Buddhist Sutras Quotes

“Kalpa after kalpa a man may be under illusion, Butonce enlightened, it takes him but a moment to attain Buddhahood.”
― J. Takakusu, Buddhist Sutras: The Ultimate Collected Works of 10 Famous Sutras

“To seek enlightenment by separating from this world Isas foolish as to search for a rabbit's horn.”
― J. Takakusu, Buddhist Sutras: The Ultimate Collected Works of 10 Famous Sutras

“While having relations with an objective world there is no rising in the minds of the Tathagatas of discriminations between the interests of self and the interests of others, between good and evil,-there is just the spontaneity and effortless actuality of perfect behavior.”
― J. Takakusu, Buddhist Sutras: The Ultimate Collected Works of 10 Famous Sutras

“But so long as these discriminations are cherished by the ignorant and simple-minded they go on attaching themselves to them and, like the silkworms, go on spinning their thread of discrimination and enwrapping themselves and others, and are charmed with their poison.”
― J. Takakusu, Buddhist Sutras: The Ultimate Collected Works of 10 Famous Sutras

“It is exactly these fallacious views that makespeople crave for sentiate existence and worldly pleasure. These people are the victims of ignorance; they identify the union of the five aggregates as the 'self' and regard all other things as 'not-self'; they crave for individual existence and have an aversion to death; they are drifting about from one momentary sensation to another in the whirlpool of life and death without realising the emptiness of mundane existence which is only a dream and an illusion; they commit themselves to unnecessary suffering by binding themselves to rebirth; they mistake the state of everlasting joy of Nirvana to be a mode of suffering; they are always seeking after sensual pleasures. It was for these people, victims of ignorance, that the compassionate Buddha preached the real bliss of Nirvana.”
― J. Takakusu, Buddhist Sutras: The Ultimate Collected Works of 10 Famous Sutras

“Our physical body consisting of flesh and skin, etc., is nothing more than a tenement or an inn; it is no place of refuge.”
― J. Takakusu, Buddhist Sutras: The Ultimate Collected Works of 10 Famous Sutras

“By letting our minds dwell on evil things, hell arises. By letting our minds dwell upon good acts, paradise is manifested. Dragons and snakes are the transformations of venomous hatred; while Bodhisattvas are compassionate thoughts made manifest.”
― J. Takakusu, Buddhist Sutras: The Ultimate Collected Works of 10 Famous Sutras

“Since the light of a lamp can dissipate darkness that has been there for a thousand years, so a ray of Wisdom can do away with ignorance that has lasted for ages.We need not bother about the past, for the past is gone and is irrecoverable. What demands our attention is the present and future, so”
― J. Takakusu, Buddhist Sutras: The Ultimate Collected Works of 10 Famous Sutras

“Our Mind-essence is potential of an infinite number of sentient beings. We vow to bring them all unto deliverance.”
― J. Takakusu, Buddhist Sutras: The Ultimate Collected Works of 10 Famous Sutras

“When other people are in the wrong we should ignore it; It is wrong for one to find fault with others. By getting rid of the habit of fault-finding, Weget rid of one source of defilement.”
― J. Takakusu, Buddhist Sutras: The Ultimate Collected Works of 10 Famous Sutras

“The sutras and the scriptures of both the Mahayana and the Hinayana, as well as the twelve sections of the canonical writings, were provided to suit the different needs and temperaments of various people.”
― J. Takakusu, Buddhist Sutras: The Ultimate Collected Works of 10 Famous Sutras

“It is the same with the slow-witted when they hear about the teachings of the "Sudden School." The Prajna immanent in them is exactly the same as that in very wise men, but when the Dharma is made known to them they fail to enlighten themselves. Why is it? It is because their minds are thickly veiled by erroneous views and deeply rooted infections, just as the sun is often thickly veiled by clouds and unable to show its splendor until the wind blows the clouds away. Prajna does not vary with different persons; what makes the seeming difference is the question whether one's mind is enlightened or is beclouded. He who does not realise his own Mind-essence, and rests under the delusion that Buddhahood can be attained by outward religious rites, is rightly called the slow-witted.”
― J. Takakusu, Buddhist Sutras: The Ultimate Collected Works of 10 Famous Sutras

“When the followers of the highest school of Mahayana study the Diamond Sutra, their minds become enlightened as they realise that Prajna is immanent in their own Mind-essence.Since they have their own access to highest wisdom through the constant practice of concentration and contemplation (dhyana and samadhi) they realise that they no longer need to rely on scriptural authority.”
― J. Takakusu, Buddhist Sutras: The Ultimate Collected Works of 10 Famous Sutras

“Sentient beings whosow seed of Enlightenment In the field of causation, will reap the fruit of Buddhahood. Inanimate objects which are void of Buddha-nature Sow not and reap not.”
― J. Takakusu, Buddhist Sutras: The Ultimate Collected Works of 10 Famous Sutras

“1 said to the Patriarch, "Who could have conceived that Mind-essence is intrinsically pure! Who could have conceived that Mind-essence is intrinsically free from becoming and annihilation! That Mind-essence is intrinsically self-sufficient, and free from change! Who could have conceived that all things are manifestations of Mind-essence!”
― J. Takakusu, Buddhist Sutras: The Ultimate Collected Works of 10 Famous Sutras

“The one who has realised Essence of Mind can testify to it at once as soon as he is spoken to about it. He cannot lose sight of it, even if he were engaged in a battle.”
― J. Takakusu, Buddhist Sutras: The Ultimate Collected Works of 10 Famous Sutras

“Go now and seek for the transcendental wisdom that is within your own minds and then write me a stanza about it. He”
― J. Takakusu, Buddhist Sutras: The Ultimate Collected Works of 10 Famous Sutras

“Merit will be of no help to you if your essence of mind is polluted and clouded.”
― J. Takakusu, Buddhist Sutras: The Ultimate Collected Works of 10 Famous Sutras

“flower (which appears in fancy) before the eye; seeking any inferior standing ground, only as (su-ni-chiio); seeking Nirvana, as a dead sleep; arriving at rest, as the dancing of the six dragons; the state of perfect equanimity, as the one true standing point; the power of endless transformation, as the trees and flowers of the four seasons;--all these things are thus great in comparison only. To hear the law of Buddha is the chief source of joy.”
― J. Takakusu, Buddhist Sutras: The Ultimate Collected Works of 10 Famous Sutras

“So a Shaman, regarding his lusts and passions as more troublesome than that mud, with a steadfast purpose bending his mind to (the attainment of) reason, will be able to avoid all sorrow.”
― J. Takakusu, Buddhist Sutras: The Ultimate Collected Works of 10 Famous Sutras

“Buddha said: All the Shamans who are engaged in the practice of religion ought to regard themselves as oxen carrying loads, and going through the mud; tired with their burdens, they dare not look (or wander) an inch (the least portion) to the right or the left; desiring above all things to get out of the mud, they go straight on, in order that they may obtain some ease and repose themselves.”
― J. Takakusu, Buddhist Sutras: The Ultimate Collected Works of 10 Famous Sutras

“Beware of placing trust in your thoughts, or they in the end will destroy the groundwork of all belief.”
― J. Takakusu, Buddhist Sutras: The Ultimate Collected Works of 10 Famous Sutras

“Buddha said: Living creatures by ten things attain virtue, andby ten things become vile; what are these ten things? There are three pertaining to the body, four to the mouth, three to the thoughts; the three pertaining to the body are the slaughter of living creatures, theft, lust; the four belonging to the mouth are double-tongueness, slandering, lying, hypocrisy (or glozyconversation); the three evils of the thought are envy, anger, and wandering thoughts (chi). Disbelief in the three precious ones is the true source of all this evil. But the yan-po-sat (upasamandi) who observes the five rules untiringly, and advances to the ten, he must obtain reason.”
― J. Takakusu, Buddhist Sutras: The Ultimate Collected Works of 10 Famous Sutras

“And when creatures behold this world and imagine that it is burning, even then my Buddhafield is teeming with gods and men.”
― J. Takakusu, Buddhist Sutras: The Ultimate Collected Works of 10 Famous Sutras

“And after saluting the feet of the Leader they prayed: Reveal the law and refresh us as well as this world with thy good word, O Lion amongst kings.”
― J. Takakusu, Buddhist Sutras: The Ultimate Collected Works of 10 Famous Sutras

“Subhuti, the reason he practises charity is to benefit all beings.”
― J. Takakusu, Buddhist Sutras: The Ultimate Collected Works of 10 Famous Sutras