Sayings & Quotes

[Lilith7]

"Ma whero ma pango ka oti ai te mahi."
With red and black the work will be complete
(This refers to co-operation where if everyone does their part, the work will be complete. The colours refer to to the traditional kowhaiwhai patterns on the inside of the meeting houses.)


He waka eke noa
"A canoe which we are all in with no exception."
(We are all in this together.)

"Ehara taku toa, he takitahi, he toa takitini."
My success should not be bestowed onto me alone, as it was not individual success but success of a collective
(Said humbly when acknowledged.)

[Lilith7]

"Kāore te kumara e kōrero mō tōna ake reka."
The kumara (sweet potato) does not say how sweet he is
(This proverbs accentuates the the value of humbleness.)


"Ahakoa he iti he pounamu."
Although it is small, it is greenstone
(This is a humble way to deliver a small gift. Greenstone (jade) is an extremely useful commodity which is considered very precious, so although you may not be presenting greenstone, the word pounamu stands as a metaphor for something precious or a treasure from the heart.)


"He kotuku rerenga tahi"
A white heron flies once
(This is used on an occasion when something very special and unusual takes place.)

"Kua hinga te totara i te wao nui a Tane."
The totara has fallen in the forest of Tane
(A totara is a huge tree that grows for hundreds of years. For one of them to fall is a great tragedy. This proverb is said when someone of importance passes away.)

[Lilith7]

“Turn your face toward the sun and the shadows will fall behind you.”


"He iti hoki te mokoroa nāna i kakati te kahikatea".
(The mokoroa (grub) may be small, but it cuts through the Kahikatea (whitepine).)


"He iti hoki te mokoroa nāna i kakati te kahikatea."
(The mokoroa (grub) may be small, but it cuts through the Kahikatea (whitepine).)

"Moe ana te mata hī tuna, ara ana te kitaua."
( Eel catchers may sleep but sentries do not.)

[Lilith7]

"Mauri mahi, mauri ora; mauri noho, mauri mate."
(Industry begets prosperity (security); idleness begets poverty (insecurity).)

"Tama tu, tama ora; tama noho, tama mate kai."
(He who stands lives; he who sits, perishes.)


"He aha te kai ō te rangatira? He Kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero."
(What is the food of the leader. It is knowledge. It is communication.)


"He manako te koura i kore ai."
(Crayfish are scarce when they are expected. Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.)

"He au kei uta e taea te karo, he au kei te moana e kore e taea."
(You may dodge smoke (au) on land, but you cannot dodge current at sea.)

"He maroro kokati ihu waka."
(The flying-fish that cuts across the bow of the canoe. – Considered a bad omen.)

"Hōhonu kaki, pāpaku nana."
(Deep at eating but shallow at work.)

"Te toto o te tangata he kai, te oranga o te tangata, he whenua, he oneone".
While food provides the blood in our veins, our health is drawn from the land and soil.

"He pai te tirohanga ki nga mahara mo nga raa pahemo engari ka puta te maaramatanga i runga i te titiro whakamua."
It’s fine to have recollections of the past but wisdom comes from being able to prepare opportunities for the future.

[Lilith7]

"Kāhore taku toa i te toa takitahi, he toa takitini"
We cannot succeed without the support of those around us

"Ki te kore nga putake e mākukungia e kore te rakau e tupu"
If the roots of the tree are not watered the tree will never grow

"Mauria te pono"
Believe in yourself

"Waiho ma te tangata e mihi"
Let others sing your praises.

"He iti hau marangai e tū te pāhokahoka."
Just like a rainbow after the storm, success follows failure.

"Kia Mau ki nga mahi toi"
Hold steadfast to creativity

"Aroha mai, aroha atu"
Love towards us, love going out from us


"Mai i te Kōpae ki te Urupa, tātou ako tonu ai."
From the cradle to the grave we are forever learning.

"Aroha ki te tangata, Ahakoa ko wai te tangata"
Love people, in spite of who they are


"Hapaitia te ara tika pumau ai te rangatiratanga mo nga uri whakatipu."
Foster the pathway of knowledge to strength, independence and growth for future generations

"Whaowhia te kete mātauranga."
Fill your basket of knowledge.

"E tohe e taa te purihi."
Persistence has its rewards.


"Ko au te whenua, Ko te whenua ko au"
I am the land and the land is me

"Waiho i te toipoto, kaua i te toiroa."
Let us keep close together, not wide apart.


"He tātai whetū ki te rangi, ko te ira tangata ki te whenua."
Like the myriad of stars in the heavens, so is the essence of humanity spread across the land.

"He rangi tā Matawhāiti, he rangi tā Matawhānui."
The person with a narrow vision sees a narrow horizon, the person with a wide vision sees a wide horizon.

"Kia ū ki te pai."
Cleave to that which is good.

"Toitu he kainga, whatungarongaro he tangata."
The land still remains when people have disappeared.

[Lilith7]

"My religion is kindness."

"Wisdom is the best guide and faith is the best companion. One must try to escape from the darkness of ignorance and suffering, and seek the light of Enlightenment.”

"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible"

"I believe in justice and truth, which without there would be no basis for human hope." Mere restraint may prevent us from grossly negative misdeeds, but it's insufficient to attain the happiness characterized by inner peace. In order to transform our habits and dispositions so that our actions are compassionate, it is necessary to develop what we might call an ethic of virtue. As well as restraining ourselves from negative thoughts and emotions, we need to cultivate and reinforce our positive qualities."

Dalai Lama

[Lilith7]

"Wisdom is the best guide and faith is the best companion. One must try to escape from the darkness of ignorance and suffering, and seek the light of Enlightenment.”

"Mere restraint may prevent us from grossly negative misdeeds, but it's insufficient to attain the happiness characterized by inner peace. In order to transform our habits and dispositions so that our actions are compassionate, it is necessary to develop what we might call an ethic of virtue. As well as restraining ourselves from negative thoughts and emotions, we need to cultivate and reinforce our positive qualities."

"We must learn how to identify the opposing sides in our inner conflicts. Take anger: we need to see how destructive it is and at the same time, realise there are antidotes within our own thoughts and emotions that can counter it. So by understanding how negative it is and then by strengthening our positive thoughts and emotions, we can gradually reduce the force of our anger and hatred."

"Satisfaction is characterised by inner peace. It arises from generosity, honesty and what I call ethical conduct, a way of behaving that respects others’ right to be happy."

Dalai Lama

[Lilith7]

"We can't be useful to ourselves unless we're useful to others. Whether we like it or not, we're all connected, and it is unthinkable to be happy all by oneself. Anyone concerned only by his own well-being will suffer eventually. Anyone concerned with the well-being of others takes care of himself without even thinking about it. Even if we decide to remain selfish, let us be intelligently selfish - let us help others."


"From one viewpoint, religion can be seen as sort of a luxury. If you have religion, that’s good, but even without it you can manage and survive - but we can't survive without human affection. While anger and hatred, like compassion and love, are part of our mind, I still believe the dominant forces are compassion and affection. Therefore, usually I refer to these human qualities as spirituality."



"In the present circumstances, no one can afford to assume that someone else will solve their problems. Each one of us has a responsibility to help guide our global family in the right direction. Good wishes are not sufficient; we must become actively engaged."


"Just as we should cultivate more gentle and peaceful relations with our fellow human beings, we should also extend that same kind of attitude towards the natural environment. Morally speaking, we should be concerned for our whole environment."


"My true religion, my simple faith is in love and compassion. There is no need for complicated philosophy, doctrine, or dogma. Our own heart, our own mind, is the temple. The doctrine is compassion. Love for others and respect for their rights and dignity, no matter who or what they are - these are ultimately all we need."
Dalai Lama

[Lilith7]

"To familiarize ourselves with the virtue of patience, it is very helpful to think of adversity not so much as a threat to our peace of mind but rather as the very means by which patience is attained. From this perspective, we see that those who would harm us are, in a sense, teachers of patience. Such people teach us that which we could never learn merely from hearing someone speak, be they ever so wise or holy."


"To be kind, honest and have positive thoughts; to forgive those who harm us and treat everyone as a friend; to help those who are suffering and never to consider ourselves superior to anyone else: even if this advice seems rather simplistic, make the effort of seeing whether by following it you can find greater happiness."


"Ultimately, humanity is one, and this small planet is our only home. If we are to protect this home of ours, each of us needs to feel a vivid sense of universal altruism. It is only this feeling that can remove the self-centred motives that cause people to deceive and misuse one another. If you have a sincere and open heart, you naturally feel self-worth and confidence, and there is no need to be fearful of others."


"The consensus that science and spirituality are incompatible no longer holds firm. As the scientific understanding of the nature of reality deepens, perceptions are changing and people are beginning to show more interest in what I call our inner world. By this, I mean the dynamics and functions of consciousness: both our hearts and our minds."

"The modern world is such that the interests of a particular country or community can no longer be considered to lie within the confines of its own boundaries. Cultivating contentment is therefore crucial to maintaining peaceful coexistence because discontent breeds a sense of acquisitiveness that can never be satisfied."
Dalai Lama

[Lilith7]

"We should practice by showing one another love and helping one another. It is a mistake to pursue happiness and to seek to the avoid suffering by deceiving and humiliating other people. We must try to achieve happiness and eliminate suffering by being good-hearted and well-behaved."

“Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.”


The Dalai Lama, when asked what surprised him most about humanity:
"Man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived."

"In the practice of tolerance, one's enemy is the best teacher."

"Along with love, compassion is the face of altruism. It is a feeling from deep in the heart that you cannot bear others’ suffering without acting to relieve it. As compassion grows stronger, so does your willingness to commit yourself to the welfare of all beings, even if you have to do it alone. You will be unbiased in your service to all beings, no matter how they respond to you."

Dalai Lama

[Lilith7]

"All the world’s major religions, with their emphasis on love, compassion, patience, tolerance, and forgiveness can and do promote inner values. But the reality of the world today is that grounding ethics in religion is no longer adequate. This is why I am increasingly convinced that the time has come to find a way of thinking about spirituality and ethics beyond religion altogether."


"Hardship, in forcing us to exercise greater patience and forbearance in daily life, actually makes us stronger and more robust. From the daily experience of hardship comes a greater capacity to accept difficulties without losing our sense of inner calm. Of course, I do not advocate seeking out hardship as a way of life, but merely wish to suggest that, if you relate to it constructively, it can bring greater inner strength and fortitude."


"Education is the proper way to promote compassion and tolerance in society. Compassion and peace of mind bring a sense of confidence that reduce stress and anxiety, whereas anger and hatred come from frustration and undermine our sense of trust. Because of ignorance, many of our problems are our own creation. Education, however, is the instrument that increases our ability to employ our own intelligence."
Dalai Lama

[Lilith7]

"We are driven by self-interest, it’s necessary to survive. But we need wise self-interest that is generous and co-operative, taking others’ interests into account. Co-operation comes from friendship, friendship comes from trust, and trust comes from kind-heartedness. Once you have a genuine sense of concern for others, there’s no room for cheating, bullying or exploitation."


"Honest concern for others is the key factor in improving our day to day lives. When you are warm-hearted, there is no room for anger, jealousy or insecurity. A calm mind and self-confidence are the basis for happy and peaceful relations with each other. Healthy, happy families and a healthy peaceful nation are dependent on warm-heartedness."


"However capable and skillful an individual may be, left alone, he or she will not survive. When we are sick or very young or very old, we must depend on the support of others. There is no significant division between us and other people, because our basic natures are the same. If we wish to ensure everyone’s peace and happiness we need to cultivate a healthy respect for the diversity of our peoples and cultures, founded on an understanding of this fundamental sameness of all human beings."


'Happiness arises as a result of different causes and conditions. If you harm someone out of anger, you may feel some superficial satisfaction, but deep down you know it was wrong. Your confidence will be undermined. However, if you have an altruistic attitude, you’ll feel comfortable and confident in the presence of others.'

Dalai Lama

[Lilith7]

"If we make consistent effort, based on proper education, we can change the world. We are selfish, that’s natural, but we need to be wisely selfish, not foolishly selfish. We have to concern ourselves more with others’ well-being, that’s the way to be wisely selfish. We have the ability to take the long-term benefit into account. I think it is possible to make real change in this century."


"If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion."

'I believe that to meet the challenge of our times, human beings will have to develop a greater sense of universal responsibility. Each of us must learn to work not just for his or her own self, family or nation, but for the benefit of all mankind. Universal responsibility is the real key to human survival. It is the best foundation for world peace, the equitable use of natural resources, and through concern for future generations, the proper care of the environment.
Whether we like it or not, we have all been born on this earth as part of one great human family. Rich or poor, educated or uneducated, belonging to one nation or another, to one religion or another, adhering to this ideology or that, ultimately each of us is just a human being like everyone else: we all desire happiness and do not want suffering. Furthermore, each of us has an equal right to pursue these goals."


"Today's world requires that we accept the oneness of humanity. In the past, isolated communities could afford to think of one another as fundamentally separate and even existed in total isolation. Nowadays, however, events in one part of the world eventually affect the entire planet. "

"Love & compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive."
Dalai Lama

[Lilith7]

'If you think you are too small to make a difference,
try sleeping with a mosquito.'


"The Paradox of our Age

We have bigger houses
but smaller families;
more conveniences,
But less time;

We have more degrees,
but less sense;
More knowledge, but less judgement;
More experts, but more problems;
More medicines, but less healthiness;

We’ve been all the way to the moon and back,
but have trouble crossing the street to
meet the new neighbour.

We build more computers to hold more
information to produce more copies than ever,
but have less communication.

We have become long on quantity,
but short on quality.

These are times of fast foods,
but slow digestion;
Tall man but short character;
Steep profits but shallow relationships.

It’s a time when there is much in the window,
but nothing in the room."



"Compassion, forgiveness, these are the real ultimate sources of power for peace & success in life."


‘We can let the circumstances of our lives harden us so that we become increasingly resentful & afraid, or we can let them soften us, & make us kinder. You always have the choice.’
Dalai Lama

[Lilith7]

"Buddhist terrorist. Muslim terrorist. That wording is wrong. Any person who wants to indulge in violence is no longer a genuine Buddhist or a genuine Muslim, because it is a Muslim teaching that once you are involved in bloodshed, you are no longer a genuine practitioner of Islam.
All major religions carry the same message; a message of love, compassion, forgiveness, tolerance, contentment, self discipline – all religious traditions."


"The planet does not need more successful people. The planet desperately needs more peacemakers, healers, restorers, lovers & storytellers of all kinds."

"This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples, no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart, is our temple; the philosophy is kindness."

"Most of us have been conditioned. Since armies are legal, we feel that war is acceptable; in general, nobody feels that war is criminal or that accepting it is a criminal attitude. In fact, we have been brainwashed.
War is monstrous. Its very nature is one of tragedy & suffering."


"Please don’t think that compassion, love and tolerance only belong to religion. They belong to human life. From compassion we develop self-confidence; that brings inner strength, allowing us to act with transparency and candour. We can make this a peaceful century if we conduct ourselves in this way, if we cherish non-violence and concern for others’ well-being."


"We need a sense of the oneness of humanity. It’s because I cultivate this that wherever I go and whoever I meet I regard as just another human being; a brother or sister. We seven billion human beings are essentially the same. We do have differences of nationality, colour, faith and social status, but to focus only on them is to create problems for ourselves."



"Whether you believe in god or not does not matter so much, whether you believe in Buddha or not does not matter so much; as a Buddhist whether you believe in reincarnation or not does not matter so much. You must lead a good life. And a good life does not mean just good food, good clothes, good shelter. These are not sufficient. A good motivation is what is needed; compassion without dogmatism, without complicated philosophy; just understanding that others are human brothers & sisters,& respecting their rights & human dignity."
Dalai Lama

[Lilith7]

"It is in the brains & soul that lack of money damages you. Mental deadness, spiritual squalor - they seem to descend upon you inescapably when your income drops below a certain point. Faith, hope, money - only a saint could have the first two without having the third."

"The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command. His heart sank as he thought of the enormous power arrayed against him, the ease with which any Party intellectual would overthrow him in debate, the subtle arguments which he would not be able to understand, much less answer. And yet he was in the right! They were wrong and he was right."

"And if all others accepted the lie which the Party imposed—if all records told the same tale—then the lie passed into history and became truth. 'Who controls the past' ran the Party slogan, 'controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.'"

“The choice for mankind lies between freedom and happiness and for the great bulk of mankind, happiness is better.”


George Orwell.

[Lilith7]

"Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed. Everything else is public relations."


"The further society drifts from the truth,
the more it will hate those that speak it."

"There are a few basic propositions with negative campaigning that are worth knowing about. It lowers turnout, favours right more than left as the right continue to turn out, & drives away the independents. Voting then becomes more partisan.:"

“Political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind. ”
George Orwell

[Lilith7]

“Being in a minority, even in a minority of one, did not make you mad. There was truth and there was untruth, and if you clung to the truth even against the whole world, you were not mad.”
George Orwell


“Any woman who chooses to behave like a full human being should be warned that the armies of the status quo will treat her as something of a dirty joke. That’s their natural and first weapon. She will need her sisterhood.”


“The first problem for all of us, men and women, is not to learn, but to unlearn.”


“When unique voices are united in a common cause, they make history.”

“We’ll never solve the feminization of power until we solve the masculinity of wealth.”

“Empathy is the most radical of human emotions.”


"Women may be the one group which grows more radical with age."

Gloria Steinem

[Lilith7]

"Unless a reviewer has the courage to give you unqualified praise, I say ignore the bastard."

"I've seen a look in dogs' eyes, a quickly vanishing look of amazed contempt, and I am convinced that dogs think humans are nuts."

"Sir, this is a unique dog. He does not live by tooth or fang. He respects the right of cats to be cats although he doesn't admire them. He turns his steps rather than disturb an earnest caterpillar. His greatest fear is that someone will point out a rabbit and suggest that he chase it. This is a dog of peace and tranquillity."

“If by force you make a creature live & work like a beast, you must think of him as a beast, else empathy would drive you mad. Once you have classified him in your mind, your feelings are safe.
And if your heart has human vestiges of courage & anger, which in a man are virtues, then you have fear of a dangerous beast, & since your heart has intelligence & inventiveness, & the ability to conceal them, you live with terror. Then you must crush his manlike tendencies & make of him the docile beast you want. And if you can teach your child from the beginning about the beast, he will not share your bewilderment.”

John Steinbeck

[Lilith7]

'He doesn’t belong to a species clever enough to split the atom but not clever enough to live in peace with itself.’

"It seems to me that if you or I must choose between two courses of thought or action, we should remember our dying and try so to live that our death brings no pleasure on the world."

"Man is the only kind of varmint sets his own trap, baits it, then steps in it. "

"In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage."

“All war is a symptom of man's failure as a thinking animal.”

John Steinbeck