Adages & Proverbs

“Pay no attention to the faults of others,
things done or left undone by others.
Consider only what by oneself is done or left undone.”
Buddha

Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle,
and the life of the candle will not be shortened.
Happiness never decreases by being shared.
Buddha

One of his students asked Buddha, “Are you the messiah?”
“No”, answered Buddha.
“Then are you a healer?”
“No”, Buddha replied.
“Then are you a teacher?” the student persisted.
“No, I am not a teacher.”
“Then what are you?” asked the student, exasperated.
“I am awake”, Buddha replied.

The below are by Albert Schweitzer

"In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.”

"Never say there is nothing beautiful in the world anymore. There is always something to make you wonder in the shape of a tree, the trembling of a leaf.”

"There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life: music and cats.”
(I can attest to this)

"We are all so much together, but we are all dying of loneliness”

"A man is truly ethical only when he obeys the compulsion to help all life which he is able to assist, and shrinks from injuring anything that lives.”

"Humanitarianism consists in never sacrificing a human being to a purpose”

"I can do no other than be reverent before everything that is called life. I can do no other than to have compassion for all that is called life. That is the beginning and the foundation of all ethics.”

and last but certainly not least…

"Man is a clever animal who behaves like an imbecile.”

When I was a child–one Sunday God and I skipped church and went for a dip in the crawdad hole.–Ierrellus

When we were little, I and my brothers and our friends used to love going down to Five Mile Creek to catch crawdads. I never thought of it as church, but it was fun. Imagine – church fun. That’s a concept that never really occurred to me before, but I don’t see why God wouldn’t be one for fun sometimes.

Church? Read Emily Dickenson.

I love Dickinson’s poems. I have a very fluid and open idea of church these days. Sacred moments can occur anywhere. Besides, I have always loved the idea of the world as an open cathedral. It really came home to me at the end of a Tarkovsky movie, Nostalghia (I think).

Watch the chatter in this thread please.
If we get inspired to discussion from this thread, please create a thread to carry out that discussion; this thread is aimed at just housing adages and proverbs without discussion of them in the thread.

Thank you.

Everyone has a plan. Until they get hit. - Mike Tyson

Decide that you want it more than you’re afraid of it. - Bill Cosby

I learned a long time ago that one note can go a long way if it’s the right one. - Les Paul

Everywhere is within walking distance if you have the time. - Stephen Wright

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. - Buddha

Against the assault of laughter nothing can stand. - Mark Twain

Human beings must have action; and they will make it if they cannot find it. - Albert Einstein

A mind is like a diaper. It needs changed often, and for the same reason.–Woody Allen

[size=150]It is better to eat meat and drink wine than to eat the flesh of one’s brethren through slander.
Abba Hyperechius[/size]

[size=150]A man may seem to be silent, but if his heart is condemning others, he is babbling ceaselessly. But there may be another who talks from morning till night and yet he is truly silent, that is, he says nothing that is not profitable.
Abba Pimen[/size]

[size=150]‘If a man wants God to hear his prayer quickly, then before he prays for anything else, even his own soul, when he stands and stretches out his hands towards God, he must pray with all his heart for his enemies. Through this action God will hear everything that he asks.’
Abbot Zeno [/size]

[size=150]If our bat is flying in our belfry and not our seagull, best, still, to let it fly. [/size]
[size=150]arcturus rising[/size]

[b][size=150]If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am not for others, who am I for? And if not now, when?

  • Talmud [/size][/b]

[size=150]Every blade of grass has its angel that bends over it and whispers, grow, grow.
The Talmud [/size]
:cry:

[size=150]He that gives should not remember, he that receives should never forget.
The Talmud[/size]

[size=150]We are that which is sensitive to initial conditions.
Tab[/size]

[size=150]We do not see things as they are. We see them as we are. :angelic-whiteflying:
The Talmud[/size]

Epigram from the French

Sir, I admit to your general rule
That every poet is a fool:
But you yourself may serve to show it,
That every fool is not a poet.

Alexander Pope (1688-1744)

As he lay dying, Sam Clemens was asked if he had made his peace with God. Clemens responded, “I didn’t know we were having an argument.”

If you understand then things are as they are, if you do not understand then things are as they are…
Zen Proverb

Don’t mess with Mrs Murphy…
Another one of Murphy’s laws

No man can make a building worthy of a God
I think it was a Celtic/Druid saying, but I might be making that up 8-[

Woops, bad typing day, got my name wrong registering too - should have just stopped at that point I think #-o