Buddha Quotes on Peace, from the Dhammapada

“Intention is the leader of things; intention is first, they’re made by intention. If with corrupt intent you speak or act, suffering follows you, like a wheel, the ox’s foot.”

Manopubbaṅgamā dhammā, manoseṭṭhā manomayā; Manasā ce paduṭṭhena, bhāsati vā karoti vā; Tato naṁ dukkhamanveti, cakkaṁva vahato padaṁ.

“Intention is the leader of things; intention is first, they’re made by intention. If with pure intent you speak or act, happiness follows you like a shadow that never leaves.”

Manopubbaṅgamā dhammā, manoseṭṭhā manomayā; Manasā ce pasannena, bhāsati vā karoti vā; Tato naṁ sukhamanveti, chāyāva anapāyinī.

““They abused me, they hit me! They beat me, they robbed me!” For those who bear such a grudge, hatred is never laid to rest.”

Akkocchi maṁ avadhi maṁ, ajini maṁ ahāsi me; Ye ca taṁ upanayhanti, veraṁ tesaṁ na sammati.

““They abused me, they hit me! They beat me, they robbed me!” For those who bear no such grudge, hatred is laid to rest.”

Akkocchi maṁ avadhi maṁ, ajini maṁ ahāsi me; Ye ca taṁ nupanayhanti, veraṁ tesūpasammati.

“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.

“Thinking the inessential is essential, seeing the essential as inessential; they don’t realize the essential, for wrong thoughts are their habitat.”

Asāre sāramatino, sāre cāsāradassino; Te sāraṁ nādhigacchanti, micchāsaṅkappagocarā.

“Having known the essential as essential, and the inessential as inessential; they realize the essential, for right thoughts are their habitat.”

Sārañca sārato ñatvā, asārañca asārato; Te sāraṁ adhigacchanti, sammāsaṅkappagocarā.

“Just as rain seeps into a poorly roofed house, lust seeps into an undeveloped mind.”

Yathā agāraṁ ducchannaṁ, vuṭṭhī samativijjhati; Evaṁ abhāvitaṁ cittaṁ, rāgo samativijjhati.

“Just as rain doesn’t seep into a well roofed house, lust doesn’t seep into a well developed mind.”

Yathā agāraṁ suchannaṁ, vuṭṭhī na samativijjhati; Evaṁ subhāvitaṁ cittaṁ, rāgo na samativijjhati.

“Little though they may recite scripture, if they live in line with the teaching, having given up greed, hate, and delusion, with deep understanding and heart well freed, not grasping to this life or the next, they share in the blessings of the ascetic life.”

Appampi ce saṁhita bhāsamāno, Dhammassa hoti anudhammacārī; Rāgañca dosañca pahāya mohaṁ, Sammappajāno suvimuttacitto; Anupādiyāno idha vā huraṁ vā, Sa bhāgavā sāmaññassa hoti. Yamakavaggo paṭhamo.

“For the hard-working and mindful, pure of deed and attentive, restrained, living righteously, and diligent, their reputation only grows.”

Uṭṭhānavato satīmato, Sucikammassa nisammakārino; Saññatassa dhammajīvino, Appamattassa yasobhivaḍḍhati.

“The mind quivers and quakes, hard to guard, hard to curb. The discerning straighten it out, like a fletcher an arrow.”

Phandanaṁ capalaṁ cittaṁ, dūrakkhaṁ dunnivārayaṁ; Ujuṁ karoti medhāvī, usukārova tejanaṁ.

“Like a fish pulled from the sea and cast upon the shore, this mind flounders about, trying to throw off Māra’s dominion.”

Vārijova thale khitto, okamokataubbhato; Pariphandatidaṁ cittaṁ, māradheyyaṁ pahātave.

“Hard to hold back, flighty, alighting where it will; it’s good to tame the mind; a tamed mind leads to bliss.”

Dunniggahassa lahuno, yatthakāmanipātino; Cittassa damatho sādhu, cittaṁ dantaṁ sukhāvahaṁ.

“So hard to see, so subtle, alighting where it will; the discerning protect the mind, a guarded mind leads to bliss.”

Sududdasaṁ sunipuṇaṁ, yatthakāmanipātinaṁ; Cittaṁ rakkhetha medhāvī, cittaṁ guttaṁ sukhāvahaṁ.

“The mind travels far, wandering alone; incorporeal, it lies hidden in the heart. Those who will restrain the mind are freed from Māra’s bonds.”

Dūraṅgamaṁ ekacaraṁ, asarīraṁ guhāsayaṁ; Ye cittaṁ saṁyamissanti, mokkhanti mārabandhanā.

“Those of unsteady mind, who don’t understand the true teaching, and whose confidence wavers, do not perfect their wisdom.”

Anavaṭṭhitacittassa, saddhammaṁ avijānato; Pariplavapasādassa, paññā na paripūrati.

“One whose mind is not festering, whose heart is undamaged, who’s given up right and wrong, alert, has nothing to fear.”

Anavassutacittassa, ananvāhatacetaso; Puññapāpapahīnassa, natthi jāgarato bhayaṁ.

“Knowing this body breaks like a pot, and fortifying the mind like a citadel, attack Māra with the sword of wisdom, guard your conquest, and never settle.”

Kumbhūpamaṁ kāyamimaṁ viditvā, Nagarūpamaṁ cittamidaṁ ṭhapetvā; Yodhetha māraṁ paññāvudhena, Jitañca rakkhe anivesano siyā.

“A wrongly directed mind would do you more harm than a hater to the hated, or an enemy to their foe.”

Diso disaṁ yaṁ taṁ kayirā, verī vā pana verinaṁ; Micchāpaṇihitaṁ cittaṁ, pāpiyo naṁ tato kare.

“A rightly directed mind would do you more good than your mother or father or any other relative.”

Na taṁ mātā pitā kayirā, aññe vāpi ca ñātakā; Sammāpaṇihitaṁ cittaṁ, seyyaso naṁ tato kare. Cittavaggo tatiyo.

“As a mighty flood sweeps off a sleeping village, death steals away a man even as he gathers flowers, his mind caught up in them.”

Pupphāni heva pacinantaṁ, byāsattamanasaṁ naraṁ; Suttaṁ gāmaṁ mahoghova, maccu ādāya gacchati.

“The terminator gains control of the man who has not had his fill of pleasures, even as he gathers flowers, his mind caught up in them.”

Pupphāni heva pacinantaṁ, byāsattamanasaṁ naraṁ; Atittaññeva kāmesu, antako kurute vasaṁ.

“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.

“Though a fool attends to the wise even for the rest of their life, they still don’t understand the teaching, like a spoon the taste of the soup.”

Yāvajīvampi ce bālo, paṇḍitaṁ payirupāsati; Na so dhammaṁ vijānāti, dabbī sūparasaṁ yathā.

“Whatever fame a fool may get, it only gives rise to harm. Whatever good features they have it ruins, and blows their head into bits.”

Yāvadeva anatthāya, ñattaṁ bālassa jāyati; Hanti bālassa sukkaṁsaṁ, muddhamassa vipātayaṁ.

“And those whose minds are rightly developed in the awakening factors; who, letting go of attachments, delight in not grasping: with defilements ended, brilliant, they are quenched in this world.”

Yesaṁ sambodhiyaṅgesu, sammā cittaṁ subhāvitaṁ; Ādānapaṭinissagge, anupādāya ye ratā; Khīṇāsavā jutimanto, te loke parinibbutā. Paṇḍitavaggo chaṭṭho.

“The mindful apply themselves; they delight in no abode. Like a swan gone from the marsh, they leave home after home behind.”

Uyyuñjanti satīmanto, na nikete ramanti te; Haṁsāva pallalaṁ hitvā, okamokaṁ jahanti te.

“Their mind is peaceful, peaceful are their speech and deeds. Such a one is at peace, rightly freed through enlightenment.”

Santaṁ tassa manaṁ hoti, santā vācā ca kamma ca; Sammadaññāvimuttassa, upasantassa tādino.

“Better than a thousand meaningless sayings is a single meaningful saying, hearing which brings you peace.”

Sahassamapi ce vācā, anatthapadasaṁhitā; Ekaṁ atthapadaṁ seyyo, yaṁ sutvā upasammati.

“Better than a thousand meaningless verses is a single meaningful verse, hearing which brings you peace.”

Sahassamapi ce gāthā, anatthapadasaṁhitā; Ekaṁ gāthāpadaṁ seyyo, yaṁ sutvā upasammati.

“Better than reciting a hundred meaningless verses is a single saying of Dhamma, hearing which brings you peace.”

Yo ca gāthā sataṁ bhāse, anatthapadasaṁhitā; Ekaṁ dhammapadaṁ seyyo, yaṁ sutvā upasammati.

“Whatever sacrifice or offering in the world a seeker of merit may make for a year, none of it is worth a quarter of bowing to the sincere.”

Yaṁ kiñci yiṭṭhaṁ va hutaṁ va loke, Saṁvaccharaṁ yajetha puññapekkho; Sabbampi taṁ na catubhāgameti, Abhivādanā ujjugatesu seyyo.

“Rush to do good, shield your mind from evil; for when you’re slow to do good, your thoughts delight in wickedness.”

Abhittharetha kalyāṇe, pāpā cittaṁ nivāraye; Dandhañhi karoto puññaṁ, pāpasmiṁ ramatī mano.

“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.

“If you still yourself like a broken gong, you reach extinguishment and know no conflict.”

Sace neresi attānaṁ, kaṁso upahato yathā; Esa pattosi nibbānaṁ, sārambho te na vijjati.

“One who violently attacks the peaceful and the innocent swiftly falls to one of ten bad states:”

Yo daṇḍena adaṇḍesu, appaduṭṭhesu dussati; Dasannamaññataraṁ ṭhānaṁ, khippameva nigacchati.

“Dressed up they may be, but if they live well— peaceful, tamed, committed to the spiritual path, having laid aside violence toward all creatures— they are a brahmin, an ascetic, a mendicant.”

Alaṅkato cepi samaṁ careyya, Santo danto niyato brahmacārī; Sabbesu bhūtesu nidhāya daṇḍaṁ, So brāhmaṇo so samaṇo sa bhikkhu.

“Like a fine horse under the whip, be keen and full of urgency. With faith, ethics, and energy, immersion, and investigation of principles, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, mindful, give up this vast suffering.”

Asso yathā bhadro kasāniviṭṭho, Ātāpino saṁvegino bhavātha; Saddhāya sīlena ca vīriyena ca, Samādhinā dhammavinicchayena ca; Sampannavijjācaraṇā patissatā, Jahissatha dukkhamidaṁ anappakaṁ.

“I’ve seen you, house-builder! You won’t build a house again! Your rafters are all broken, your roof-peak demolished. The mind, set on demolition, has reached the end of cravings.”

Gahakāraka diṭṭhosi, puna gehaṁ na kāhasi; Sabbā te phāsukā bhaggā, gahakūṭaṁ visaṅkhataṁ; Visaṅkhāragataṁ cittaṁ, taṇhānaṁ khayamajjhagā.