This site is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Alan William Smolowe who gave birth to the creation of this database.
Hindu Religious Teacher, Founder of Buddhism
"As I am, so are others; as others are, so am I. Having thus identified self and others, harm no one nor have them harmed."
"As irrigators lead water where they want, as archers make their arrows straight, as carpenters carve wood, the wise shape their minds."
"As rain falls equally on the just and the unjust, do not burden your heart with judgments but rain your kindness equally on all."
"As the bee collects nectar and departs without injuring the flower, or its color or fragrance, so let the sage dwell on earth."
"As the Fletcher whittles and makes straight his arrows, so the master directs his straying thoughts."
"As the moon slips from behind a cloud and shines, so the master comes out from behind his ignorance and shines."
"As you walk and eat and travel, be where you are. Otherwise you will miss most of your life."
"Attachment leads to suffering."
"Attraction is wholeness; repulsion is unwholesomeness; the most tormenting pain is bad conscience; the height of bliss is redeemed awakening."
"Avoid all evil, practice all good, and purify your mind from impurities. This is the teaching of all Buddhas."
"Awake. Be the witness of your thoughts."
"Awakening is natural, delusion is not."
"Be greatly aware of the present."
"Be it in the past, present, or future, whosoever of the monks or priests regards the delightful and pleasurable things in the world as impermanent, miserable, and without a self, as diseases and cankers, it is he who overcomes craving."
"Be master of mind rather than mastered by mind. You are your own master. You are the master and the way."
"Be quick to do good. If you are slow, the mind, delighting in mischief, will catch you."
"Be the witness of your thoughts."
"Be vigilant; guard your mind against negative thoughts."
"Be where you are; otherwise you will miss your life."
"Because not even the least dharma is there found or got at. Therefore is it called `utmost, right and perfect enlightenment'. Self-identical is that dharma and nothing is therein at variance. Therefore is it called `utmost, right and perfect enlightenment."
"Being able to make friends and keep them, welcoming others and sharing with them, a guide, philosopher and friend."
"Being deeply learned and skilled, being well trained and using well spoken words; This is good luck."
"Being generous and kindly in speech, doing a good turn for others, and treating all alike."
"Being generous, just helping one's relatives and being blameless in one's actions; this is the best good luck."
"Beings are owners of their action, heirs of their action."
"Believe not because some old manuscripts are produced, believe not because it is your national belief, believe not because you have been made to believe from your childhood, but reason truth out, and after you have analyzed it, then if you find it will do good to one and all, believe it, live up to it and help others live up to it."
"Believe nothing merely because you have been told it. Do not believe what your teacher tells you merely out of respect for the teacher. But whatsoever, after due examination and analysis, you find to be kind, conducive to the good, the benefit, the welfare of all beings that doctrine believe and cling to, and take it as your guide. Do not believe in anything simply because you’ve heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it."
"Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it - even if I have said it - unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense."
"Believe nothing, O monks, just because you have been told it, or it is commonly believed, or because it is traditional or because you yourselves have imagined it. Do not believe what your teacher tells you merely out of respect for the teacher. But whatsoever, after due examination and analysis, you find to be conducive to the good, the benefit, the welfare of all beings - that doctrine believe and cling to and take as your guide."
"Besides the respect of the lives of human beings, all the animals and plants should be on the list too. That is the real humanitarianism."
"Better it is to live one day seeing the rise and fall of things than to live as hundred years without ever seeing the rise and fall of things."
"Better it is to live one day wise and meditative than to live a hundred years foolish and uncontrolled."
"Better than a meaningless story of a thousand words is a single word of deep meaning which, when heard, produces peace."
"Better than a thousand hollow words is one word that brings peace. Better than a thousand hollow verses is one verse that brings peace. Better than a hundred hollow lines is one line of the dharma, bringing peace."
"Beware of the anger of the mouth. Master your words. Let them serve truth."
"Birds settle on a tree for a while, and then go their separate ways again. The meeting of all living beings must likewise inevitably end in their parting. This world passes away and disappoints the hopes of everlasting attachment. It is therefore unwise to have a sense of ownership for people who are united with us as in a dream - for a short while only and not in fact."
"Born out of concern for all beings."
"Bring your mind to noble silence. Unify your mind in noble silence. Concentrate your mind in noble silence... Enter into rapture and pleasure born of silence derived of concentration and awareness that is free from thought and fabrication."
"But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it."
"But if you cannot find friend or master to go with you, travel on alone - like a king who has given away his kingdom, like an elephant in the forest. Travel on alone."
"But truly, it is not strange that human beings should die."
"By defilement of mind, beings are defiled; by purification of mind, beings are purified."
"By doing evil, one defiles oneself; by avoiding evil, one purifies oneself. Purity and impurity depend upon oneself: no one can purify another."
"By effort you will cross the raging flood, by energy you will pass by sorrow."
"By self alone is evil done, by self alone does one suffer. By self alone is evil left undone, by self alone does one obtain Salvation. Salvation and Perdition depend upon self; no man can save another."
"By three things the wise person may be known. What three? He sees a shortcoming as it is. When he sees it, he tries to correct it. And when another acknowledges a shortcoming, the wise one forgives it as he should."
"By your own efforts waken yourself, watch yourself. And live joyfully. You are the master."
"By your own folly you will be brought as low as you worst enemy wishes."
"Can there be joy and laughter when always the world is ablaze? Enshrouded in darkness should you not seek a light?"
"Can you hide from your own mischief. Not in the sky, not in the midst of the ocean, nor deep in the mountains, nowhere."