Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain – and most fools do. But it takes character and self control to be understanding and forgiving.
A superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions.
Death is a stripping away of all that is not you. The secret of life is to “die before you die” – and find that there is no death.
Happiness and freedom begin with a clear understanding of one principle: Some things are within our control, and some things are not.
No man is free who is not master of himself.
For it is in giving that we receive.
A wise man ought to realize that health is his most valuable possession.
The wise man can change his mind; the stubborn one, never.
The only thing permanent is change.
For even the very wise cannot see all ends.
Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least.
The teacher who is indeed wise does not bid you to enter the house of his wisdom but rather leads you to the threshold of your mind.
In solitude, where we are least alone.
Whenever you are about to find fault with someone, ask yourself the following question: What fault of mine most nearly resembles the one I am about to criticize?
If someone can prove me wrong and show me my mistake in any thought or action, I shall gladly change. I seek the truth, which never harmed anyone: the harm is to persist in one’s own self-deception and ignorance.
The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit. The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are.
To the wise, life is a problem; to the fool, a solution.
As a wise man once said, ‘If not us, then who; if not now, then when?’
Wise men, when in doubt whether to speak or to keep quiet, give themselves the benefit of the doubt, and remain silent.
The way you speak to others can offer them joy, happiness, self-confidence, hope, trust, and enlightenment. Mindful speaking is a deep practice.