50 Brief Quotes of The Buddha. Read. Reflect on Quote that Resonates.

For your support in daily life. 2nd selection of quotes

This is the second selection of words of the Buddha.  First selection available in Substack newsletter in November 2025.  First selection contained 30 quotes, 

The Buddha teaching Rahula, his son, who joined the nomadic Sangha  aged six. See Middle Length Discourses 62. titled Buddha's Advice to Rahula.

Here are 50 more quotes of the Buddha with the location  in the discourses at end of quote.
 
The final 28 quotes will be available on this Substack newsletter later this month making 108 quotes in total.

Quotes draw from Buddha Vacana, edited by Dhammika. 1989 for daily readings along with quotes from discourses (suttas).

If a quote resonates with you, read it a few times so it sinks in. You never know the hour nor day when the quote gives you support and insight into a situation.


FIFTY QUOTES OF THE BUDDHA with location in discourse

In three ways a person is known. Shortcomings, action to correct and forgiveness by the wise. A I 103.

Cease to do evil, learn to do good. Purify the mind. This is the teaching of the Buddhas. DP. 183/185

Meditation on love should be done for oneself and others. All should be suffused with love. This is the teaching of the Buddhas. Dp. 183/185. 

The spiritual life is not lived for the advantages that come from gain, honour or fame. It is not lived for the benefits from ethics. It is not live for the advantages and benefits that come from meditative concentration, nor from knowledge and vision. The spiritual life is lived for unshakable freedom of mind. That is the aim, the goal, and fulfilment. M 1 197

Those families where mother and father are worshipped in the home are said to be like God. Teachers of old, they are ranked with the gods. Why? Because mother and father do much for children. They bring them up nourishment and introduce them to the world. A 1169.

By energy, you will cross the raging flood. By effort, you will pass by sorrow. S 1 214.

Is it possible to see the visible results of generosity? The Buddha said, Yes, it's possible to see the benefit results The good and the wise trust such a person, the person’s reputation spreads when the generous person spends time with the noble ones, the gods, householders or yogis. The generous live with trust and live untroubled. This is a visible result of giving; the giver enters the realms of happiness.  A 111 38.

Of little importance is the loss of such things as wealth, a terrible thing it is to lose wisdom. Of little importance is the gaining of such things as wealth. Great is the importance of gaining wisdom. Dp 121-122

 Arise up, train yourself to find peace. Let not the king of death, knowing you to be lazy, trick you into his realm. Sn 331-334.

How does cleaning of the body take place?  The Buddha replied. Threefold, One abandons killing and lays aside physical harming of another. One lives with compassion towards every living being. One abandoned taking that which is not given and abandons acts of sexual harm upon another. A V 266.

Just as the dawn is the forerunner of the rising sun, so too are ethics the forerunner of the rising of the noble eightfold Path, S V 28.

If you take refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma and The Sangha, no fear or trembling will ever take Place. S 1 220.

What is nirvana? The destruction of greed. Hate and delusion. What is the path to Nirvana? It is, friend, the application of the Noble Eightfold Path. For its realisation. S IV 52.

A householder said: “I have been wanting to see the Buddha for a long time but had to endure sickness and pain.”The Buddha replied. Why do you want to see this body? One who sees the Dharma sees me, one who sees me sees the Dharma. S 111 118.

The mind is luminous, but it is stained by defilements that come from without. Ordinary people do not realise this, so they do not cultivate the mind. Noble ones understand this, so they cultivate the mind. A 1.10.

There are three unskilful types of thought. Thoughts of self-importance, thoughts of gain/honour/fame, and thoughts of worrying about others. It 82.

There are five ways to overcome negativity, malice and aggression, one develops love, compassion, equanimity, pays no attention to the anger and establishes in the mind that one is an heir of one's actions.

There are six dangers of addiction to gambling. The six are winning and putting down others, losing and grieving over the loss, people do not accept the gambler’s words of what is said, people, officials and friends avoid one and people find it hard. The gambler finds it hard to find a partner. People perceive a gambler as unreliable. D 111 184.

A monk said he experiences dysentery He told the Buddha that no one to look after him. 

“No, why not?”

“Because I have no use to them.”

Ananda and the Buddha carried the monk to the bed. The Buddha said: You have no mother or father to take care of you. If monks do not look after each other, who else will? One who would nurse me, let him nurse the sick. Vin IV 301.

One who endures abuse, violence or punishment without resentment, and whose power and protection is patience, him I call a true Brahmin (wise and abiding with love and compassion. Dp 399.

If you observe beetles or small insects like ants, they exhibit distinct types and kinds. This shows there are many varied species. Human types do not differ greatly as other species do. The difference between humans are only differences of convention. You cannot see any significant difference between any part of the human of one person and everybody else. Sn 601-611.

 What is the one thing, which, if developed, is conducive to awakening of the world? It is the reflection/recollection of peace. A 129.

What is good and what is bad? Rebecoming of old patterns is bad, and the ceasing of rebecoming is good. AV 120.

The Buddha speaks words that lead to the finding of security, the ending of sorrow and the attaining of nirvana. Truly, this is the speech supreme. Sn 450-454

Life in the world is unpredictable and uncertain. Life is difficult, short and fraught with suffering. Death and ageing are a natural part of the world. Thus, the wise grieve not seeing the nature of the world. Sn 574-581

Whoever makes love boundless and sets his mind to seeing the end of re becoming, his problems wear thin. It 20.

Love reveals itself as developing the welfare of others. This shows in the letting go of ill will. Compassion reveals as the removal of suffering of others. Appreciative joy reveals as happiness at welfare of others. Equanimity reveals knowing people are heirs to their deeds.

There are five advantages of listening to the Dharma. One hears things not previously heard. clarifies things  previously heard, dispels doubts, refocuses the view and the heart becomes calm. A 111 247.

On those who argue and quarrel insist on their view. The Buddha said they cling and wrangle with other their opinions. They only see one side of things.One whose mind is free does not argue with anyone, does not dispute with anyone, and makes use of the conventional terms of the world without clinging to them. Ud 68.

I have taught the Dharma in full. If one understands the meaning of even of four lines together of Dharma and is set on living in accordance with those lines, one may be called widely learned, one who knows the Dharma by heart. 

This is how you train yourselves. These discourses, deep, profound and transcendental, you will spend a days in learning.  SV 407.

What people expect to happen is often different than what happens. Thus, disappointment arise. This is the way the world works. Sn 588.

When there is discontent, this woe arises wherever one goes, stands, sits or lies down. One has no happiness nor pleasure, whether one is in the forest, at the foot of the tree, an open space, or among others. One finds no happiness or pleasure.

Develop the meditation on love, so that aggression and ill will end. 
Meditation on appreciative joy will end jealousy and envy will end,. Develop the meditation that is equanimity, so that reactivity ends. Develop the meditation on the perception of impermanence to end the conceit of I am.  M 1 244.

Health is the highest gain. Contentment is the greatest wealth. Trust is the best association, and nirvana is the highest happiness. Dp 227.

Four things shine in the world. The fifth you will not find. By day, the sun shines. By night, the moon shines. Fire gives light both day and night. Out of all things that shine, a Buddha is the best. S 1 14.

Conquer anger with love, evil with good, meanness with generosity and lies with truth. Dp 223

He abused me, hit me, oppressed me, robbed me. Those who continue to hold such thoughts never dissolve their anger. Dp 3-5.

In this world, anger and harmful intention does not end with anger. It is non-anger, non harmful intention, that ends it. This is an everlasting Dharma. Dp 3-5.

A lotus flower is untouched by water. The sage clings to nothing at all, not to the seen, the heard or the other senses. Sn 182.

Both now and in the past, I simply teach suffering and the overcoming of suffering. A 1 21.

This is the consciousness of the noble one, invisible, boundless and all luminous. No footing is found in earth, water, heat and fire. D 1 223.

Happily indeed we live loving amidst those who hate. We live full of love. Dp 197-199.

If fear and trembling arise, reflect on the mind of the Buddha. If you cannot reflect on the mind of the Buddha, then reflect on the Dharma. If you cannot reflect on the Dharma, reflect on the Sangha. S 1 220.

Ananda said half of the spiritual life is for the friendship, association and intimacy with what is beautiful. The Buddha said, Say, not so. Ananda. It is the whole of the spiritual life for this friendship, this association, intimacy with the beautiful. S V 2. 

 When the past is put away, when the future is given up, and when there is no desire to be in the present, this life has come to fulfilment. S 11 283.

For a long time, you have been deceived and cheated by your mind due to clinging to body, feelings, perceptions, thoughts and consciousness. This is the cause of this whole mess of suffering. M i 511

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