Quotes by Spiritual Leaders - Page 32

Jalebi (dessert) makes tea taste bland [tasteless]. Similarly, when one tastes the happiness of the Self, it makes worldly happiness bland. One cannot break free from the worldly life until one finds worldly happiness bland.
Dada Bhagwan
Pleasure is ‘suffering’ (vedna) and pain is distress as well. If pleasure is ‘suffering’, it cannot be considered a pleasure. If pleasure is enjoyed excessively, it becomes ‘suffering’. How can it be considered a pleasure? These are all entanglements of those living in illusion [of the Self]. To live in the ocean of happiness and yet no dislike arises; that is known as true happiness.
Dada Bhagwan
If you like happiness, then worship that wherein happiness is inherent. Happiness is in God. God is an abode of infinite bliss. If you worship the inanimate (the non-Self, [Jad]), then you will have pain because there is only pain in the inanimate.
Dada Bhagwan
The law of nature is such that everyone gets happiness according to their needs. The ‘tender’ that everyone (of us) fills out, is indeed fulfilled.
Dada Bhagwan
The ‘egoism’ that is used to hurt others will hurt one’s own self. The ‘egoism’ that is used to give happiness to others becomes cause for his own happiness.
Dada Bhagwan
As long as one is ruled by illusion, one’s thinking process is also illusory and that is nothing but misery. In Gnanis’ [the enlightened one’s] language, there is no such thing as happiness or unhappiness.
Dada Bhagwan
The Vitarags (attachment-free enlightened one’s) say, ‘Make whatever intents that are suitable to you. If you get sensual intents towards Me, then do those sensual intents and if you have celibate intents towards Me, do celibate intents and if you get religious intents, do religious intents; if you get reverence-intents, do reverence intents and if you want to curse, then curse me. I confront [challenge] no one.” A person that doesn’t confront goes to Moksha and the person who confronts, resides here [worldly life bondage].
Dada Bhagwan
Many people suffer great miseries but if you ask them in front of others, 'you went through great difficulty, didn't you?', then they will respond, 'no, no I didn't have any suffering'. Then they feel happy. So what kind of ‘egoism’ should one do? During times of sorrow, one should do the ‘egoism’ of happiness such that 'no one is happier than I!' People in general do the ‘egoism’ of sorrow at the time of happiness.
Dada Bhagwan
From the moment one encounters bad company (kusang), there is nothing but unhappiness, thus run away from the bad company. When you feel unhappy inside, know that this is bad company so run from there. Run away from that which arouses unhappiness at its mere sight.
Dada Bhagwan
Charity (Daan) means to make another living being happy, whether it is a human being or some animals, giving happiness to them, that is what is called Charity. When you give happiness to everyone, happiness will indeed come to you in its ‘reaction’. If you give happiness then you immediately receive happiness just sitting at home.
Dada Bhagwan
Things do not give unhappiness, ignorance (of one’s real Self) does.
Dada Bhagwan
The path of spirituality is a path where one has to keep on reducing his wishes for worldly happiness, as one moves on the path ahead. And ultimately there, natural and spontaneous bliss of the Self will arise. Your own true happiness, eternal happiness will arise.
Dada Bhagwan
Grace of the Gnani’ [the enlightened one] will take you to moksha [ultimate liberation] and ‘Grace of God’ will give you worldly happiness. God will not take you to moksha, because God cannot be realized without a ‘Gnani’ [the enlightened one], can he? He remains hidden.
Dada Bhagwan
One who experiences prasantta [blissful happiness] within, he will have prasantta [blissful happiness] externally. The mind is a mirror (reflection) for the external.
Dada Bhagwan
The worldly life means a market place of sensual pleasures. Worldly life means false (temporary) happiness all the time. And moksha (liberation) means permanent happiness all the time.
Dada Bhagwan
Believing happiness to be in the eternal thing is called the enlightened vision (samkit).
Dada Bhagwan
There is no happiness in what worldly people believe happiness in, there is happiness in what Gnani [the enlightened one] believes the happiness in. What people regard as happiness is not happiness.
Dada Bhagwan
Depression arises when one uses his power and authority. Whatever authority there is, it is there for giving happiness to others. Authority is to give happiness to others, even to those who are guilty of doing wrong.
Dada Bhagwan
You must never forget that greatness does not guarantee happiness but goodness always does
Sri Chinmoy
There are very few things in the mind which eat up as much energy as worry. It is one of the most difficult things not to worry about anything. Worry is experienced when things go wrong, but in relation to past happenings it is idle merely to wish that they might have been otherwise. The frozen past is what it is, and no amount of worrying is going to make it other than what it has been. But the limited ego-mind identifies itself with its past, gets entangled with it and keeps alive the pangs of frustrated desires. Thus worry continues to grow into the mental life of man until the ego-mind is burdened by the past. Worry is also experienced in relation to the future when this future is expected to be disagreeable in some way. In this case it seeks to justify itself as a necessary part of the attempt to prepare for coping with the anticipated situations. But, things can never be helped merely by worrying. Besides, many of the things which are anticipated never turn up, or if they do occur, they turn out to be much more acceptable than they were expected to be. Worry is the product of feverish imagination working under the stimulus of desires. It is a living through of sufferings which are mostly our own creation. Worry has never done anyone any good, and it is very much worse than mere dissipation of psychic energy, for it substantially curtails the joy and fullness of life.
Meher Baba
True happiness is when the love that is within us finds expression in external activities.
Mata Amritanandamayi
Happiness doesn't always come from a pursuit. Sometimes it comes when we least expect it.
Dalai Lama XIV
Sometimes when I meet old friends, it reminds me how quickly time passes. And it makes me wonder if we've utilized our time properly or not. Proper utilization of time is so important. While we have this body, and especially this amazing human brain, I think every minute is something precious. Our day-to-day existence is very much alive with hope, although there is no guarantee of our future. There is no guarantee that tomorrow at this time we will be here. But we are working for that purely on the basis of hope. So, we need to make the best use of our time. I believe that the proper utilization of time is this: if you can, serve other people, other sentient beings. If not, at least refrain from harming them. I think that is the whole basis of my philosophy.So, let us reflect what is truly of value in life, what gives meaning to our lives, and set our priorities on the basis of that. The purpose of our life needs to be positive. We weren't born with the purpose of causing trouble, harming others. For our life to be of value, I think we must develop basic good human qualities—warmth, kindness, compassion. Then our life becomes meaningful and more peaceful—happier.
Dalai Lama XIV
A disciplined mind leads to happiness, and an undisciplined mind leads to suffering.
Dalai Lama XIV
These... things, householder, are welcome, agreeable, pleasant, & hard to obtain in the world:Long life is welcome, agreeable, pleasant, & hard to obtain in the world.Beauty is welcome, agreeable, pleasant, & hard to obtain in the world.Happiness is welcome, agreeable, pleasant, & hard to obtain in the world.Status is welcome, agreeable, pleasant, & hard to obtain in the world....Now, I tell you, these... things are not to be obtained by reason of prayers or wishes. If they were to be obtained by reason of prayers or wishes, who here would lack them? It's not fitting for the disciple of the noble ones who desires long life to pray for it or to delight in doing so. Instead, the disciple of the noble ones who desires long life should follow the path of practice leading to long life. In so doing, he will attain long life...]
Gautama Buddha
I believe compassion to be one of the few things we can practice that will bring immediate and long-term happiness to our lives. I’m not talking about the short-term gratification of pleasures like sex, drugs or gambling (though I’m not knocking them), but something that will bring true and lasting happiness. The kind that sticks.
Dalai Lama XIV
Only the development of compassion and understanding for others can bring us the tranquility and happiness we all seek.
Dalai Lama XIV
I am very happyBecause I have conquered myselfAnd not the world.I am very happyBecause I have loved the worldAnd not myself.
Sri Chinmoy
If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.
Dalai Lama XIV
Children are happy because they don't have a file in their minds called "All the Things That Could Go Wrong.
Marianne Williamson
One problem with our current society is that we have an attitude towards education as if it is there to simply make you more clever, make you more ingenious… Even though our society does not emphasize this, the most important use of knowledge and education is to help us understand the importance of engaging in more wholesome actions and bringing about discipline within our minds. The proper utilization of our intelligence and knowledge is to effect changes from within to develop a good heart.
Dalai Lama XIV
From my own limited experience, I have found that the greatest degree of inner tranquility comes from the development of love and compassion. The more we care for the happiness of others, the greater our own sense of well-being becomes. Cultivating a close, warmhearted feeling for others automatically puts the mind at ease. This helps remove whatever fears or insecurities we may have and gives us the strength to cope with any obstacles we encounter. It is the ultimate source of success in life.
Dalai Lama XIV
Peace begins when expectations end.
Sri Chinmoy
The way of the miracle-worker is to see all human behavior as one two things: either love, or a call for love.
Marianne Williamson
So long as the soul of man is encased in one, two, or three body-containers, sealed tightly with the corks of ignorance and desires, he cannot merge with the sea of Spirit.
Sri Yukteswar Swami
Our lives are in constant flux, which generates many predicaments. But when these are faced with a calm and clear mind supported by spiritual practice, they can all be successfully resolved. When our minds are clouded by hatred, selfishness, jealousy, and anger, we lose not only control but also our judgment. At those wild moments, anything can happen, including war. Although the practice of compassion and wisdom is useful to us all, it is especially valuable for those responsible for running national affairs, in whose hands lie the power and opportunity to create a framework for world peace.
Dalai Lama
Yesterday I was clever,That is why I wanted to change the world.Today I am wise,That is why I am changing myself.
Sri Chinmoy
Yes, Kālāmas, it is proper that your have doubt, that you have perplexity, for a doubt has arisen in a matter which is doubtful. Now, look you Kālāmas, do not be led by reports, or traditions, or hearsay. Be not led by the authority of religious texts, not by the delight in speculative opinions, nor by seeming possibilities, not by the idea: 'this is our teacher'. But, O Kālāmas, when you know for yourself that certain things are unwholesome, and wrong, and bad, then give them up... And when you know for yourself that certain things are wholesome and good, then accept them and follow them.
Gautama Buddha
Not what happens to youBut how you accept itIs of paramount importance.
Sri Chinmoy
Burn worldly love, rub the ashes and make ink of it, make the heart the pen, the intellect the writer, write that which has no end or limit.
Guru Nanak
why can't we control our anger? because we love perfection. make a little room for imperfection in our lives.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
The first peace, which is the most important, is that which comes within the souls of people when they realize their relationship, their oneness with the universe and all its powers, and when they realize at the center of the universe dwells the Great Spirit, and that its center is really everywhere, it is within each of us.
Black Elk
Even as a solid rock is unshaken by the wind, so are the wise unshaken by praise or blame.
Gautama Buddha
A man is not called wise because he talks and talks again; but if he is peaceful, loving and fearless then he is in truth called wise.
Gautama Buddha
Let you follow the path of prayer and devotion and if God in you takes pity He will appear as God-the-preceptor and will show you His sports and sportive forms and you will be a witness to them.
Sri Jibankrishna or Diamond
The Supreme Cult never leaves a man. It never gets destroyed or evaporated. It is God’s grace and it is sure to bear fruit in its own time.
Sri Jibankrishna or Diamond
There is but One God, His name is Truth, He is the Creator, He fears none, he is without hate, He never dies, He is beyond the cycle of births and death, He is self illuminated, He is realized by the kindness of the True Guru. He was True in the beginning, He was True when the ages commenced and has ever been True, He is also True now.
Guru Nanak
Your Mercy is my social status.
Guru Nanak
The highest prize we can receive for creative work is the joy of being creative. Creative effort spent for any other reason than the joy of being in that light filled space, love, god, whatever we want to call it, is lacking in integrity. . .
Marianne Williamson
Subhuti, someone might fill innumerable worlds with the seven treasures and give all away in gifts of alms, but if any good man or any good woman awakens the thought of Enlightenment and takes even only four lines from this Discourse, reciting, using, receiving, retaining and spreading them abroad and explaining them for the benefit of others, it will be far more meritorious. Now in what manner may he explain them to others? By detachment from appearances-abiding in Real Truth. -So I tell you-Thus shall you think of all this fleeting world:A star at dawn, a bubble in a stream;A flash of lightening in a summer cloud,A flickering lamp, a phantom, and a dream.When Buddha finished this Discourse the venerable Subhuti, together with the bhikshus, bhikshunis, lay-brothers and sisters, and the whole realms of Gods, Men and Titans, were filled with joy by His teaching, and, taking it sincerely to heart they went their ways.
Gautama Buddha
The topic of compassion is not at all religious business; it is important to know it is human business, it is a question of human survival.
Dalai Lama XIV
The Gift of Truth excels all other Gifts.
Gautama Buddha
Silence the angry man with love. Silence the ill-natured man with kindness. Silence the miser with generosity. Silence the liar with truth.
Gautama Buddha
To force oneself to believe and to accept a thing without understanding is political, and not spiritual or intellectual.
Gautama Buddha
Speak the truth do not become angered and give when asked, even be it a little. By these three conditions one goes to the presence of the gods.
Gautama Buddha
Three things can not hide for long: the Moon, the Sun and the Truth.
Gautama Buddha
Any person who, with all the sincerity of heart, is in search for God, on land or in the sea, is worthy of respect.
Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi
Concerning Concealment as a symptom of love for Krsna:"It has been stated, 'although Srimati Radharani developed a deep loving affection for Krsna, She hid Her attitude in the core of Her heart so that others could not detect Her actual condition.
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
When the Aggregates arise, decay and die, O bhikkhu, every moment you are born, decay, and die.
Gautama Buddha
From the scientific view, the theory of karma may be a metaphysical assumption -- but it is no more so than the assumption that all of life is material and originated out of pure chance
Dalai Lama XIV