Pythagoras Quotations

Friends are as companions on a journey, who ought to aid each other to persevere in the road to a happier life.

As soon as laws are necessary for men, they are no longer fit for freedom.

No one is free who has not obtained the empire of himself.

It is better wither to be silent, or to say things of more value than silence. Sooner throw a pearl at hazard than an idle or useless word; and do not say a little in many words, but a great deal in a few.

As long as man continues to be the ruthless destroyer of lower living beings he will never know health or peace. For as long as men massacre animals, they will kill each other.

Do not say a little in many words but a great deal in a few.

There is geometry in the humming of the strings, there is music in the spacing of the spheres.

Choose rather to be strong of soul than strong of body.

Concern should drive us into action and not into a depression. No man is free who cannot control himself.

Rest satisfied with doing well, and leave others to talk of you as they will

There is a good principle which created order, light, and man, and an evil principle which created chaos, darkness, and woman.

The oldest, shortest words - 'yes' and 'no' - are those which require the most thought.

Do not talk a little on many subjects, but much on a few.

Above the cloud with its shadow is the star with its light. Above all things reverence thyself.

Strength of mind rests in sobriety; for this keeps your reason unclouded by passion.

The most momentous thing in human life is the art of winning the soul to good or evil.

Begin thus from the first act, and proceed; and, in conclusion, at the ill which thou hast done, be troubled, and rejoice for the good.

In anger we should refrain both from speech and action.

Do not go to bed until you have gone over the day three times in your mind. What wrong did I do? What good did I accomplish? What did I forget to do?

A fool is known by his speech; and a wise man by silence.

Numbers have a way of taking a man by the hand and leading him down the path of reason.

Souls never die, but always on quitting one abode pass to another. All things change, nothing perishes. The soul passes hither and thither, occupying now this body, now that... As a wax is stamped with certain figures, then melted, then stamped anew with others, yet it is always the same wax. So, the Soul being always the same, yet wears at different times different forms.

Animals share with us the privilege of having a soul.

We come from God. As the tree from the root and the stream from the spring; that's why we should always be in contact with Him, as the trunk from the root. Because the stream dries up when it is separated from the spring and the tree dies when is uprooted.

Silence is better than unmeaning words.

A thought is an idea in transit.

Rest satisfied with doing well, and leave others to talk of you as they please.

The experience of life in a finite, limited body is specifically for the purpose of discovering and manifesting supernatural existence.

Man know thyself; then thou shalt know the Universe and God.

Wisdom, thoroughly learned, will never be forgotten.

Learn silence. With the quiet serenity of a meditative mind, listen, absorb, transcribe, and transform.

The highest goal of music is to connect one's soul to their Divine Nature, not entertainment

The animals share with us the privilege of having a soul Alas, what wickedness to swallow flesh into our own flesh, to fatten our greedy bodies by cramming in other bodies, to have one living creature fed by the death of another! In the midst of such wealth as earth, the best of mothers, provides, yet nothing satisfies you, but to behave like the Cyclopes, inflicting sorry wounds with cruel teeth! You cannot appease the hungry cravings of your wicked, gluttonous stomachs except by destroying some other life.

It is better to be silent, than to dispute with the Ignorant.

Practice restraint over the following: appetite, first, as well as sleep, lust, and anger.

Choose always the way that seems the best, however rough it may be; custom will soon render it easy and agreeable.

Learn to be silent. Let your quiet mind listen and absorb.

Salt is born of the purest parents: the sun and the sea.

Don't try to cover your mistakes with false words. Rather, correct your mistakes with examination.

Astonishing! Everything is intelligent!

When the wise man opens his mouth, the beauties of his soul present themselves to the view, like the statues in a temple.

A man is never as big as when he is on his knees to help a child.

If you're asked: What is the silence? Respond: It is the first stone of the Wisdom's temple.

Alas, what wickedness to swallow flesh into our own flesh, to fatten our greedy bodies by cramming in other bodies, to have one living creature fed by the death of another!

Declining from the public ways, walk in unfrequented paths.

The beginning of every government starts with the education of our youth.

Educate the children and it won't be necessary to punish the men.

You should help a man to take up a burden, but you should not help him put it back down.

Repect yourself... The rest will follow.

A good Soul hath neither too great joy, nor too great sorrow: for it rejoiceth in goodness; and it sorroweth in wickedness. By the means whereof, when it beholdeth all things, and seeth the good and bad so mingled together, it can neither rejoice greatly; nor be grieved with over much sorrow.

If you have a wounded heart, touch it as little as you would an injured eye. There are only two remedies for the suffering of the soul: hope and patience.

Love that shines from within cannot be darkened by obstacles of the world of consequences!

Hate and fear breed a poison in the blood, which if continued, affects eyes, ears, nose and the organs of digestion. Therefore, it is not wise to hear and remember the unkind things others might say about you.

Truth is so great a perfection, that if God would render himself visible to men, he would choose light for his body and truth for his soul

No man is free who cannot control himself.

Number is the ruler of forms and ideas, and the cause of gods and demons.

The wise man should be prepared for everything that does not lie within his control.

Disbelieve nothing wonderful concerning the gods, nor concerning divine dogmas.

We ought so to behave to one another as to avoid making enemies of our friends, and at the same time to make friends of our enemies.

There are in woman's eyes two sorts of tears,--the one of grief, the other of deceit.

Time is the soul of this world.

Lust weakens both body and mind.

Each celestial body, in fact each and every atom, produces a particular sound on account of its movement, its rhythm or vibration. All these sounds and vibrations form a universal harmony in which each element, while having it’s own function and character, contributes to the whole.

It is required to find the infinitely big inside what's infinitely small to feel the presence of God.

Anger begins in folly, and ends in repentance.

Oh, my fellow men, do not defile your bodies with sinful foods. We have corn, we have apples bending down the branches with their weight, and grapes swelling on the vines. There are sweet-flavored herbs, and vegetables which can be cooked and softened over the fire, nor are you denied milk or thyme-scented honey. The earth affords a lavish supply of riches, of innocent foods, and offers you banquets that involve no bloodshed or slaughter; only beasts satisfy their hunger with flesh, and not even all of those, because horses, cattle, and sheep live on grass.

I would have to say the probability of us dying seems extremely high.

You should make great things, not promising great things.

Bless us, divine number, who generated gods and men. Number contains the root and source of eternally flowing creation.

Do not even think of doing what ought not to be done.

Abstain from animals.

There are men and gods, and beings like Pythagoras.

Do not despise anyone: an atom shadowing.

He who knoweth not what he ought to know, is a brute beast among men; he that knoweth no more than he hath need of, is a man among brute beasts; and he that knoweth all that may be known, is as a God among men.

most men and women, by birth or nature, lack the means to advance in wealth or power, but all have the ability to advance in knowledge.

Be silent or let thy words be worth more than silence.

Speak not nor act before thou hast reflected.

The wind is blowing. Adore the wind.

Don't disarrange my circles!

A blow from your friend is better than a kiss from your enemy.

God built the universe on numbers.

The soul of man is divided into three parts, intelligence, reason, and passion. Intelligence and passion are possessed by other animals, but reason by man alone.

Above all have respect for yourself.

The octave formed a circle and gave our noble earth its form.

When going to the temple to adore Divinity neither say nor do any thing in the interim pertaining to the common affairs of life.

None but God is wise.

Geometry is knowledge of the eternally existent.

Above all things, respect yourself.

Number rules the universe.

If there be light, then there is darkness; if cold, heat; if height, depth; if solid, fluid; if hard, soft; if rough, smooth; if calm, tempest; if prosperity, adversity; if life, death.

Reason is immortal, all else mortal.

Write in the sand the flaws of your friend.

It is only necessary to make war with five things; with the maladies of the body, the ignorances of the mind, with the passions of the body, with the seditions of the city and the discords of families.

Many words befall men, mean and noble alike; do not be astonished by them, nor allow yourself to be constrained.

Some are slaves of ambition or money, but others are interested in understanding life itself. These give themselves the name of philosophers , and they value the contemplation and discovery of nature beyond all other pursuits.

So in life, some enter the services of fame and others money, but the best choice is that of those few who spend their time in the contemplation of nature, and as lovers of wisdom.

Let a man use great reverence and manners to himself.

Dear youths, I warn you cherish peace divine, And in your hearts lay deep these words of mine.

Do not spend in excess like one who is careless of what is good, nor be miserly; the mean is best in every case.

Know thyself and thou wilt know the universe.