Great Throughts Treasury
This site is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Alan William Smolowe who gave birth to the creation of this database.
Garuda Purana
One of the Puranas which are part of the Hindu body of texts known as smriti. It is a Vaishnava Purana and its first part contains a dialog between Vishnu and Garuda, the King of Birds. The second half contains details of life after death, funeral rites and the metaphysics of reincarnation, thus it is recited as a part Antyesti (Antim Sanskar) or funeral rites (funeral liturgy) in Hinduism.
"Reading, for a man devoid of prior-understanding, is like a blind man’s looking into a mirror."
"Death is certain for those who are born, and birth is certain for the dead. This is inevitable and therefore a wise man should not grieve over it."
"Nobody should form an excessive attachment to anybody; the body is only a dream, what then of other persons’?"
"The evil are ever prone to detect the faults of others, though they be as small as mustard seeds, and persistently shut their eyes against their own, though they be as large as Vilva fruit."
"No one gives joy or sorrow. ... We gather the consequences of our own deeds."