Buddha Quotes on Love, from the Dhammapada

“For never is hatred laid to rest by hate, it’s laid to rest by love: this is an ancient teaching.”

Na hi verena verāni, sammantīdha kudācanaṁ; Averena ca sammanti, esa dhammo sanantano.

“Heedful among the heedless, wide awake while others sleep— a true sage leaves them behind, like a swift horse passing a feeble.”

Appamatto pamattesu, suttesu bahujāgaro; Abalassaṁva sīghasso, hitvā yāti sumedhaso.

“A mendicant who loves diligence, seeing fear in negligence— advances like fire, burning up fetters big and small.”

Appamādarato bhikkhu, pamāde bhayadassi vā; Saṁyojanaṁ aṇuṁ thūlaṁ, ḍahaṁ aggīva gacchati.

“A mendicant who loves diligence, seeing fear in negligence— such a one can’t decline, and has drawn near to extinguishment.”

Appamādarato bhikkhu, pamāde bhayadassi vā; Abhabbo parihānāya, nibbānasseva santike. Appamādavaggo dutiyo.

“A bee takes the nectar and moves on, doing no damage to the flower’s beauty and fragrance; and that’s how a sage should walk in the village.”

Yathāpi bhamaro pupphaṁ, vaṇṇagandhamaheṭhayaṁ; Paleti rasamādāya, evaṁ gāme munī care.

“So too, among those thought of as trash, a disciple of the perfect Buddha outshines with their wisdom the blind ordinary folk.”

Evaṁ saṅkārabhūtesu, andhabhūte puthujjane; Atirocati paññāya, sammāsambuddhasāvako. Pupphavaggo catuttho.

“For the means to profit and the path to quenching are two quite different things. A mendicant disciple of the Buddha, understanding what this really means, would never delight in honors, but rather would foster seclusion.”

Aññā hi lābhūpanisā, aññā nibbānagāminī; Evametaṁ abhiññāya, bhikkhu buddhassa sāvako; Sakkāraṁ nābhinandeyya, vivekamanubrūhaye. Bālavaggo pañcamo.

“Advise and instruct; curb wickedness: for you shall be loved by the good, and disliked by the bad.”

Ovadeyyānusāseyya, asabbhā ca nivāraye; Satañhi so piyo hoti, asataṁ hoti appiyo.

“Avoid wickedness, as a merchant with rich cargo and small escort would avoid a dangerous road, or one who loves life would avoid drinking poison.”

Vāṇijova bhayaṁ maggaṁ, appasattho mahaddhano; Visaṁ jīvitukāmova, pāpāni parivajjaye.

“All tremble at the rod, all love life. Treating others like oneself, neither kill nor incite to kill.”

Sabbe tasanti daṇḍassa, sabbesaṁ jīvitaṁ piyaṁ; Attānaṁ upamaṁ katvā, na haneyya na ghātaye.

“Creatures love happiness, so if you harm them with a stick in search of your own happiness, after death you won’t find happiness.”

Sukhakāmāni bhūtāni, yo daṇḍena vihiṁsati; Attano sukhamesāno, pecca so na labhate sukhaṁ.

“Creatures love happiness, so if you don’t harm them with a stick in search of your own happiness, after death you will find happiness.”

Sukhakāmāni bhūtāni, yo daṇḍena na hiṁsati; Attano sukhamesāno, pecca so labhate sukhaṁ.

“If you knew your self as beloved, you’d look after it so well. In one of the night’s three watches, an astute person would remain alert.”

Attānañce piyaṁ jaññā, rakkheyya naṁ surakkhitaṁ; Tiṇṇaṁ aññataraṁ yāmaṁ, paṭijaggeyya paṇḍito.

“Swans fly by the sun’s path, psychic sages fly through space. The attentive leave the world, having vanquished Māra with his legions.”

Haṁsādiccapathe yanti, ākāse yanti iddhiyā; Nīyanti dhīrā lokamhā, jetvā māraṁ savāhiniṁ.

“He whose victory may not be undone, a victory unrivaled in all the world; by what track would you trace that Buddha, who leaves no track in his infinite range?”

Yassa jitaṁ nāvajīyati, Jitaṁ yassa noyāti koci loke; Taṁ buddhamanantagocaraṁ, Apadaṁ kena padena nessatha.

“Of craving, the weaver, the clinger, he has none: so where can he be traced? By what track would you trace that Buddha, who leaves no track in his infinite range?”

Yassa jālinī visattikā, Taṇhā natthi kuhiñci netave; Taṁ buddhamanantagocaraṁ, Apadaṁ kena padena nessatha.

“The attentive intent on absorption, who love the peace of renunciation, the Buddhas, ever mindful, are envied by even the gods.”

Ye jhānapasutā dhīrā, nekkhammūpasame ratā; Devāpi tesaṁ pihayanti, sambuddhānaṁ satīmataṁ.

“It’s hard to gain a human birth; the life of mortals is hard; it’s hard to hear the true teaching; the arising of Buddhas is hard.”

Kiccho manussapaṭilābho, kicchaṁ maccāna jīvitaṁ; Kicchaṁ saddhammassavanaṁ, kiccho buddhānamuppādo.

“Not to do any evil; to embrace the good; to purify one’s mind: this is the instruction of the Buddhas.”

Sabbapāpassa akaraṇaṁ, kusalassa upasampadā; Sacittapariyodapanaṁ, etaṁ buddhāna sāsanaṁ.

“Patient acceptance is the ultimate fervor. Extinguishment is the ultimate, say the Buddhas. No true renunciate injures another, nor does an ascetic hurt another.”

Khantī paramaṁ tapo titikkhā, Nibbānaṁ paramaṁ vadanti buddhā; Na hi pabbajito parūpaghātī, Na samaṇo hoti paraṁ viheṭhayanto.

“Not speaking ill nor doing harm; restraint in the monastic code; moderation in eating; staying in remote lodgings; commitment to the higher mind— this is the instruction of the Buddhas.”

Anūpavādo anūpaghāto, Pātimokkhe ca saṁvaro; Mattaññutā ca bhattasmiṁ, Pantañca sayanāsanaṁ; Adhicitte ca āyogo, Etaṁ buddhāna sāsanaṁ.

“Thus they find no delight even in celestial pleasures. A disciple of the fully awakened Buddha delights in the ending of craving.”

Api dibbesu kāmesu, ratiṁ so nādhigacchati; Taṇhakkhayarato hoti, sammāsambuddhasāvako.

“One gone for refuge to the Buddha, to his teaching and to the Saṅgha, sees the four noble truths with right understanding:”

Yo ca buddhañca dhammañca, saṅghañca saraṇaṁ gato; Cattāri ariyasaccāni, sammappaññāya passati.

“Happy, the arising of Buddhas! Happy, the teaching of Dhamma! Happy is the harmony of the Saṅgha, and the striving of the harmonious is happy.”

Sukho buddhānamuppādo, sukhā saddhammadesanā; Sukhā saṅghassa sāmaggī, samaggānaṁ tapo sukho.

“When a person venerates the worthy— the Buddha or his disciple, who have transcended proliferation, and have left behind grief and lamentation,”

Pūjārahe pūjayato, buddhe yadi va sāvake; Papañcasamatikkante, tiṇṇasokapariddave.

“Let us live so very happily, loving among the hostile. Among hostile humans, let us live with love.”

Susukhaṁ vata jīvāma, verinesu averino; Verinesu manussesu, viharāma averino.

“Applying yourself where you ought not, neglecting what you should be doing, forgetting your goal, you cling to what you hold dear, jealous of those devoted to their heart’s goal.”

Ayoge yuñjamattānaṁ, yogasmiñca ayojayaṁ; Atthaṁ hitvā piyaggāhī, pihetattānuyoginaṁ.

“Therefore don’t hold anything dear, for it’s bad to lose those you love. No ties are found in they who hold nothing loved or loathed.”

Tasmā piyaṁ na kayirātha, piyāpāyo hi pāpako; Ganthā tesaṁ na vijjanti, yesaṁ natthi piyāppiyaṁ.

“Sorrow springs from what we hold dear, fear springs from what we hold dear; one free from holding anything dear has no sorrow, let alone fear.”

Piyato jāyatī soko, piyato jāyatī bhayaṁ; Piyato vippamuttassa, natthi soko kuto bhayaṁ.

“One accomplished in virtue and vision, firmly principled, and truthful, doing oneself what ought be done: that’s who the people love.”

Sīladassanasampannaṁ, dhammaṭṭhaṁ saccavedinaṁ; Attano kamma kubbānaṁ, taṁ jano kurute piyaṁ.

“When a man returns safely after a long time spent abroad, family, friends, and loved ones celebrate his return.”

Cirappavāsiṁ purisaṁ, dūrato sotthimāgataṁ; Ñātimittā suhajjā ca, abhinandanti āgataṁ.

“Just so, when one who has done good goes from this world to the next, their good deeds receive them there, as family welcomes home one they love.”

Tatheva katapuññampi, asmā lokā paraṁ gataṁ; Puññāni paṭigaṇhanti, piyaṁ ñātīva āgataṁ. Piyavaggo soḷasamo.

“Those harmless sages, always restrained in body, go to the state that does not pass, where there is no sorrow.”

Ahiṁsakā ye munayo, niccaṁ kāyena saṁvutā; Te yanti accutaṁ ṭhānaṁ, yattha gantvā na socare.

“If, after watching them day in day out, discerning people praise that sage of impeccable conduct, endowed with ethics and wisdom;”

Yañce viññū pasaṁsanti, anuvicca suve suve; Acchiddavuttiṁ medhāviṁ, paññāsīlasamāhitaṁ.

“In the atmosphere there is no track, there’s no true ascetic outside here. No conditions last forever, the Awakened Ones are not shaken.”

Ākāseva padaṁ natthi, samaṇo natthi bāhire; Saṅkhārā sassatā natthi, natthi buddhānamiñjitaṁ. Malavaggo aṭṭhārasamo.

“You don’t become a sage by being sagelike, while still confused and ignorant. The astute one who holds the scales, taking only the best,”

Na monena munī hoti, mūḷharūpo aviddasu; Yo ca tulaṁva paggayha, varamādāya paṇḍito.

“and shunning the bad— that is a sage, <j>and that is how one becomes a sage. One who sagely weighs both in the world, is thereby said to be a sage.”

Pāpāni parivajjeti, sa munī tena so muni; Yo munāti ubho loke, “muni” tena pavuccati.

“Cut out affection for oneself, like plucking an autumn lotus. Foster only the path to peace, the extinguishment the Holy One taught.”

Ucchinda sinehamattano, Kumudaṁ sāradikaṁva pāṇinā; Santimaggameva brūhaya, Nibbānaṁ sugatena desitaṁ.

“The disciples of Gotama always wake up refreshed, who day and night constantly recollect the Buddha.”

Suppabuddhaṁ pabujjhanti, sadā gotamasāvakā; Yesaṁ divā ca ratto ca, niccaṁ buddhagatā sati.

“But one who loves to calm their thoughts, developing perception of ugliness, ever mindful, will surely eliminate that craving, cutting off the bonds of Māra.”

Vitakkūpasame ca yo rato, Asubhaṁ bhāvayate sadā sato; Esa kho byanti kāhiti, Esa checchati mārabandhanaṁ.