Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it. – Buddha

Of course it goes without saying that even this comes from Buddha, it to should be subject to its own logic and only be taken once experienced.

I never think of the future – it comes soon enough. -Albert Einstein

The next is a quote from the Buddha which points directly to the philosophy behind Einstein’s quote:

All conditioned things are impermanent – When one sees this with wisdom, one turns away from suffering. This is the path to purification. – Buddha

And lastly a fun one but poignant one:

The love of truth lies at the root of much humor. -Robertson Davies

If you are not familiar with Robertson Davies, he is a Canadian author probably best known for “The Manticore”.

There are two mistakes one can make along the road to truth — not going all the way, and not starting. – Buddha

By the way, if you are near the Wisconsin area this coming July there is a great opportunity to learn from the Dalai Lama at an event sponsored by the Deer Park Buddhist Center in Madison.

Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense. – Buddha

If you like quotes, like me, there are are lots of great quotes produced daily on this site and not just from Buddhism. They quote everyone from Buddha and Confucius to Groucho Marx and Churchill if the statement is pertinent to the Buddhist mindset. It is a nice little dose of inspiration. They have a widget for your iGoogle page as well.