Buddha Dhamma Talks & Quotes

Teachers are most confident when they speak from their own experience. Where they sometimes go too far is in saying, "only this works." What they mean by such statements is that they could not conceive how their realisation could have happened in any other way. But, whether or not the sequence of steps leading to their understanding expresses universal laws of nature, or are specific to them, leaves room for doubt. Peoples' minds vary so much One of the qualities of a Buddha is that he is aware of the differences between things being highly unlikely and being impossible. Phrases the Buddha uses in the suttas for the latter include "aṭṭhānaṃ, etaṃ anavakāso ... netaṃ ṭhānaṃ vijjati" (It is impossible; there is no possibility ... such a thing cannot occur.) He says, for example, that it is impossible for two Buddhas to arise at the same time. Elsewhere, he states that it is impossible for stream enterers to regard any conditioned phenomena as permanent, a source of true happiness, or as self. It is impossible for a stream enterer to live without respect for the Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha and the training. The Buddha also says that stream enterers "cannot return to what should not be undertaken." The commentary explains this to include an inability to break any of the five precepts, but the Buddha does not specify this. He does say, however, that it is impossible for stream enterers to deprive their mother, father or an arahant of life. They cannot deliberately cause a Buddha to bleed, cause a schism in the Sangha, or turn to another teacher. Ajahn Jayasāro 17/10/26

Forgive people, but never forget what they taught you. You can wish someone well without welcoming them back into your life. A good heart knows how to forgive. A wise heart knows who deserves a place in it.

"Never be a prisoner of your past. It was just a lesson, not a life sentence."

The TRUE story of the emperor who killed 100,000 people in one day—then spent the rest of his life making amends. In this documentary, discover the complete history of Emperor Ashoka—the forgotten prince who became the most powerful ruler of ancient India, the tyrant who ordered one of the bloodiest massacres in history, and the transformed king who devoted his life to spreading compassion across Asia. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mf4nzaqbZrU&t=1s

Aṅguttara Nikāya AN 3.42 Saddhā Sutta Discourse on Faith 25. Believers can be recognized by three things. What three? They desire to see those who are virtuous, they desire to hear the good Dhamma, and with a heart free from stinginess, they live at home with the mind cleaned of meanness, open-handed, pure-handed, delighting in sharing, being one to ask a favour of, being one who rejoices in giving. — A.I.150

Aṅguttara Nikāya AN 5.86 Mahāli Sutta 14. Mahali asked the Lord: Sir, what is reason, what is the cause of doing, of committing an evil deed?

Greed, hatred, delusion, not paying proper attention and wrongly directed thoughts - these are the reasons, these are the causes of doing, of committing an evil deed." "Then what, Sir, is the reason, what is the cause of doing, of performing a beautiful deed?" Generosity, love, wisdom, paying attention and rightly directed thought. These are the reasons, these are the causes of doing, of performing a beautiful deed.

— A.V,86

The day you stop taking everything personally is the day you become truly free. Most people aren't reacting to you—they're reacting to their own pain, fears, and unresolved battles. Protect your peace. Not every opinion deserves your attention.

To reach truth is not to accumulate knowledge, but to awaken to the heart of reality. Reality reveals itself complete and whole at the moment of awakening. In the light of this awakening, nothing is added and nothing is lost; but emotions that are based on concepts can no longer affect a man.' ~ Thich Nhat Hanh Zen Keys: A Guide to Zen

1. The Essence of Buddhism Is Not Ritual, but Knowing the Truth Worship, chanting, and various ceremonies are merely external aspects. What is important is to contemplate and see “what is what”—things as they truly are—and then live in accordance with that truth. 2. Do Not Become So Attached to the Outer Shell That You Forget the Essence When religion becomes overly embellished with beliefs and traditions, people may become more interested in sacred powers or the enjoyment of ceremonies than in training the mind to become free from suffering. 3. The Study of Dhamma Must Lead to Practice A person who reads many scriptures but does not train the mind may understand Buddhism less than an ordinary person who diligently observes their own suffering and learns from actual life. 4. Suffering Is Something to Be Understood, Not Merely Escaped We should clearly see what suffering is, what causes it, and how it can cease. Once the cause is understood, we should address the cause itself rather than relying solely on prayers or rituals. 5. The Heart of Buddhism Is the Principle of Cause and Effect Everything arises because of causes and ceases when those causes come to an end. If we do not create or continue feeding the causes of suffering, suffering cannot continue to exist. 6. Sīla, Samādhi, and Paññā Make Life Beautiful Sīla makes our actions beautiful, samādhi makes the mind steady, and paññā enables us to see the truth. One who develops all three lives a peaceful and beneficial life. 7. Dhamma Is Food for the Heart Peace does not come from getting everything we desire. It comes from a heart that knows contentment, sees things as they truly are, and is not constantly dragged along by craving. 8. Everything Is Impermanent, Unsatisfactory, and Not-Self The Three Characteristics remind us that nothing lasts forever. Everything changes and cannot be compelled to conform to our wishes. Clinging, therefore, brings suffering. 9. Do Not Cling Even to What You Love or What You Consider Good Doing good is something we should do, but we should not become attached to it in a way that gives rise to self-delusion, pride, or frustration. The aim is to do good with a pure heart, without binding ourselves to results or praise. 10. True Freedom Is Not Being Dominated by Anything As long as the mind is caught in liking and disliking, it remains controlled by external things. Dhamma practice therefore aims to free the mind from craving, fear, and attachment. 11. Emptiness Does Not Mean That Nothing Exists, but Being Empty of a Sense of Self When we see that things are not truly “me” or “mine,” the mind gradually loosens its possessiveness, selfishness diminishes, and the burden it once carried becomes lighter. 12. True Buddhism Must Be Verified Through Our Own Life We should not believe something merely because it is written in scriptures or because someone has told us. We should put it into practice, observe the effects on body and mind, and develop understanding through direct experience.

Saṁyutta Nikāya SN 1.13 Natthiputtasamasutta: None Equal to That for a Son SN 1.13 Natthiputtasamasutta: None Equal to That for a Son Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Savatthi in Jeta’s Grove, Anathapiṇḍika’s Park. Then, when the night had advanced, a certain devatā of stunning beauty, illuminating the entire Jeta’s Grove, approached the Blessed One. Having approached, he paid homage to the Blessed One and stood to one side. Standing to one side, that devatā recited this verse in the presence of the Blessed One:

“There is no affection like that for a son, No wealth equal to cattle, There is no light like the sun, Among the waters the ocean is supreme.”

The Blessed One:

“There is no affection like that for oneself, No wealth equal to grain, There is no light like wisdom, Among the waters the rain is supreme.”

https://suttacentral.net/sn1.13/en/bodhi?lang=en&reference=none&highlight=false

Aṅguttara Nikāya AN 6.107 Rāgasutta: Greed “Mendicants, there are these three things. What three? Greed, hate, and delusion. These are the three things. To give up these three things you should develop three things. What three? You should develop the perception of ugliness to give up greed, love to give up hate, and wisdom to give up delusion. These are the three things you should develop to give up those three things.” https://suttacentral.net/an6.107/en/sujato?lang=en&layout=plain&reference=none&notes=asterisk&highlight=false&script=latin

Saṁyutta Nikāya SN 46.45 Paññavantasutta: Wise “Sir they speak of a person who is ‘wise, no idiot’. How is a person who is wise, no idiot defined?” “Mendicant, they’re called wise, no idiot because they’ve developed and cultivated the seven awakening factors. What seven? The awakening factors of mindfulness, investigation of principles, energy, rapture, tranquility, immersion, and equanimity. They’re called wise, no idiot because they’ve developed and cultivated these seven awakening factors.” https://suttacentral.net/sn46.45/en/sujato?lang=en&layout=plain&reference=none&notes=asterisk&highlight=false&script=latin

Dhammapada chapter 20 Maggavagga Dhp 282 from… Maggavagga: The Path Wisdom springs from meditation; without meditation wisdom wanes. Having known these two paths of progress and decline, let a man so conduct himself that his wisdom may increase. https://accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/dhp/dhp.20.budd.html