Fake Buddha Quote of the Day
I’m not really going to post one of these every day. My title is as fake as the following quote.
“When words are both true and kind, they can change our world.”
I came across this on Twitter today, tweeted by Buddha_Bones: “RT @Sharon_Phoenix “When words are both true and kind, they can change our world.” ~Buddha”
This can be found in various books attributed to Jack Kornfield, the Buddha, and Shunryu Suzuki. As far as I can tell, those words first crop up in Saddhatissa’s “Before He Was Buddha: The Life of Siddhartha” (page 92) I don’t have the book and Google only offers a snippet view, so I’m not sure whether Saddhatissa puts those words into the Buddha’s mouth, or whether they are words that Saddhatissa says and someone else has mistaken them as the Buddha’s. If you have a copy of this book, please do let me know.
Like many Fake Buddha Quotes, this one has a nice sentiment. The Buddha often talked about the virtue of words being true and kind, but the language of “changing the world” is not something the Buddha is recorded as using.
4 Responses to “Fake Buddha Quote of the Day”
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You’re currently reading “Fake Buddha Quote of the Day,” an entry on Bodhipaksa's blog, bodhi tree swaying
Published: Nov 21 2009
What a great idea this theme is! I shall look forward to more. Alas, me and the big fella are not in possession of the title you mention so no clarification from this quarter. Thanks again, what a ripping wheeze.
I think this might be a fake, too:
“Suffering, if it does not diminish love will transport you to the furthest shore.”
http://egregores.blogspot.com/2009/11/fake-buddha-quote.html
That goes beyond fake, and deep into the whole new category of Bullshit Buddha Quote.
[...] buddha quotes bodhipaksa here does a noble deed – he throws light on a fake buddha quote: “when words are both true and kind, they can change our [...]