Inspiring quotes from hinduism and other sources

We have a saying in Tibet that engaging in the practice of virtue is as hard as driving a donkey uphill, whereas engaging in destructive activities is as easy as rolling boulders downhill. It is also said that negative impulses arise as spontaneously as rain and gather momentum just like water following the course of gravity. What makes matters worse is our tendency to indulge negative thoughts and emotions even while agreeing that we should not. It is essential, therefore, to address directly our tendency to put things off and while away our time in meaningless activities and shrink from the challenge of transforming our habits on the grounds that it is too great a task. ~ Dalai Lama (Ethics for the New Millennium)

In particular, it is important not to allow ourselves to be put off by the magnitude of others' suffering. The misery of millions is not a cause for pity. Rather it is a cause for developing compassion.

We must also recognize that the failure to act when it is clear that action is required may itself be a negative action....inaction is attributable less to negative thoughts and emotions as to a lack of compassion. It is thus important that we are no less determined to overcome our habitual tendency to laziness than we are to exercise restraint in response to afflictive emotion. ~ Dalai Lama (Ethics for the New Millennium)

 

A strong mind is cultivated by living moral values. All outer actions start gathering a dazzling polish, once your mental values change. A morally strong person spends less of his mental powers in facing the day to day problems of life. ~ Swami Chinmayananda


We gain the strength of the temptation we resist. ~ Ralph waldo Emerson


Every conquering temptation represents a new fund of moral energy. Every trial endured and weathered in the right spirit makes a soul nobler and stronger than it was before. ~ William Butler Yeats


The three corner stones upon which the temple of Hinduism has been built are self-control, non-injury and truthfulness. When these values are practiced they enable us to master our mind, which leads to mastery over ourselves, and the world around us. They are the source of all values, and refer to the three layers of our personality: physical, emotional and intellectual. ~ Swami Chinmayananda

 

Ethical discipline is a necessary pre-requisite for philosophical enquiry and Self-realisation. Ethics is an enquiry into the nature of good and is concerned with an analysis of the concepts of good and bad, virtue and vice, right and wrong. ~ Swami Sivananda


Ethics lead to restraint of the lower self and thereby the mind is calmed. Through calmness of mind, discrimination dawns and one knows the Self. Without ethical perfection there is no spiritual progress. ~ Swami Sivananda

 

Whatever is done lovingly, with righteous purity and with peace of mind, is a good action. Everything which is done with the stain of desire and with agitation filling the mind is classified as a bad action. ~ Ramana Maharshi


The result of spiritual practice should be our inner transformation into better human beings. After practicing for months or years, we should be less prone to anger, pride, and jealousy. Our practice should lead us to a vaster, calmer mind. ~ Shechem Rabjam Rinpoche

 

Do virtuous deeds, as this will make your intellect pure, and the supremely blissful Satchidananda (Self) will be reflected in this refined intellect. You will overflow with such joyous contentment that you will spontaneously share it with one and all.~ Anandmurti Gurumaa


Unless you have a morality, ethical principles that you are following with your bodily action, vocal action, mental action or in a certain non-violent, disciplined way, you are not able to meditate. If you do not meditate you cannot train the mind to concentrate. And without training the mind, you cannot awake the wisdom. ~ Samdong Rinpoche

 

Virtue is preferable to the winning of kingdoms; it is, in fact, practice of austerities. - Krishna (Mahabharatha)


Birth is not the cause, my friend, it is virtues which are the cause of welfare. - Krishna (Uttara-gita)

 

When even one virtue becomes our nature, the mind becomes clean and tranquil. Then there is no need to practice meditation; we will automatically be meditating always. - Swami Satchidananda


To let go of desires you have to follow a certain code of conduct. This is the manure by which the rose of love will blossom. ~ Sri Sri Ravi Shankar


Love is a state of mind where self interests are removed. The mind dwells in its natural state of sat-chit-ananda - existence, consciousness, bliss. Love is not created; it is a mental state which develops by living a disciplined life and developing positive qualities. Human ego is very attracted to negative qualities, so it needs much austerity to develop positive qualities. ~ Baba Hari Dass

 

'When you look outside yourself for something to make you feel complete, you never get to know the fullness of your essential nature.' ~ Amoda Maa Jeevan


When we talk of the present, we mean the eternal present, presence to the Self, which is unthinkable, beyond the mind and the psyche. ~ Dr. Jean Klein


“You are the unchangeable Awareness in which all activity takes place.” ~ H.W.Poonja


To imagine that some little thing-food, sex, power, fame-will make you happy is to deceive oneself. Only something as vast and deep as your real Self (Awareness) can make you truly and lastingly happy.” ― Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

 

Sin repeatedly perpetrated, destroys intelligence; and the man who has lost intelligence, repeatedly commits sin.

Virtue repeatedly practised, enhances intelligence; and the man whose intelligence has increased, enhances intelligence; and the man whose intelligence has increased repeatedly practises virtue. ~ Vidura Neeti (Mahabharatha)


Saintliness is not dumbness! Divine perceptions are not incapacitating! The active expression of virtue gives rise to the keenest intelligence. ~ Sri Yukteshwar (Autobiography of a Yogi)

 

A knowledge of virtue is to precede its practice. A rational understanding of the nature and meaning of goodness, self-control, truth, wisdom and justice is the pre-condition of their being practised in life. ~ Swami Krishnananda


“If a behaviour has resulted from absence of the three poisons (attachment, hatred and ignorance), as the causal motive, it can be understood as a clean behaviour and a right behaviour; if a behaviour has resulted from, or is tainted with, any of the three poisons, it can be understood as an unclean behaviour and a bad behaviour.” ~ Samdhong Rinpoche


Karma moves in two directions. If we act virtuously, the seed we plant will result in happiness. If we act non-virtuously, suffering results. ~ Sakyong Mipham


This stability of the mind (samadhi) can be brought about through sustained practice of meditation on one subject. At the same time, an orderly mind is necessary for the effective practice of meditation. However, to achieve a qualified samadhi, we must also have acquired, before and during our meditation practice, good conduct and high moral standards. ~ Samdhong Rinpoche

 

Once you overcome the hatred within your mind, you will discover that in the world outside, there is no longer any such thing as even a single enemy. ~ Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche


We may shout, ‘Let there be peace!’ but this won’t really bring peace. Peace will appear in the world around us only when each individual learns to tame the disturbances arising within his or her own mind. ~ Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche .


We find in others what is in us. If we always find mud around us, it proves that there is mud somewhere in us. ~ Mira Alfassa


When it is impossible for anger to arise within you, you find no outside enemies anywhere. An outside enemy exists only if there is anger inside. ~
Thubten Zopa Rinpoche

 

Good is that which elevates the mind, and evil, is that which degrades the mind. ~ Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar ( Shri Ánandamúrti )


Virtue is that which tends to our improvement, and vice to our degeneration. Man is made up of three qualities — brutal, human, and godly. That which tends to increase the divinity in you is virtue, and that which tends to increase brutality in you is vice.

You must kill the brutal nature and become human, that is, loving and charitable. You must transcend that too and become pure bliss. Sachchidânanda, fire without burning, wonderfully loving, but without the weakness of human love, without the feeling of misery. ~ Swami Vivekananda

 

Every child should be taught mental hygiene - that is nonviolence. ~ Sri Sri Ravi Shankar


Nonviolence aims at doing no harm to living beings. Compassion aims at doing good to all beings. ~ Amit Ray


Compassion is the signature of Higher Consciousness. Non-violence is the tool to evolve into the Higher Consciousness. ~ Amit Ray


At the center of non-violence stands the principle of love. ~ Martin Luther King



The more we practice nonviolence in our words, thoughts and actions the more peaceful will be our inner state. ~ Amit Ray

Nonviolence is the way to listen to the inner voice. ~ Amit Ray

Everyone who wills can hear the inner voice. It is within everyone. ~ Mahatma Gandhi



If you are driven by fear, anger or pride nature will force you to compete. If you are guided by courage, awareness, tranquility and peace nature will serve you.~ Amit Ray


Non-violence is more powerful than violence. Nature eliminates violent animals bit by bit. ~ Amit Ray

 

Dharma (righteousness) is truth in action. - Hindu adage


Yatho Dharmah Statho Jayah - Where there is dharma there is victory.


Sukhasya Moolah Dharmah - Dharma is the root of happiness.


Ahimsa Paramo Dharmah - The greatest righteousness comes from nonviolence.


Dharma rakshita Rakshitah - Dharma will protect its protector.

 

A sword in hand is a sure sign of a violent mind; but one does not become non-violent merely by throwing the sword away. ~ Vinoba Bhave


Nonviolence means avoiding not only external physical violence but also internal violence of spirit. You not only refuse to shoot a man, but you refuse to hate him. Martin Luther King, Jr.


“By doing this (hatred) you are like a man who wants to hit another and picks up a burning ember or excrement in his hand and so first burns himself or makes himself stink.” ~ Buddhaghosa (Visuddhimagga IX, 23.)


"...hatred is compared to an enemy. This internal enemy, this inner enemy, has no other function than causing us harm. It is our true enemy, our ultimate enemy. It has no other function than simply destroying us, both in the immediate term and in the long term." ~ Dalai Lama ( The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living)


“One will not bleed at all if hit by an arrow shot by someone with a non-violent intent (ahinsak bhaav) but a flower thrown by someone with a violent intent (hinsak bhaav) will make him bleed. Neither the arrow or the flower are not as effective as the violent intent are.” ~ Dada Bhagwan,


“What is the violent intent (bhaav-hinsa)? Violence (himsa) against your real Self through anger-pride-deceit-greed; meaning anger-pride-deceit-greed that causes bondage to your Self, therefore first have pity on your self. First you need non-violent intent (bhaav-ahinsa) for your own Self and then for others.” ~ Dada Bhagwan,

 

THE MOTHER: The Mother is self-luminous, swayamprakasa. She does not need anyone’s help to illumine, shine or manifest. The most we can do is to see that on our account no dimming or darkening walls come up around this Light. The lustre of the Flame is not destroyed by the flicker of the swarm of fire-flies round and round. Our relation is with Her, the Mother indescribable, who stands this wise. -Yogishananda Natha