“A free man thinks of nothing less than of death, and his wisdom is a meditation, not on death, but on life.”

I have striven not to laugh at human actions, not to weep at them, nor to hate them, but to understand them.

Emotion, which is suffering, ceases to be suffering as soon as we form a clear and precise picture of it.

Sadness diminishes a man’s powers.

Freedom is self-determination.

The most tyrannical of governments are those which make crimes of opinions, for everyone has an inalienable right to his thoughts.

In so far as the mind sees things in their eternal aspect, it participates in eternity.

Minds, however, are conquered not by arms, but by love and nobility.

Desire nothing for yourself, which you do not desire for others.

Nothing in Nature is random. A thing appears random only through the incompleteness of our knowledge.

The highest activity a human being can attain is learning for understanding, because to understand is to be free.

The mind of God is all the mentality that is scattered over space and time, the diffused consciousness that animates the world.

I call him free who is led solely by reason.

No matter how thin you slice it, there will always be two sides.

He alone is free who lives with free consent under the entire guidance of reason.

When a man is prey to his emotions, he is not his own master.

Reason is no match for passion.

As long as your body is healthy and under control and death is distant, try to save your soul; when death is immanent what can you do?

Life may change, but it may fly not; Hope may vanish, but can die not; Truth be veiled, but still it burneth; Love repulsed, – but it returneth!

Being unconditionally happy is a practice: “Come what may, today I’m going to smile. Anyway, everything is going to die! Everything is going to vanish and disappear-so what! Who cares! Let me at least be happy, smile this moment, enjoy my very breath.”

Our bodies are perishable, wealth is not at all permanent and death is always nearby. Therefore we must immediately engage in acts of merit.

We all have to die some day. Not very many immortals have shown up in this world.

It is better to die than to preserve this life by incurring disgrace. The loss of life causes but a moment’s grief, but disgrace brings grief every day of one’s life.

Illness and problems are the specialties of life. But the death of a child is a cause of mental agony which can be overcome if one concedes this world to be a stage or stadium wherein praiseworthy are those who are not proud of their achievement and those who do not cry at their defeat.

My dear child, if you desire to be free from the cycle of birth and death, then abandon the objects of sense gratification as poison. Drink instead the nectar of forbearance, upright conduct, mercy, cleanliness and truth.