The Mindful Life by Ravi Raja

Mind precedes all mental states. Mind is their
chief; they are all mind-wrought. If with a pure
mind a person speaks or acts happiness follows
him like his never-departing shadow

Dhammapada 2

"We always love to have those people who shower love and care on us. We would like to share everything with such people, whether our parents, friends, partners, or kids. They will accept us however we are. We accept them however they are. We mutually help each other to learn from our mistakes, mistakes that won't harm one or many. Such dear people are a boon to us; such lovable people are a great resource. They never disappoint us; they never leave us alone in pain. They enrich us with positive thoughts and feelings, which motivate us to do our actions properly."

Little Buddha-Little Wisdom

For a person giving,
merit increases.
For one self-restraining,
no animosity is amassed.
One who is skillful
leaves evil behind
and
— from the ending of passion,
aversion,
delusion —
is totally unbound.

Ud 8.5
Cunda Sutta: Cunda
translated from the Pali by
Thanissaro Bhikkhu

"By oneself is evil done; by oneself is one defiled.
By oneself is evil left undone; by oneself is one made pure. Purity and impurity depend on oneself;
no one can purify another."

(Dhammapada, v. 165)

Life is a lotus!

You might wonder, why compare life to a lotus?
Consider this: a lotus is born in muddy waters, yet it rises above the mire to blossom and stand in all its beauty.
Our lives are just the same. No matter how many hardships or sorrows we face, we must not drown in them; we must rise above them. We must learn to see our life as a beautifully blossoming lotus.

There are those who do not realize that one day we all must die. But those who do realize this settle their quarrels.

Dhammapada 1.6
The Dhammapada: The Buddha's Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

Kindness is not weakness. The world is full of tough people; it is starving for kind ones.

Aditta Sutta - (The House) On Fire

I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Savatthi in Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's monastery. Then a certain devata, in the far extreme of the night, her extreme radiance lighting up the entirety of Jeta's Grove, went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, stood to one side. As she was standing there, she recited these verses in the Blessed One's presence:

"When a house is on fire
the vessel salvaged
is the one that will be of use,
not the one left there to burn.

So when the world is on fire
with aging and death,
one should salvage [one's wealth] by giving:
what's given is well salvaged.

What's given bears fruit as pleasure.
What isn't given does not:
thieves take it away, or kings;
it gets burnt by fire or lost.

Then in the end
one leaves the body
together with one's possessions.
Knowing this, the intelligent man
enjoys possessions & gives.

Having enjoyed & given
in line with his means,
uncensured he goes
to the heavenly state."

translated from the Pali by
Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Kakacupama Sutta

Adanta Suttas: Untamed (excerpt)
translated from the Pali by F.L. Woodward

31. "Monks, I know not of any other single thing so intractable as the untamed mind. The untamed mind is indeed a thing untractable.

32. "Monks, I know not of any other thing so tractable as the tamed mind. The tamed mind is indeed a thing tractable.

33. "Monks, I know not of any other single thing so conducive to great loss as the untamed mind. The untamed mind indeed conduces to great loss.

34. "Monks, I know not of any other single thing so conducive to great profit as the tamed mind. The tamed mind indeed conduces to great profit.

39. "Monks, I know not of any other single thing that brings such woe as the mind that is untamed, uncontrolled, unguarded and unrestrained. Such a mind indeed brings great woe.

40. "Monks, I know not of any other single thing that brings such bliss as the mind that is tamed, controlled, guarded and restrained. Such a mind indeed brings great bliss."

Ekamsena Sutta

​Ven. Ananda approached the Buddha, bowed deeply, and sat by his side. Into the silence, the Awakened One spoke with absolute finality:
​"Ananda, I declare categorically: Misconduct of the body, speech, and mind must not be done."

​Ananda asked, "Lord, since you have declared that such misconduct is forbidden, what specific dangers await those who do what should not be done?"
​"Ananda," the Buddha replied, "when one violates the laws of right conduct, five specific drawbacks follow inevitably:
●​Self-Reproach: You will be condemned by your own conscience.
●​Censure by the Wise: Those who see clearly will examine your character and find it lacking.
●​Infamy: A bad reputation will spread concerning you.
●​A Deluded Death: You will die with a mind seized by confusion and terror.
●​A Tragic Rebirth: Upon the breakup of the body, the momentum of your actions will drag you down into a state of deprivation and suffering.

These are the dangers of doing what should not be done."
​The Buddha continued: "But I also declare categorically, Ananda: Good conduct of the body, speech, and mind must be done."

​"Lord, since you have declared this, what rewards await those who do what should be done?"

​"Ananda, when one upholds right conduct, five specific blessings follow inevitably:
■​Self-Respect: You will not fault yourself; your mind remains at peace.
■​Praise by the Wise: Those who see clearly will examine your character and commend you.
■​Honor: A good reputation will spread concerning you.
■​A Lucid Death: You will die with a mind that is clear, unconfused, and unafraid.
■​A Fortunate Rebirth: Upon the breakup of the body, the momentum of your actions will lift you into a happy destination, a heavenly state.
These are the rewards of doing what should be done."

AN 2.18
Translated into simple English

Abhasita Sutta: What Was Not Said

​"Monks, these two slander the Tathagata:
the one who claims the Tathagata said what he did not say, and the one who claims the Tathagata did not say what he actually said."

Translated into plain English