Words of the Buddha. 30 Brief Quotes to mark 30 Years of Tovana, major Buddhist Centre in Israel.
October 2025
THIRTY QUOTES OF THE BUDDHA with location in discourse 1. I will speak about what is true, not about what is not true. A 111 195 2. What is the purpose of a mirror? It is for the purpose of reflection. An action to be done by body, speech or mind occurs after reflection. M 1 415 3. Just as the Great Ocean has one taste - the taste of salt. Even so, this Dharma has one taste - the taste of freedom. Ud 56 4. Overcome lies with truth. Dh 223 5. Ananda said. Half of the spiritual life is lived for (deep) friendship. The Buddha responded: Say not so. Say not so. The whole of the spiritual life is lived for (deep) friendship. S V 2. SN 45.2
Sangha of Monks in the forest in Thailand 6. If anyone should criticise the Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, do not be angry or resentful. You would not be able to know whether they are right or wrong. DN 1.5. 7. Be intent on trust, ethics and vision of the Dharma. AN IV 5 8. If anyone strikes you with their fist, with a stick or stabs you with a knife, train yourself. I shall utter no evil words. M 1 124 9. Develop meditation on impermanence to end the conceit of I am. M 1 424 10. There are these four types of persons found in the world. One is neither concerned with their own welfare, nor the welfare of others. One is concerned with the welfare of others, but not their own. One is concerned with their own welfare but not the welfare of others One is concerned with their own welfare and the welfare of others. A 11 94 11. Cease to do evil. Cultivate wholesome actions. Purify the mind. This is the teaching of the Buddhas. Dh 185 12. If you have no satisfactory teacher. then take the Dharma and practise it. When rightly undertaken, it will be for your welfare and happiness for a long time. M 1 401 13. Even if criminals cut off your limbs with a double handed sword, if you filled your mind with blame/hatred, you would not be practising my teachings. A 1 69 14. Unshakable freedom of mind. This is the aim of the spiritual life, this is the goal, this is the culmination. M 1 197 15. Do not think lightly of harmful action, saying it will not come to you a drop at a time. Just as the waterpot is filled little by little, the fool becomes filled with inflicting harmful actions 16. Whatever one thinks about often, the mind gets a leaning in that way. M 1 115 17. One abandons killing and lays aside all weapons. A V 266 18. These four states conducive to the growth of wisdom. Association with the wise. Listening to the Dharma. Wise attention Living in accordance with the Dharma. Kp5 19. One whose mind is free does not argue with anyone. M 1 500 20. Cultivate Friendship. A true friend shows seven qualities. A friend gives what is hard to give. Does what is hard to do, Endures what is hard to endure Reveals their secrets. Keeps your secrets Does not abandon you in your misfortune Does not abandon you when you are down. A IV 30 21. The fool is known by their actions. The wise are known by their actions. A 1 101 22. There are many. distinct species. If you observe beetles and moths and small insects like ants, they exhibit diverse types and kinds. Human types do not differ greatly. Eyes, ears, nose, mouth and hair do not differ greatly. Differences are by convention. Sn 602, 611 23. Whoever makes love grow boundless, his fetters (chains of bondage) wear thin. It 20 24. There never was, nor never will be a person who is wholly blamed or praised. S 111 14. 25. There are these five benefits of listening to the Dharma. v A 111 247 26. Those who hold to extreme views cause the cemeteries to grow and then the cemeteries cause the extreme views to grow. Ud 6.8 27. What people expect to happen is often different from what actually happens. Thus disappointments arise. Sn 588 28. The discourses are deep, profound and transcendental. Spend your day reflecting on them. This is how you train yourselves. S V 407 29. There is an unconditioned. If there was no unconditioned, there would be no way out of the conditioned. Ud 8.3. 30. One who sees the Dharma sees the Buddha. One who sees the Buddha sees the Dharma. S 111 118 MAY ALL BEINGS LIVE WITH CLARITY MAY ALL BEINGS LIVE WITH LOVE MAY ALL BEINGS LIVE WITH A LIBERATING WISDOM Love Christopher www.thebuddhawallah.org
May all Beings live with Love.