Quotes to inspire and reflect

A government of laws, and not of men.

There is danger from all men. The only maxim of a free government ought to be to trust no man living with power to endanger the public liberty.

Governing a large nation is like cooking a small fish.

The law, in all vicissitudes of government … will preserve a steady undeviating course … On the one hand it is inexorable to the cries of the prisoners; on the other it is deaf, deaf as an adder to the clamours of the populace.

The people are the foundation of the country, and food is of the highest importance to the people.

What you do not want done to you, do not do to other people.

The highest form of doing good is like water; water benefits all things but does not seek anything (for itself).

The fool does not ask; he who asks is no fool.

Compare yourself to those who are superior to you, and you’ll find yourself lacking; compare yourself to those who are inferior to you, and you’ll find yourself more than good enough.

A thousand-mile journey starts under your feet.

If you know [something], to recognize that you know it; and if you don’t know [something], to realize that you don’t know it—that is [true] knowledge.

One can know the world without going outside. One can see the Way of Heaven without looking out the window.

Never tire of studying, and never tire of teaching others.

Learning has no boundaries.

Whoever is your teacher, even for a day, consider your father (to respect and care for) your whole life.

When we walk together with three people, (at least) one of them will have something to teach us.

You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve love and affection.

Your tomorrow depends entirely on what you do today.

You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean. If a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.

You must be the change you wish to see in the world.

You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist.

Where there is love, there is life.

Whenever you have truth, it must be given with love, or the message and the messenger will be rejected.

When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won.

Whatever you do may seem insignificant, but it is important that you do it.

Whenever you are confronted with an opponent, conquer him with love.

Victory attained by violence is tantamount to a defeat, for it is momentary.

Violent means will give violent freedom. That would be a menace to the world and to India herself.

Truth quenches untruth, love quenches anger, self-suffering quenches violence. This eternal rule is a rule not for saints only, but for all.

Truth stands, even if there is no public support; it is self-sustained.

Truth and non-violence are as old as the hills. All I have done is to try experiments in both on as vast a scale as I could.

Truth never damages a cause that is just.

True beauty lies in purity of the heart.

To believe in something and not live it is dishonest.

The world has enough for everyone’s needs, but not enough for everyone’s greed.

Those who say religion has nothing to do with politics do not know what religion is.

The Roots of Violence: wealth without work; pleasure without conscience; knowledge without character; commerce without morality; science without humanity; worship without sacrifice; politics without principles.

There would be nothing to frighten you if you refused to be afraid.

There is nothing that wastes the body like worry, and one who has faith in God should be ashamed to worry about anything whatsoever.

There is no school equal to a decent home and no teacher equal to a virtuous parent.

There is more to life than simply increasing its speed.

There are two days in the year when we cannot do anything: yesterday and tomorrow.

The only tyrant I accept in this world is the still voice within.

The moment there is suspicion about a person’s motives, everything he does becomes tainted.

The human voice can never reach the distance that is covered by the still voice of conscience.

The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated.

The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world’s problems.

The good man is the friend of all living things.