Thursday, May 24, 2007

The Wise

I started looking for quotes from Gandhi after watching the amazing film Water. Gandhi's wisdom and influence are felt throughout the film in the beliefs and actions of a particular character, but it is not till the final scene where we finally see Gandhi in person for a brief moment and hear the sheer brilliance from his lips (well, and read it in English subtitles). Inspired by this film, I started searching for quotes by Gandhi, then President Hinckley, and finally, and especially poignant, a quote I've been paraphrasing for a good week now.

Please contribute your favorite(s). Here's what I found and liked:

Mahatma Gandhi

  • "My imperfections and failures are as much a blessing from god as my successes and my talents, and I lay them both at his feet."
  • "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind."
  • "Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is is very important that you do it."
  • "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."
President Gordon B. Hinckley
  • “This is my prayer for all of us—'Lord, increase our faith.' Increase our faith to bridge the chasms of uncertainty and doubt. . . . Grant us faith to look beyond the problems of the moment to the miracles of the future. . . . Give us faith to do what is right and let the consequence follow.” ( Lord, Increase Our Faith,” Ensign, Nov. 1987, 52–53.)
  • "God is weaving his tapestry according to his own grand design. All flesh is in his hands. It is not our prerogative to counsel him. It is our responsibility and our opportunity to be at peace in our minds and in our hearts, and to know that he is God, that this is his work, and that he will not permit it to fail." (“He Slumbers Not, nor Sleeps,” Ensign, May 1983, 5)
  • "No man's faith, no man's religion, no religion in all the world can ever rise above the truth." ("Continuing Pursuit of Truth," BYU-Hawaii Commencement, 6/18/83)
  • “There is no substitute for virtue. Keep your thoughts virtuous. Rise above the filth that’s all around you in this world and stand tall in strength and virtue. You can do this, and you will be happier for it for as long as you live. God bless you in cherishing, developing, and holding on to this great gift, the quality of personal virtue." (Mission meeting, Salt Lake City, Utah, 18 December 1995)
  • "Be grateful. Be smart. Be clean. Be true. Be humble. Be prayerful."
  • “A Prophet’s Counsel and Prayer for Youth,” New Era, Jan. 2001
  • "Let us all try to stand a little taller, rise a little higher, be a little better. Make the extra effort. You will be happier."(“The Quest for Excellence,” Ensign, Sept. 1999)
President Thomas S. Monson
  • “Men, take care not to make women weep, for God counts their tears.” (“That We May Touch Heaven,” Ensign, Nov. 1990, 47)

4 comments:

tic tacs and tech decks said...

Those are really good quotes. One of my latest favorites was from a CES fireside a couple of weeks ago with Faust and he said, "Don't take council from your fears."

an illdressed foolishwise said...

one of my favorite Ghandi quote goes like this..
"The moment we begin to feel anger, we cease striving for the truth and start striving for ourselves."

I wish everyone in politics and religious debate would remember that. He is amazing.. thanks for posting this.. :)

my ghostwriter said...

amen, love

dre said...

heathor,

i wrote a post, but it was erased. must have been the wu-wei.

what i must say is that i love this blog. i bought a ghandi book after i saw water. remind me to loan it to you.

the men of which you wrote are publishers of peace. we should be the same?.

there is a truckload of angry people outside. i think i will stay here a moment more. and now dogs. dear me.

sincerely, dre.