Mahavira

Founder of Jainism

Ancient influential 133 sayings

Sayings by Mahavira

The greatest wisdom is to know oneself.

Circa 6th century BCE — From the Jain scriptures (Uttaradhyayana Sutra)
Controversial Unverifiable

The soul is the only reality; the rest is illusion.

Circa 6th century BCE — From the Jain scriptures (Uttaradhyayana Sutra)
Controversial Unverifiable

The soul is neither male nor female.

Circa 6th century BCE — From the Jain scriptures (Uttaradhyayana Sutra)
Controversial Unverifiable

Attachment leads to bondage; detachment leads to liberation.

Circa 6th century BCE — From the Jain scriptures (Uttaradhyayana Sutra)
Controversial Unverifiable

The soul is eternal, but its bondage is temporary.

Circa 6th century BCE — From the Jain scriptures (Uttaradhyayana Sutra)
Controversial Unverifiable

The soul is the doer of its own deeds, and the enjoyer of its own fruits.

Circa 6th century BCE — From the Jain scriptures (Uttaradhyayana Sutra)
Controversial Unverifiable

The soul is the only reality; everything else is transient.

Circa 6th century BCE — From the Jain scriptures (Uttaradhyayana Sutra)
Controversial Unverifiable

The soul is the only thing worth knowing.

Circa 6th century BCE — From the Jain scriptures (Uttaradhyayana Sutra)
Controversial Unverifiable

The soul is the only thing that is permanent; everything else is impermanent.

Circa 6th century BCE — From the Jain scriptures (Uttaradhyayana Sutra)
Controversial Unverifiable

The soul is the only thing that is eternal; everything else is temporary.

Circa 6th century BCE — From the Jain scriptures (Uttaradhyayana Sutra)
Controversial Unverifiable

The soul is the only thing that is blissful; everything else is sorrowful.

Circa 6th century BCE — From the Jain scriptures (Uttaradhyayana Sutra)
Controversial Unverifiable

All living beings are miserable because of their own actions.

c. 6th-5th century BCE — Acaranga Sutra
Humorous Unverifiable

The greatest mistake of a man is to think that he is not a man.

c. 6th-5th century BCE — Attributed, common Jain teaching
Humorous Unverifiable

Look at the birds, how they live in the present, with no thought for the morrow.

c. 6th-5th century BCE — Attributed, common Jain teaching
Humorous Unverifiable

Every soul is pure in its origin.

c. 6th-5th century BCE — Attributed, common Jain teaching
Humorous Unverifiable

Conquer your passions and you will conquer the world.

c. 6th-5th century BCE — Attributed, common Jain teaching
Humorous Unverifiable

One who neglects the supreme art of living, which is self-knowledge, knows nothing of life.

c. 6th-5th century BCE — Attributed, common Jain teaching
Humorous Unverifiable

The soul is the same in all living creatures, although the body is different.

c. 6th-5th century BCE — Attributed, common Jain teaching
Humorous Unverifiable

Attachment and aversion are the root causes of Karma.

c. 6th-5th century BCE — Attributed, common Jain teaching
Humorous Unverifiable

What is the use of a lamp when the sun has risen?

c. 6th-5th century BCE — Attributed, common Jain teaching
Humorous Unverifiable