“Silence the angry man with love. Silence the ill-natured man with kindness. Silence the miser with generosity. Silence the liar with truth.” (Buddha, Dhammapada verse 223)
There are many Buddha quotes that float around. Most of them originate with self-help authors and have very little to do with the Buddha’s real teachings. A favorite from my early days of practice and meditations, however, is a documented saying of Siddhartha Gautama. It expresses his belief in treating others kindly regardless of whether they deserve it or not – an idea that would show up many centuries later in the teachings of others. The passage has a second layer of meaning as well: the “angry man,” the “liar,” etc., don’t have to refer to actual people. They may refer to aspects of your own personality that you need to overcome by practicing love, kindness, generosity, and truth.
Peace and Love, Jim
