The question has often been asked; Is Buddhism a religion or a philosophy? It does not matter what you call it. Buddhism remains what it is whatever label you may put on it. The label is immaterial. Even the label 'Buddhism' which we give to the teachings of the Buddha is of little importance. The name one gives is inessential.... In the same way Truth needs no label: it is neither Buddhist, Christian, Hindu nor Moslem. It is not the monopoly of anybody. Sectarian labels are a hindrance to the independent understanding of Truth, and they produce harmful prejudices in men's minds.
buddhism labels names philosophy prejudice prejudices religion sectarianism tolerance truth

About This Quote

About Walpola Rahula, What the Buddha Taught: Revised and Expanded Edition with Texts from Suttas and Dhammapada

Walpola Rahula, What the Buddha Taught: Revised and Expanded Edition with Texts from Suttas and Dhammapada.

Themes

  • Philosophy — Deep thoughts on existence, knowledge, and the nature of reality
  • Religion — Exploring belief systems, worship, and spiritual practice
  • Truth — Meditations on honesty, authenticity, and the search for truth

More quotes by Walpola Rahula, What the Buddha Taught: Revised and Expanded Edition with Texts from Suttas and Dhammapada

“The name one gives is inessential.What's in a name? That which we call a rose, by other name would smell as sweet.”
— Walpola Rahula, What the Buddha Taught: Revised and Expanded Edition with Texts from Suttas and Dhammapada
buddhism language spirituality

“According to the Buddha's teaching the beginning of the life-stream of living beings is unthinkable. THe believer in the creation of life by God may be astonished at this reply. But if you were to ...”
— Walpola Rahula, What the Buddha Taught: Revised and Expanded Edition with Texts from Suttas and Dhammapada
beginnings buddhism circle-of-life creation-of-the-universe

“There is no unmoving mover behind the movement. It is only movement. It is not correct to say that life is moving, but life is movement itself. Life and movement are not two different things. In ot...”
— Walpola Rahula, What the Buddha Taught: Revised and Expanded Edition with Texts from Suttas and Dhammapada
buddhism cogito-ergo-sum existence existentialism

“What we call life...is the combination of the Five Aggregates, a combination of physical and mental energies. These are constantly changing; they do not remain the same for two consecutive moments....”
— Walpola Rahula, What the Buddha Taught: Revised and Expanded Edition with Texts from Suttas and Dhammapada
buddha buddha-quotes buddhism change

“Whatever is impermanent is dukkha (Yad anicca ta dukkha).”
— Walpola Rahula, What the Buddha Taught: Revised and Expanded Edition with Texts from Suttas and Dhammapada
buddhism

“Two ideas are psychologically deep-rooted in man: self-protection and self-preservation. For self-protection man has created God, on whom he depends for his own protection, safety and security, jus...”
— Walpola Rahula, What the Buddha Taught: Revised and Expanded Edition with Texts from Suttas and Dhammapada
buddha buddhism religion spirituality
View all quotes by Walpola Rahula, What the Buddha Taught: Revised and Expanded Edition with Texts from Suttas and Dhammapada →

Related Quotes

“Not till your thoughts cease all their branching here and there, not till you abandon all thoughts of seeking for something, not till your mind is motionless as wood or stone, will you be on the ri...”
— Huang Po, The Zen Teaching of Huang Po: On the Transmission of Mind
buddhism dharma enlightenment mind

“We are fragmented into so many different aspects. We dont know who we really are, or what aspects of ourselves we should identify with or believe in. So many contradictory voices, dictates, and fee...”
— Sogyal Rinpoche
buddhism meditation spirituality

“Devote the mind to confusion and we know only too well, if were honest, that it will become a dark master of confusion, adept in its addictions, subtle and perversely supple in its slaveries. Devot...”
— Sogyal Rinpoche
buddhism meditation spirituality

“People are too complicated to have simple labels.”
— Philip Pullman
labels people

“I hated labels anyway. People didn't fit in slots--prostitute, housewife, saint--like sorting the mail. We were so mutable, fluid with fear and desire, ideals and angles, changeable as water.”
— Janet Fitch, White Oleander
labels people

“People don't want other people to be people.”
— Gene Wolfe, Shadow & Claw
labels people selfishness

“A name can't begin to encompass the sum of all her parts. But that's the magic of names, isn't it? That the complex, contradictory individuals we are can be called up complete and whole in another ...”
— Charles de Lint
names people

“People often lose their names. Names fall into holes or get eaten by wild animals. Sometimes theyre carried away by the wind.”
— Eliza Granville, Gretel and the Dark
names people

“Young man, names are powerful things. You dont just go around using them for no reason.”
— Rick Riordan
names power power-of-words