Great Throughts Treasury

This site is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Alan William Smolowe who gave birth to the creation of this database.

Related Quotes

Book of Golden Precepts, aka The Book of Golden Precepts NULL

Inaction in a deed of mercy becomes an action in a deadly sin.

Action | Mercy | Sin |

Dhyani Ywahoo

We can listen to the voice of the Earth as she shakes and sings her song expressing her tiredness. She is calling us to attention, to be alert, to recognize that now is the time to transform selfish thought and action to compassionate caretaking. Do we want a world of peace and harmony? Are we willing to make that peace within ourselves? Will we call it forth? It is your choice. Your thought and action make a difference.

Action | Attention | Choice | Earth | Harmony | Peace | Thought | Time | Will | Wisdom | World | Thought |

Edward Young

Cares are employments; and without employ the soul is on a rack; the rack of rest, to souls most adverse; action all their joy.

Action | Joy | Rest | Soul | Wisdom |

Jacob Bobart the Younger

Think that day lost whose descending sun views from thy hand no noble action done.

Action | Day |

Peter Abelard, Latin: Petrus Abaelardus or Abailard; French: Pierre Abélard

In fact we say that an intention is good, that is, right in itself, but that an action does not bear any good in itself but proceeds from a good intention. Whence when the same thing is done by the same man at different times, by the diversity of his intention, however, his action is now said to be good, now bad.

Action | Diversity | Good | Inquiry | Intention | Man | Right | Truth | Wisdom |

Carol Adrienne

Karma is a multidimensional complex of forces beyond any simple explanation. Karma is action. An action has consequences. Our identity comes from past actions, which create memories. Those memories create desires, which give rise to new choices and new actions.

Action | Consequences | Past |

Julian Baggini

Life’s meaning has to be found in the living of life itself, and the promise of eventual death is necessary to make any action worthwhile at all.

Action | Death | Life | Life | Meaning | Promise |

Grace Helen Yerbury, fully Grace Helen Davies Yerbury

If man's religion is of any importance, it is not just a garment of expression of unity with and security in the professed beliefs of a special group. It is rather an attitude of respect for himself, his God, his fellowman, which underwrites all his activity, which is allowed freedom of expression within the limitations of that respect.

Freedom | God | Man | Religion | Respect | Security | Unity | Wisdom | Respect |

Michael E. Angier

Today’s action becomes tomorrow’s habit.

Action | Habit | Tomorrow |

Johann Georg Ritter von Zimmermann

Thought and action are the redeeming features of our lives.

Action | Thought | Wisdom |

Carol Adrienne

Purpose is about developing relationships. Purpose is about bringing attention and intention into the present moment, moving ahead with new ideas, giving and receiving support, volunteering, mentoring, listening to the imagination and intuition, communicating, taking action based on inner direction and hints from the external, being adaptable, taking responsibility and ending the victim stance forever surrendering to the divine will and working with the lessons developing fluidity, tolerance, compassion, and the ability to love.

Ability | Action | Attention | Compassion | Giving | Ideas | Imagination | Intention | Intuition | Listening | Love | Present | Purpose | Purpose | Responsibility | Will | Victim |

Carol Adrienne

Focus on being grateful… Whatever you focus on with true appreciation and gratitude – you are generating a higher frequency of energy. By living and taking action in a higher frequency (which is also a deeper and richer frequency) you are more aligned with your purpose.

Action | Appreciation | Energy | Focus | Gratitude | Purpose | Purpose | Appreciation |

Book of Li, aka Book of Rites or Record of Rites or Classic Rites NULL

Always in everything let there be reverence; with the deportment grave as when one is thinking (deeply), and with speech composed and definite. This will make the people tranquil. Pride should not be allowed to grow; the desires should not be indulged; the will should not be gratified to the full; pleasure should not be carried to excess.

Excess | Grave | People | Pleasure | Pride | Reverence | Speech | Thinking | Will |

Mary Catherwood, fully Mary Hartwell Catherwood

Two may talk together under the same roof for many years, yet never really meet; and two others at first speech are old friends.

Speech | Old |

Margaret Bourke-White

Saturate yourself with your subject and the camera will all but take you by the hand.

Action | Life | Life | Man | People | Work |