“The root of suffering is attachment.” The Buddha

root of suffering is attachment

This is a saying from the Pali canon, upadhi dukkhassa mūlanti, which means “Attachment is the root of suffering.” So this is a genuine canonical quote.

You’ll find it in this sutta, but translated by Thanissaro as “Acquisition is the root of stress.” His translations are rather idiosyncratic.

In this translation of the same sutta it’s “acquisition is the root of suffering.”

Bhikkhu Bodhi’s translation (not available online, but in The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha, page 868) has “attachment is the root of suffering,” although he sometimes has “acquisition” in place of “attachment,” in various repetitions of the phrase.

“The root of suffering is attachment.” The Buddha Click To Tweet

“A mind unruffled by the vagaries of fortune, from sorrow freed, from defilements cleansed, from fear liberated — this is the greatest blessing.” The Buddha

“A mind unruffled by the vagaries of fortune, from sorrow freed, from defilements cleansed, from fear liberated — this is the greatest blessing.” The Buddha (Mangala Sutta).

“A mind unruffled by the vagaries of fortune, from sorrow freed, from defilements cleansed, from fear liberated — this is the greatest blessing.” The Buddha Click To Tweet

“Those who cling to perceptions and views wander the world offending people.” The Buddha

This striking verse is found in the Magandiya Suta in the Sutta Nipata, which is generally held to be one of the oldest texts in the Pali canon.

Bhikkhu Thanissaro translates this as:

“Those who grasp at perceptions and views
go about butting their heads in the world.”

Fausböll, a 19th century pioneer translator, has:

“But those who grasped after marks and philosophical views, they wander about in the world annoying people.”

Suttas.net has:

“Those attached to the notion ‘I am’ and to views
Roam the world offending people.”

The translator notes that “I am” is not in the quotation, but that its inclusion is warranted by material nearby.

The original Pali is:

Saññaca diṭṭhiñca ye aggahesuṃ
Te ghaṭṭayantā vicaranti loketi.

My rendition would be:

Those who cling to perceptions (saññā) and views (diṭṭhi)
Wander (vicarati) the world offending (ghaṭṭeti) people.

[Added later: Bhikkhu Varado’s translation, which I just discovered, is almost identical to mine: “Those attached to perception and views / roam the world offending people.”]

“Those who cling to perceptions and views wander the world offending people.” The Buddha Click To Tweet

“He who can curb his wrath as soon as it arises, as a timely antidote will check snake’s venom that so quickly spreads, — such a monk gives up the here and the beyond, just as a serpent sheds its worn-out skin.” The Buddha

“He who can curb his wrath as soon as it arises, as a timely antidote will check snake’s venom that so quickly spreads — such a monk gives up the here and the beyond, just as a serpent sheds its worn-out skin.”

The Buddha (from the Sutta Nipata)

“He who can curb his wrath as soon as it arises, as a timely antidote will check snake’s venom that so quickly spreads, — such a monk gives up the here and the beyond, just as a serpent sheds its worn-out skin.” The Buddha Click To Tweet

“Better than a thousand useless words is one useful word, upon hearing which one attains peace.”—The Buddha

“Better than a thousand useless words is one useful word, upon hearing which one attains peace.”—The Buddha

This is a genuine quote from the Buddhist scriptures. It’s from the Dhammapada, verse 100.

“Better than a thousand useless words is one useful word, upon hearing which one attains peace.”—The Buddha Click To Tweet

 

“Just as a mother would protect her only child with her life, even so let one cultivate a boundless love towards all beings.”

This is a genuine quote from the Buddhist scriptures. It’s from the Karaniya Metta Sutta:

“Just as a mother would protect her only child with her life, even so let one cultivate a boundless love towards all beings.” Buddha

“Just as a mother would protect her only child with her life, even so let one cultivate a boundless love towards all beings.” Click To Tweet

“A noble one produces an abundance of merit by having a compassionate mind towards all living beings.”

This is a genuine quote from the Buddhist scriptures. It’s from John Ireland’s translation of the Itivuttika.

If with an uncorrupted mind
He pervades just one being
With loving kindly thoughts,
He makes some merit thereby.

But a noble one produces
An abundance of merit
By having a compassionate mind
Towards all living beings.

“A noble one produces an abundance of merit by having a compassionate mind towards all living beings.”—The Buddha Click To Tweet