Lakshmi Holmström > Quotes

“It is well to love beautiful things, but do not let them possess you.”
― Lakshmi Holmstrom, Silappadikaram and Manimekalai

“When I went to the sage Aravana adigal I was heartbroken and distraught. The words he gave me then were these: "Know these — to be born in this world is to experience sorrow. To end the cycle of birth is to achieve happiness. The first of these is the result of desire; the second is achieved by those who no longer are ensnared by desire.”
― Lakshmi Holmstrom, Silappadikaram and Manimekalai

“the four Noble Truths. These are— that all life is sorrowful ; that suffering is caused by ignorant craving ; that the end of suffering can indeed be achieved ; and that the way to that end is through the noble eight-fold path of right view, right aspiration, right speech, right conduct, right means of livelihood, right endeavour, right mindfulness and right contemplation.”
― Lakshmi Holmstrom, Silappadikaram and Manimekalai

“My friends, what is evil? It is to give in to three kinds of action — murder, theft and lust; to indulge in four kinds of speech — lies, slander, harsh or useless talk; to allow desire, anger and delusion to sway the mind. 'What then is good? It is to be free of these ten evils; it is to practise the rules of morality; it is always to be charitable.”
― Lakshmi Holmstrom, Silappadikaram and Manimekalai

“Aravana adigal also spoke to me of the tranquillity that can be achieved by observing the five silas or rules of conduct, that is, to refrain from destroying life, from lying, from stealing, from intoxicants, and from sexual misconduct.”
― Lakshmi Holmstrom, Silappadikaram and Manimekalai

“You know that no one ever escaped the effect of his own good or evil deeds. For each of our actions is like a seed that is sown and is bound to bring a harvest of its own kind.”
― Lakshmi Holmstrom, Silappadikaram and Manimekalai

“Shall I tell you what dharma means, truly? It means nothing other than this : that you should feed, house and clothe all living beings. Never forget.”
― Lakshmi Holmstrom, Silappadikaram and Manimekalai

“A virtuous life is good in itself, but it may not prevent the sins of a past life from bearing fruit.”
― Lakshmi Holmstrom, Silappadikaram and Manimekalai

“If you place flowers there with your mind fully given over to a god, those flowers will surely reach that deity's feet. But if you put them there without any deity in mind, they will not move from that place. This is to prove that our deeds will not bear fruit unless they are intended.”
― Lakshmi Holmstrom, Silappadikaram and Manimekalai

“Youth and wealth and this bodily life are all fleeting, Neither can you number the days of your life, nor escape your fate. Therefore seek only that which is good And so you may at last reach your goal of heaven.”
― Lakshmi Holmstrom, Silappadikaram and Manimekalai

“Those who seek true knowledge do not drink because it confuses the mind, and they do not eat meat because to do so is to take life. Listen, friend. Those who are born in this world must die, and those who die must be reborn. Truly, it is like sleeping and waking. We have to avoid wrong-doing such as killing and drinking because we must all reap the results of our deeds.”
― Lakshmi Holmstrom, Silappadikaram and Manimekalai