, and you will become mature. Maturity is accepting the responsibility of being oneself, whatsoever the cost. Risking all to be oneself, that’s what maturity is all about.” ― Osho
250. “Drop the idea of becoming someone, because you are already a masterpiece. You cannot be improved. You have only to come to it, to know it, to realize it.” ― Osho
251. “Find ecstasy within yourself. It is not out there. It is in your innermost flowering. The one you are looking for is you.” ― Osho
252. “Don’t try to understand life. Live it! Don’t try to understand love. Move into love. Then you will know – and all that knowledge will come out of your experience. The more you know, the more you know that much remains to be known.” ― Osho
253. “Falling in love you remain a child; rising in love you mature. By and by love becomes not a relationship, it becomes a state of your being. Not that you are in love – now you are in love.” ― Osho
254. “You feel good, you feel bad, and these feelings are bubbling from your own unconsciousness, from your own past. Nobody is responsible except you. Nobody can make you angry, and nobody can make you happy.” ― Osho
255. “Truth is not to be found outside. No teacher, no scripture can give it to you. It is inside you and if you wish to attain it, seek your own company. Be with yourself.” ― Osho
256. “Sadness is silent, it is yours. It is coming because you are alone. It is giving you a chance to go deeper into your aloneness. Rather than jumping from one shallow happiness to another shallow happiness and wasting your life, it is better to use sadness as a means of meditation. Witness it. It is a friend! It opens the door of your eternal aloneness.” ― Osho
Image from Pixabay
