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Quotes on Buddhism 2
The Sound of The Great Philosophy
(Quotes on Buddhism 1)
Human destiny
"Over great areas of the world it still survives. It is possible that in contact with Western science, and inspired by the spirit of history, the original teaching of Gotama, revived and purified, may yet play a large part in the direction of human destiny." - H. G. WellsNothing to surpass Buddhism
"Buddhist or not Buddhist, I have examined every one of the great religious systems of the world, and in none of them have I found anything to surpass, in beauty and comprehensiveness, the Noble Eightfold Path and the Four Noble Truths of the Buddha. I am content to shape my life according to that path." - Prof. Rhys DavidsReligion in 2050 AC
"The position was one which, even a hundred years ago, would have seemed unthinkable, but the catastrophic political and social changes of the last century had all combined to give it a certain inevitability. With the failure or weakening of its three great rivals, Buddhism was now the only religion that still possessed any real power over the minds of men." -Dr. Sir Arthur C. Clarke, [This is taken from his 1957 science fiction novel, "The Deep Range"- a hundred years from when he wrote the novel]Challenge to other religions
"It is Buddhism as we find it actually recorded, not a hypothetical primitive system, which still forms a challenge to other religions." - Bishop Gore, "Buddha and the Christ."Beyond the level of science
Today science is challenging the finite quality of the human brain, a brain consisting of some 10,000 million electrically stimulated cells programmed with the instincts of our long history and receptive to new notions whether true or false. The aggregate of these cells provides our ever-changing personality and their partial removal by surgery or altered rhythm by shock treatment changes our character. By such crude methods, aggression can be turned into fear, hatred to affection - how much better that they should be changed by appreciation of the realities that the philosophy of Buddha has placed in our hands. - William Mac Quilty British Award winning film maker, Traveller and Fellow of The Royal Geographical SocietyA Buddhist is not a slave to anybody
"A Buddhist is not a slave to a book or to any person. Nor does he sacrifice his freedom of thought by becoming a follower of the Buddha. He can exercise his own free will and develop his knowledge even to the extent of attaining Buddha hood himself, for all are potential Buddhas." - Ven. Narada Maha Thera "What is Buddhism"Buddhism does not lead us to a Fool's Paradise
"Buddhism is realistic, for it takes a realistic view of life and of the world. It does not falsely pull us into living in a fool's paradise, nor does it frighten and agonize us with all kinds of imaginary fears and guilt-feelings. It calls us exactly and objectively what we are and what the world around us is, and shows us the way to perfect freedom, peace, tranquility and happiness." - Ven. Dr. W. RahulaBuddhism will remain unaffected
"The doctrines of Buddha Dhamma stand today, as unaffected by the march of time and the expansion of knowledge as when they were first enunciated. No matter to what lengths increased scientific knowledge can extend man's mental horizon, within the frame work of the Dhamma there is room for the acceptance and assimilation of further discovery. It does not rely for its appeal upon limited concepts of primitive minds nor for its power upon the negation of thought." - Francis Story, "Buddhism as World Religion"Buddhism Answers
"The religion of the future will be a cosmic religion. "Buddhism has the characteristics of what would be expected in a cosmic religion for the future: it transcends a personal God, avoids dogmas and theology; it covers both the natural & spiritual, and it is based on a religious sense aspiring from the experience of all things, natural and spiritual, as a meaningful unity. Buddhism answers this description. If there is any religion that would cope with modern scientific needs, it would be Buddhism."- Albert Einstein [1954, from Albert Einstein:The Human Side, edited by Helen Dukas and Banesh Hoffman, Princeton University Press]Without the Least Help from God or Gods
"Of the great religions of history, I prefer Buddhism, especially in its orthodox form, because it has had the smallest element of persecution". The intellectuals of the West have agreed that for the first time in the history of the world, Buddha proclaimed a salvation, which each man could gain for himself, and by himself in this world, during his life, without the least help from God or Gods." - Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) Philosopher and mathematician who was a ChristianEnemy of religion
"There is little of what we call dogma in the Buddha's teaching. With a breadth of view rare in that age and not common in ours he refuses to stifle criticism. Intolerance seemed to him the greatest enemy of religion." - Dr. S Radhakrishnan, "Gautama The Buddha"Buddha has seen deeper than modern idealists
"Gautama got rid of even that shade of a shadow of permanent existence by a metaphysical tour de force of great interest to the student of philosophy, seeing that it supplies the wanting half of Bishop Berkeley's well-known idealist argument. It is a remarkable indication of the subtlety of Indian speculation that Gautama should have seen deeper than the greatest of modem idealists. The tendency of enlightened thought of all today all the world over is not towards theology, but philosophy and psychology. The bark of theological dualism is drifting into danger. The fundamental principles of evolution and monism are being accepted by the thoughtful." - Prof. Huxley. "Evolution And Ethics"Knowledge is the key to higher path
"Without sensuous pleasure would life be endurable? Without belief in immortality can man be moral? Without worship of a God can man advance towards righteousness? Yes, replies the Buddha, these ends can be attained by knowledge; knowledge alone is the key to the higher path, the one worth pursuing in life; knowledge is that which brings calmness and peace to life, which renders man indifferent to the storms of the phenomenal world." - Prof. Karl PearsonStronger Element
"Individual existence impresses him as a sort of prison and he wants to experience the universe as a single cosmic whole. The beginnings of cosmic religious feeling already appear at an early stage of development, as an example in the Psalms of David and in some of the Prophets. Buddhism, as we have learned especially from the wonderful writings of Schopenhauer, contains a much stronger element of this." - Albert Einstein, 1905Life by principle
"Buddhism taught a life not by rule, but by principle, a life of beauty; and as a consequence, it was a religion of tolerance. It was the most charitable system under the sun." - Rev. Joseph WainBuddhism would remain
"Buddhism would remain what it is even if it were proved that the Buddha never lived." - Christmas Humphreys, "Buddhism"Modern Problems
"To read a little Buddhism is to realize that the Buddhists knew, two thousand five hundred years ago, far more about our modem problems of psychology than they have yet been given credit for. They studied these problems long ago and found their answers too." - Dr. Graham HoweNo forced conversion
"It was never, however, the Buddhist way to proselytise - in the sense of forcing ideas and beliefs upon an unwilling audience, much less to exert pressure of any kind, or any kind of flattery, deceit or cajolery, to win adherence to one's own point of view. Buddhist missionaries have never competed for converts in the marketplace." - Dr. G.P. MalalasekaraFixed Principles
"It will not be possible even today in regard to Buddhism that it is worn out because it is rooted upon certain fixed principles that can never be altered." - Gertrude GarattAppreciation of Buddhism
"Although one may originally be attracted by its remoteness, one can appreciate the real value of Buddhism only when one judges it by the result it produces in one's own life from day to day." - Dr. Edward Conze, A Western Buddhist ScholarUnconsciousness
"It can also be said that India discovered the unconsciousness earlier than the Western psychologists. For them the unconscious consists in the totality of the impressions which slumber in the individual as the inheritance from his previous existence. The buddhist technique of meditation, which is concerned with the latent forces, is thus a fore-runner of modem psychoanalysis, of autogenic mental training, etc." - Prof. Von Glasenapp, A. German ScholarRational analysis
"Buddhism is the only great religion of the world that is consciously and frankly based on a systematic rational analysis of the problems of life and of the way to its solution." - Moni Bagghee, "Our Buddha"The Five Precepts
"These five precepts, indicate five arterial directions in which the Buddhist self-control is to be exercised. Thus, the first rule calls upon him to control the passion of anger, the second, the desire for material possessions, the third, the lust of the flesh, the fourth, cowardice and malevolence (the causes of untruthfulness) the fifth, the craving for unwholesome excitement." - Edmond Holmes, "The Creed of Buddha"Buddhism and Rites
"Buddhism is thus a personal religion, and there is little room in it for ritual and ceremony. An act done with an idea of one's own conditioning ceases to be a rite. Much of the seemingly ritual of present-day Buddhism, when seen thus are really not rites." - Dr W.F. Jayasuriya "The Psychology & Philosophy of Buddhism"A genuine pride
"A religion or a way of life is judged not merely by the truths it proclaims but also by the change that it brings about in the life of its followers. So far as this test is concerned Buddhism has a record of achievements in which we can take a genuine pride." - D. Valisinha, [General Secretary, Maha Bodhi Society, "Buddhist way of life"]Example from Asoka; shames modern sovereigns of other faiths
"Turn to Buddhism, and you will read that Asoka not only preached a lofty morality but exercised the power of kingship in a manner that shames our modern sovereigns of other faiths." - Geoffrey Mortimer, A Writer in the WestBuddhism and other faiths
"Buddhism is like the palm of the hand, the other religions being the fingers." - The Great Khan MongkaNo force
"To force oneself to believe and to accept a thing without understanding is political, and not spiritual or intellectual." - Ven. Dr W. Rahula, "What the Buddha Taught"Mind Training
"We hear much nowadays of thought-power, but Buddhism is the most complete and effective system of mind-training yet placed before the world." - Dudley WrightReligion of Man
"Buddhism will last as long as the sun and moon last and the human race exists upon the earth, for it is the religion of man, of humanity as a whole." - Bandaranaike, Former Prime Minister of Sri LankaCome and See
"Buddhism is always a question of knowing and seeing, and not that of believing. The teaching of the Buddha is qualified as Ehi-Passiko, inviting you to come and see, but not to come and believe." - Ven. Dr. W. Rahula, 'What the Buddha Taught'A Plan for Living
"Buddhism is a plan for living in such a way as to derive highest benefit from life. It is a religion of wisdom where knowledge and intelligence predominate. The Buddha did not preach to win converts but to enlighten listeners." - A Western writerThe Buddha's Mission
"The mission of the Buddha was quite unique in its character, and therefore it stands quite apart from the many other religions of the world. His mission was to bring the birds of idealism flying in the air nearer to the earth, because the food for their bodies belonged to the earth." - Hazrat Inayat Khan, "The Sufi Message"Well Built Bridge
"Buddha Dharma is like a bridge well built of flexible steel, it gives a little to wind and water, it adapts itself to changing circumstances, but at the same time it has secured foundations and offers a safe way to the Deathless, to Nirvana." - Phra Khantipalo, "Tolerance"Buddhism good for your health
"There is something about conscientious Buddhist practice that results in the kind of happiness we all seek." - Paul Ekman, [2003, University of California San Francisco Medical Centre]Dhamma is the Law
"All the teachings of the Buddha can be summed up in one word: "Dharma". This law of righteousness exists not only in a man's heart but it exists in the universe also. All the universe is an embodiment or revelation of Dhamma. The laws of nature which modern science has discovered are revelations of Dhamma.If the Moon rises and sets, it is because of Dhamma, for Dhamma is that law residing in the universe that makes matter act in the ways studied in physics, chemistry, zoology, botany and astronomy. Dhamma exists in the universe just as Dhamma exists in the heart of man. If man will live by Dhamma, he will escape misery and attain Nibbana." - Ven. A. Mahinda
No forced conversion
"It was never, however, the Buddhist way to proselytise - in the sense of forcing ideas and beliefs upon an unwilling audience, much less to exert pressure of any kind, or any kind of flattery, deceit or cajolery, to win adherence to one's own point of view. Buddhist missionaries have never competed for converts in the marketplace." - Dr. G.P. MalalasekaraTo Awake the Human Heart
"Surely the mysterious East, that fertile mother of religions, has given us in Buddhism a true revelation, since it makes known to us the moral beauty and purity that lies in the deep of human nature needing no other divinity than that which abides in the human heart to awake them into living glory." - Charles T. GorhamFundamental Teachings of The Buddha
"Gentleness, serenity, compassion, through liberation from selfish-craving - these are the fundamental teachings of the great Oriental religion of Buddhism." - E. A. Burtt, "The Compassionate Buddha"No assumption in Buddhism
"It is a glory of Buddhism that it makes intellectual enlightenment an essential condition of salvation. In Buddhism morality and intellectual enlightenment are inseparable from one another. While morality forms the basis of the higher life, knowledge and wisdom complete it. Without a perfect understanding of the law of causality and transformation (Pratityasamutpada), no one can even be said to be truly moral if he does not possess the necessary insight and knowledge. In this respect Buddhism differs from all other religions. All monotheistic religions start with certain assumptions, and when these assumptions are contradicted by the growth of knowledge it increase sorrow. But Buddhism starts with no assumptions. It stands on the firm rock of facts, and can therefore never shun the dry light of knowledge." - Prof. Lakhsmi Narasu, "The Essence of Buddhism"Religious Revolution
"Twenty-five centuries ago India witnessed an intellectual and religious revolution which culminated in the overthrow of monotheism, priestly selfishness, and the establishment of a synthetic religion, a system of light and thought which was appropriately called Dhamma - Philosophical Religion." - Anagarika Dharmapala, "The World's Debt to Buddha"New race
"The Buddha created a new race of men, a race of moral heroes, a race of salvation-workers, a race of Buddhas." - Manmatha Nath SastriFirst Missionary
"Buddhism is the first missionary religion in the history of humanity with a universal message of salvation for all mankind. The Buddha after his Enlightenment sent out sixty-one disciples in different directions asking them to preach the doctrine for the weal and welfare of mankind." - Dr. K.N. Jayatilleke, "Buddhism and Peace"Ultimate fact of reality
"Here it is necessary to draw attention to another unique feature of the religion of the Buddha, namely, that it is the only religion of any religious teacher, which is the outcome of a consistent philosophy, which claims to tell us about the ultimate facts of existence and reality. The religion of the Buddha is a way of life resulting from the acceptance of a view of life, which is said to be factual. His philosophy is not without an account of the nature of knowledge." - Dr. K.N. Jayatilleke, "Buddhism and Peace"No fanaticism
"Of Buddhism alone can it be affirmed it is free from all fanaticism. Its aim being to produce in every man a thorough internal transforming by self-conquest, how can it have recourse to might or money or even persuasion for effecting conversion? The Buddha has only shown the way to salvation, and it is left to each individual to decide for himself if he would follow it." - Prof. Lakshmi Narasu, "The Essence of Buddhism"Buddhism is not a melancholy religion
"Some people think that Buddhism is a dark and melancholy religion. It is not so; it will make its followers bright and cheerful. When we read the birth stories of Bodhisatva, the future Buddha, we learn how He cultivated the Perfection of patience and forbearance. It will help us to be cheerful even in the midst of great troubles and to take delight in other's welfare. - Ven. Nanatiloka, a German Buddhist ScholarBuddhism and social welfare
"Those who think that Buddhism is interested only in lofty ideals, high moral and philosophical thought, and ignores any social and economic welfare of people, are wrong. The Buddha was interested in the happiness of men. To him happiness was not possible without leading a pure life based on moral and spiritual principles. But he knew that leading such a life was hard in unfavourable material and social conditions.Buddhism does not consider material welfare as an end in itself; it is only a means to an end - a higher and nobler end. But it is a means, which is indispensable, indispensable in achieving a higher purpose for man's happiness. So Buddhism recognizes the need of certain minimum material conditions favourable to spiritual success - even that of a monk engaged in meditation in some solitary place." - Ven. Dr. W. Rahula, "What the Buddha Taught"