We’ve all read fake Buddha quotes; they’re all over the internet.

Although they encompass the real teachings of Buddhism, the problem is that the Buddha didn’t actually say them.

The Buddhist scriptures—also known as sūtra—are the only authentic words and oral teachings of the Buddha.

I feel that reading them preserves the authenticity of Buddhism and the nature of Siddhartha Gautama. Although I always share lots of quotes from renowned Buddhist monks and teachers, the original teachings are by far my favorite.

They’re straight-forward, honest, and liberating. We might find it hard to accept them at first, but if we delve deeper into their meaning, we will find that the Buddha’s sole purpose and wish was to liberate us from suffering.

May these quotes open our hearts and minds:

“But truly, Ananda, it is nothing strange that human beings should die.”

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

“Ardently do today what must be done. Who knows? Tomorrow, death comes.”

“The world is afflicted by death and decay. But the wise do not grieve, having realized the nature of the world.”

“Whatever is felt is within suffering.”

“Pleasant feeling is impermanent, conditioned, dependently arisen, bound to decay, to vanish, to fade away, to cease—and so too are painful feeling and neutral feeling. So anyone who, on experiencing a pleasant feeling, thinks: ‘This is my self,’ must, at the cessation of that pleasant feeling, think: ‘My self has gone!'”

“He who, seeking his own happiness, punishes or kills beings who also long for happiness, will not find happiness after his death.”

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

“Conquer anger with love, evil with good, meanness with generosity, and lies with truth.”

“We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts we make the world.”

“Whatever is subject to origination is all subject to cessation.”

“Whoever doesn’t flare up at someone who’s angry wins a battle hard to win.”

“Any kind of material form whatever, whether past, future, or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near, all material form should be seen as it actually is with proper wisdom thus: This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.”

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