SundayNov 16, 2025
Quotes: 53419 Authors: 9969
One who sees inaction in action, and action in inaction, is intelligent among men.
Governing sense, mind and intellect, intent on liberation, free from desire, fear and anger, the sage is forever free.
Meditation is not for him who eats too much, nor for him who eats not at all; not for him who is over much addicted to sleep, nor for him who is always awake.
Man is made by his belief. As he believes, so he is.
Knowledge, the object of knowledge and the knower are the three factors which motivate action; the senses, the work and the doer comprise the threefold basis of action.
Know that which pervades the entire body is indestructible. No one is able to destroy the imperishable soul.
It is better to do thine own duty, however lacking in merit, than to do that of another, even though efficiently. It is better to die doing one's own duty, for to do the duty of another is fraught with danger
It is better to do one's own duty, however defective it may be, than to follow the duty of another, however well one may perform it. He who does his duty as his own nature reveals it, never sins.
Ignorance, the product of darkness, stupefies the senses in all embodied beings, binding them by the chains of folly, indolence and lethargy.
If hundreds of thousands of suns rose up at once into the sky, they might resemble the effulgence of the supreme person in that universal form.
He who wherever he goes is attached to no person and to no place by ties of flesh; who accepts good and evil alike, neither welcoming the one nor shrinking from the other - take it that such a one has attained perfection.
He who experiences the unity of life sees his own self in all beings, and all beings in his own self, and looks on everything with an impartial eye.
Neither in this world nor elsewhere is there any happiness in store for him who always doubts.
The self-controlled soul, who moves amongst sense objects, free from either attachment or repulsion, he wins eternal Peace.
When thy reason has crossed the entanglements of illusion, then shalt thou become indifferent both to the philosophies thou hast heard and to those thou mayest yet hear.
When there is an increase in the mode of ignorance, madness, illusion, inertia and darkness are manifested.
When a man dwells on the objects of sense, he creates an attraction for them; attraction develops into desire, and desire breeds anger.
We all have been for all time...and we shall be for all time As the spirit of our mortal body wanders on in childhood, and youth and old age, the Spirit wanders on to A new body: of this the sage has no doubts.
Valor, glory, firmness, skill, generosity, steadiness in battle and ability to rule - these constitute the duty of a soldier. They flow from his own nature.
Those who are wise lament neither for the living nor the dead.
Those who are interested in self-realization, in terms of mind and sense control, offer the functions of all the senses, as well as the vital force (breath) , as oblations into the fire of the controlled mind.
Those who are envious and mischievous, who are the lowest among men, are cast by me into the ocean of material existence, into various demoniac species of life.
There are two ways of passing from this world - one in light and one in darkness. When one passes in light, he does not come back; But when one passes in darkness, he returns.
There are two aspects in nature: the perishable and the imperishable. All life in this world belongs to the former, the unchanging element belongs to the latter.
Of all that is material and all that is spiritual in this world, know for certain that I am both its origin and dissolution. There is no true superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.
The soul who meditates on the self is content to serve the self and rests satisfied within the self; there remains nothing more for him to accomplish.
One who restrains the senses and organs of action, but whose mind dwells on sense objects, certainly deludes himself and is called a pretender.
The nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance And disappearance of summer and winter seasons.
The mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate, and very strong. To subdue it is more difficult than controlling the wind, but it is possible by constant practice and attachment. He who strives by right means is assured of success.
The gates of hell are three: lust, wrath and avarice. They destroy the self. Avoid them.
That gift which is given out of duty, at the proper time and place, to a worthy person, and without expectation of return, is considered to be charity in the mode of goodness.
Serenity, simplicity, gravity, self-control and purity of thought are the austerities of the mind.
Purity engenders wisdom, passion avarice, and Ignorance folly, infatuation and darkness.
Only by undivided devotional service can The eternal be understood and seen directly. Only in this way can you enter into the mysteries of eternal understanding.
One who works in devotion, who is a pure soul, And who controls his mind and senses, is dear to everyone, and everyone is dear to him. Though always working, such a man is never entangled.
One who sees the super soul accompanying the individual soul in all bodies and who understands that neither the soul nor the Super soul is ever destroyed, actually sees.
The bright and dark paths out of the world have always existed. Whoso takes the former, returns not; he who chooses the latter, returns.
The supreme truth exists both internally and externally, in the moving and non-moving. He is beyond the power of material senses to see or know. Although, far, far away, he is also near to all.
The joys that spring from external associations bring pain; they have their beginnings and their endings. The wise man does not rejoice in them.
For him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; But for one who has failed to do so, his mind will be the greatest enemy.
Death is as sure for that which is born, As birth is for that which is dead. Therefore grieve not for what is inevitable.
Charity performed at an improper place and time and given to unworthy persons without respect and with contempt is charity in the mode of ignorance.
Austerity of speech consists in speaking truthfully and beneficially and in avoiding speech that offends.
As the kindled fire consumes the fuel, so in the flame of wisdom the embers of action are burnt to ashes.
As the blazing fire turns firewood to ashes, so does the fire of knowledge burn to ashes all reactions to material activities.
As a man can drink water from any side of a full tank, so the skilled theologian can wrest from any scripture that which will serve his purpose.
Arrogance, pride, anger, conceit, harshness and ignorance - these qualities belong to those of demonic nature.
An intelligent person does not take part in the sources of misery, which are due to contact with material senses. Such pleasures have a beginning and an end, and so the wise man does not delight in them.
Action is the product of the qualities inherent in nature.
A man must elevate himself by his own mind, not degrade himself. The mind is the friend of the conditioned soul, And his enemy as well.
For one who has been honored, dishonor is worse than death.
The wise see knowledge and action as one; they see truly.
They are forever free who renounce all selfish desires and break away from the ego-cage of 'I', 'me', and 'mine' to be united with the Lord. This is the supreme state. Attain to this, and pass from death to immortality.
Arguna: Of those steadfast devotees who love you and those who seek you as the eternal formless Reality, who are the more established in yoga? Krishna: Those who set their hearts on me and worship me with unfailing devotion and faith are more established in yoga. As for those who seek the transcendental Reality, without name, without form, contemplating the Unmanifested, beyond the reach of thought and of feeling, with their senses subdued and mind serene and striving for the good of all beings, they too will verily come unto me. Yet hazardous and slow is the path to the Unrevealed, difficult for physical man to tread. But they for whom I am the supreme goal, who do all work renouncing self for me and meditate on me with single-hearted devotion, these I will swiftly rescue from the fragment's cycle of birth and death, for their consciousness has entered into me.
'I got this today,' they say; 'tomorrow I shall get that. This wealth is mine, and that will be mine too. I have destroyed my enemies. I shall destroy others too! Am I not like God? I enjoy what I want. I am successful. I am powerful. I am happy. I am rich and well-born. Who is equal to me? I will perform sacrifices and give gifts, and rejoice in my own generosity.' This is how they go on, deluded by ignorance. Bound by their greed and entangled in a web of delusion, whirled about by a fragmented mind, they fall into a dark hell. Self-important, obstinate, swept away by the pride of wealth, they ostentatiously perform sacrifices without any regard for their purpose. Egotistical, violent, arrogant, lustful, angry, envious of everyone, they abuse my presence within their own bodies and in the bodies of others.
For certain is death for the born And certain is birth for the dead; Therefore over the inevitableBhagavad-gïtä Thou shouldst not grieve.
Destroyed is my delusion and recognition has been gained by me through Thy grace, O Krishna. I stand firm with my doubts dispelled. I shall act according to Thy word.
In this world there are two orders of being: the perishable, separate creature and the changeless spirit. But beyond these there is another, the supreme Self, the eternal Lord, who enters into the entire cosmos and supports it from within. I am that supreme Self, praised by the scriptures as beyond the changing and the changeless. Those who see in me that supreme Self see truly. They have found the source of all wisdom, ... and they worship me with all their heart.
But those who worship me with love live in me, and I come to life in them.
He who knows me as his own divine Self breaks through the belief that he is the body and is not reborn as a separate creature. Such a one is united with me. Delivered from selfish attachment, fear, and anger, filled with me, surrendering themselves to me, purified in the fire of my being, many have reached the state of unity in me.
Make every act an offering to me (God); regard me as your only protector. Relying on interior discipline, meditate on me always. Remembering me, you shall overcome all difficulties through my grace. But if you will not heed me in your self-will, nothing will avail you.
(Attachement to the fruits of action) binds a person to continual rebirth.
Better indeed is knowledge than mechanical practice (of religious ritual). Better than knowledge is meditation. But better still is surrender of attachment to results (of one's actions), because there follows immediate peace.
Every selfless act ... is born from Brahman, the eternal, infinite Godhead. He is present in every act of service.
... Those who are motivated only by desire for the fruits of action are miserable, for they are constantly anxious about the results of what they do.
Those who know this truth, whose consciousness is unified, think always, 'I am not the doer' While seeing or hearing, touching or smelling; eating, moving about, or sleeping; breathing or speaking, letting go or holding on, even opening or closing the eyes, they understand that these are only the movements of the senses among sense objects.
Whatever you do, make it an offering to me the food you eat, the sacrifices you make, the help you give, even your suffering. In this way you will be freed from the bondage of karma, and from its results both pleasant and painful. Then, firm in renunciation and yoga, with your heart free, you will come to me.
You have the right to work, but never to the fruit of the work. You should never engage in action for the sake of reward, nor should you long for inaction.
After many births the wise seek refuge in me, seeing me everywhere and in everything. Such great souls are very rare.
Just as a reservoir is of little use when the whole countryside is flooded, scriptures are of little use to the illumined man or woman who sees the Lord everywhere.
The process of offering is Brahman; that which is offered is Brahman. Brahman offers the sacrifice in the fire of Brahman. Brahman is attained by those who see Brahman in every action.
(Those who follow the path of spiritual wisdom) see that where there is One, that One is me (God); where there are many, all are me; they see my face everywhere.
Wherever the mind wanders, restless and diffuse in its search for satisfaction without, lead it within; train it to rest in the Self.
I (God) am easily attained by the person who always remembers me and is attached to nothing else.
Make your mind one-pointed in meditation, and your heart will be purified.... With all fears dissolved in the peace of the Self and all desires dedicated to Brahman, controlling the mind and fixing it on me (God), sit in meditation with me as your only goal. With senses and mind constantly controlled through meditation, united with the Self within, an aspirant attains nirvana, the state of abiding joy and peace in me.
Some realize the Self within them through the practice of meditation, some by the path of wisdom, and others by selfless service. Others may not know these paths; but hearing and following the instructions of an illumined teacher, they too go beyond death.
For he who has no tranquility there is no concentration.
... the beginningless Brahman, ... can be called neither being nor nonbeing. It is both near and far, both within and without every creature; it moves and is unmoving. In its subtlety it is beyond comprehension. It is indivisible, yet appears divided in separate creatures. Know it to be the creator, the preserver, and the destroyer. Dwelling in every heart, it is beyond darkness. It is called the light of lights, the object and goal of knowledge, and knowledge itself.
... knowledge is hidden by selfish desire hidden by this unquenchable fire for self-satisfaction.
Wherever there is Krishna, the lord of yoga, and Arjuna, the archer, I think, there will surely be, victory, welfare and morality.
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