Buddha means “Awakened One”, someone who has awakened and sees things as they really are. According to AboutBuddha.org, a Buddha is a person who is completely free from all faults and mental obstructions. Because he has awakened from the sleep of ignorance and has removed all obstructions from his mind, he knows everything of the past, present, and future, directly and simultaneously. Moreover, Buddha has great compassion which is completely impartial, embracing all living beings without discrimination.
The person who is generally referred to by the name Buddha was Siddhārtha Gautama, a spiritual teacher born in Nepal and the founder of Buddhism who lived at around 500 BCE. Forty-nine days after Buddha attained enlightenment he was requested to teach.
Those teachings of The Buddha such as The Four Noble Truths or the Noble Eightfold Path are timeless and reflect personal and spiritual development.
I selected the following Buddha quotes and let these quotes be your inspiration for working on yourself. They are applicable regardless of what level of personal development you are at this moment:
1. “All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become.”
2. “He is able who thinks he is able”.
3. “All wrong-doing arises because of mind. If mind is transformed can wrong-doing remain?”
4. “The mind is the source of happiness and unhappiness.”
5. “Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.”
6. “Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.”
7. “However many holy words you read, however many you speak, what good will they do you If you do not act on upon them?”
8. “A dog is not considered a good dog because he is a good barker. A man is not considered a good man because he is a good talker.”
9. “Even death is not to be feared by one who has lived wisely.”
10. “Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”
11. “In the sky, there is no distinction of east and west; people create distinctions out of their own minds and then believe them to be true.”
12. “If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change.”
13. “The only real failure in life is not to be true to the best one knows.”
14. “There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting.”
