---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Action arising out of suffering is…"
description: "\"Action arising out of suffering is contaminated with suffering and causes further suffering, and that is karma. Action that arises out of a state of \"a..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e81/eckhart-tolle-81_acceptance_action-arising-out-of-suffering-is-conta_2782483.jpg"
---

#  Action arising out of suffering is contaminated with…

![“Action arising out of suffering is contaminated with suffering and causes further suffering, and that is karma. Action that arises out of a state of &quot;acceptance&quot; is totally free of karma. And there is a vast difference.” quote by Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e81/eckhart-tolle-81_acceptance_action-arising-out-of-suffering-is-conta_2782483.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e81/eckhart-tolle-81_acceptance_action-arising-out-of-suffering-is-conta_2782483.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e81/eckhart-tolle-81_acceptance_action-arising-out-of-suffering-is-conta_2782483.jpg)

> “Action arising out of suffering is contaminated with suffering and causes further suffering, and that is karma. Action that arises out of a state of "acceptance" is totally free of karma. And there is a vast difference.”

[Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Actions driven by suffering create more suffering, while actions from acceptance are free of karmic consequences.

**In simple terms:** Act from acceptance, not suffering.

Key Takeaway

Choose mindful, compassionate actions.

Themes

mindfulness karma acceptance compassion personal responsibility

Mood

calm thoughtful centered

Type

philosophical spiritual practical

When to use this quote

- conflict resolution
- stress management
- relationship building
- decision making
- self‑reflection

Key Concepts

spirituality psychology ethics

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you recognize true acceptance?
- What steps help you act without attachment?

A Different Perspective

Even acceptance‑based actions can be misinterpreted or cause unintended harm.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Acceptance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptance/) [Action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action/) [Arise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arise/) [Arising Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arising-suffering-3321031/) [Causes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/causes/) [Differences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/differences/) [Karma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/karma/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [Suffering Causes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering-causes-1455392/) [Suffering Karma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering-karma-278312/)

## Related quotes

> [“Aropit bhaav (the belief ‘I am Chandubhai’) is karma and suffering is karma-effect. Aropit bhaav (the belief ‘I am Chandubhai’) indeed is called the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/aropit-bhaav-the-belief-i-am-chandubhai-is-karma-and-suffering-is/)

[Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/)

> [Every single unfortunate thing that happens, including, for instance, the murder of my parents, I am responsible for. I am responsible for being the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-duffy/every-single-unfortunate-thing-that-happens-including-for-instance/)

[Patrick Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-duffy/)

> [We are suffering from our own Karma. It is not the fault of God. What we do is our own fault, nothing else. Why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/we-are-suffering-from-our-own-karma-it-is-not-the-fault-of-god-what/)

[Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/)

> [Understand suffering is a part of my karma, otherwise you will spoil your future karma also.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/radhanath-swami/understand-suffering-is-a-part-of-my-karma-otherwise-you-will-spoil/)

[Radhanath Swami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/radhanath-swami/)

> [“In humanism, murder is bad not because of a commandment against it, but because of the terrible suffering it causes the victim’s loved ones.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gbf-summary/in-humanism-murder-is-bad-not-because-of-a-commandment-against-it-but/)

[GBF Summary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gbf-summary/)

> [Love does not cause suffering: what causes it is the sense of ownership, which is loves opposite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/love-does-not-cause-suffering-what-causes-it-is-the-sense-of-2/)

[Antoine De Saint-Exupéry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/)

> [“By the time you experience pain and suffering,g the causes have been with you for some time. That's because energy enters through our spiritual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-carrigan/by-the-time-you-experience-pain-and-suffering-g-the-causes-have-been/)

[Catherine Carrigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-carrigan/)

> [Love does not cause suffering: what causes it is the sense of ownership, which is love's opposite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/love-does-not-cause-suffering-what-causes-it-is-the-sense-of/)

[Antoine de Saint-Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/)

> [Confuse not love with the raptures of possession, which bring the cruellest of sufferings. For, notwithstanding the general opinion, love does not cause suffering:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/confuse-not-love-with-the-raptures-of-possession-which-bring-the/)

[Antoine de Saint-Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/)

> [It is ignorance that smothers, and it is carelessness that makes it invisible. The hunger of craving pollutes the world, and the pain of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/it-is-ignorance-that-smothers-and-it-is-carelessness-that-makes-it/)

[Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/)

> [To my mind, there are two things that, in life, you can do about death. Either you can choose to ignore it, in which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/to-my-mind-there-are-two-things-that-in-life-you-can-do-about-death/)

[Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/)

> [When you accept what is, you are grateful for whatever situation arises,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/when-you-accept-what-is-you-are-grateful-for-whatever-situation-arises/)

[Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/)

> [When you are in the present moment, you break the continuity of your story, of past and future. Then true intelligence arises, and also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/when-you-are-in-the-present-moment-you-break-the-continuity-of-your/)

[Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/)

> [Every addiction arises from an unconscious refusal to face and move through your own pain. Every addiction starts with pain and ends with pain.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/every-addiction-arises-from-an-unconscious-refusal-to-face-and-move/)

[Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/)

> [Whenever you step out of the noise of thinking, that is meditation, and a different state of consciousness arises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/whenever-you-step-out-of-the-noise-of-thinking-that-is-meditation-and/)

[Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/)

## More by Eckhart Tolle

> [“The voice in the head that never stops speaking becomes a civilization that is obsessed with form and therefore knows nothing of the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/the-voice-in-the-head-that-never-stops-speaking-becomes-a/)

[Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/)

> [Thinking, or more precisely identification with thinking, gives rise to and maintains the ego, which, in our Western society in particular, is out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/thinking-or-more-precisely-identification-with-thinking-gives-rise-to/)

[Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/)

> [“A powerful spiritual practice is consciously to allow the diminishment of ego when it happens without attempting to restore it. I recommend that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/a-powerful-spiritual-practice-is-consciously-to-allow-the/)

[Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/)

> [To become aware of the subtlety of nature you need to be alert. The moment you become alert you become still... thinking subsides. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/to-become-aware-of-the-subtlety-of-nature-you-need-to-be-alert-the/)

[Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/)

> [When you are not honoring the present moment by allowing it to be, you are creating drama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/when-you-are-not-honoring-the-present-moment-by-allowing-it-to-be-you/)

[Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/)

> [On a deeper level you are already complete. When you realize that, there is a joyous energy behind what you do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/on-a-deeper-level-you-are-already-complete-when-you-realize-that/)

[Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/)

> [Life will give you whatever experience is most helpful for the evolution of your consciousness. How do you know this is the experience you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/life-will-give-you-whatever-experience-is-most-helpful-for-the/)

[Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/)

> [You may not yet be able to bring your unconscious mind activity into awareness as thoughts, but it will always be reflected in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/you-may-not-yet-be-able-to-bring-your-unconscious-mind-activity-into/)

[Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/)

> [“War is a mind-set, and all action that comes out of such a mind-set will either strengthen the enemy, the perceived evil, or, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/war-is-a-mind-set-and-all-action-that-comes-out-of-such-a-mind-set/)

[Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/)

> [Whenever you step out of the noise of thinking, that is meditation, and a different state of consciousness arises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/whenever-you-step-out-of-the-noise-of-thinking-that-is-meditation-and/)

[Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/)

> [Get the inside right, and the outside will take care of itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/get-the-inside-right-and-the-outside-will-take-care-of-itself/)

[Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/)

> [It is very hard to tell when I started to be a spiritual teacher. There was a time when occasionally somebody would come and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/it-is-very-hard-to-tell-when-i-started-to-be-a-spiritual-teacher/)

[Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/)

> [Most people spend their entire life imprisoned within the confines of their own thoughts. They never go beyond a narrow, mind-made, personalized sense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/most-people-spend-their-entire-life-imprisoned-within-the-confines-of/)

[Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/)

> [Let the end of the world be inside you, then you don't need to fear the end of the world out there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/let-the-end-of-the-world-be-inside-you-then-you-don-t-need-to-fear/)

[Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/)

> [“Jeste li zabrinuti? Razmišljate li često: »Što bi bilo da sam...?« To znači da ste se poistovjetili s umom, koji se projicira u neku…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/jeste-li-zabrinuti-razmi-ljate-li-esto-to-bi-bilo-da-sam-to-zna-i-da/)

[Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/)

[Explore all 1,493 Eckhart Tolle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/)

## More Acceptance quotes

> [We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks. Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/we-only-enter-into-the-full-life-if-our-faith-gives-thanks-because/)

[Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/)

> [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/)

[Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/)

> [Losing someone is easy, but accepting it is hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/losing-someone-is-easy-but-accepting-it-is-hard/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [When one fib becomes due as it were, you must forge another to take up the old acceptance; and so the stock of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/when-one-fib-becomes-due-as-it-were-you-must-forge-another-to-take-up/)

[William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/)

> [Acceptance of death when it arrives is one thing, but to allow it to upstage the joys of living is ingratitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-blythe/acceptance-of-death-when-it-arrives-is-one-thing-but-to-allow-it-to/)

[Ronald Blythe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-blythe/)

> [“Loving someone who does not love you back hurts, alot, i know. It is liking seeing these pair of shoes at the retail store…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nomthandazo-tsembeni/loving-someone-who-does-not-love-you-back-hurts-alot-i-know-it-is/)

[Nomthandazo Tsembeni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nomthandazo-tsembeni/)

> [Take responsibily for your past, the bad memories of poor decisions you took were your choices once, and you liked them for the moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aruho-marvin/take-responsibily-for-your-past-the-bad-memories-of-poor-decisions/)

[Aruho Marvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aruho-marvin/)

> [Let us learn to accept and appreciate things now, and we'll find more happiness in every moment we live. Happiness comes when we stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/let-us-learn-to-accept-and-appreciate-things-now-and-we-ll-find-more/)

[Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/)

> [“Love first; ask questions later.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-courtney/love-first-ask-questions-later/)

[Jeremy Courtney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-courtney/)

> [“There was beauty in chaos, she'd just never known it before.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-linsmeier/there-was-beauty-in-chaos-she-d-just-never-known-it-before/)

[Amanda Linsmeier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-linsmeier/)

> [Accepting the challenges in life makes it interesting and overcoming them makes it eloquent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/accepting-the-challenges-in-life-makes-it-interesting-and-overcoming/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Acceptance is the only thing you should teach. Be it Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Dalit, you must inculcate acceptance, not tolerance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamal-haasan/acceptance-is-the-only-thing-you-should-teach-be-it-christian-muslim/)

[Kamal Haasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamal-haasan/)

> [There just seems to be more acceptance now of other kinds of British films, than the picture-postcard ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-roth/there-just-seems-to-be-more-acceptance-now-of-other-kinds-of-british/)

[Tim Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-roth/)

> [You should never hate anyone, even your worst enemies. Everyone has something good about them. You have to find the redeeming quality and love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/you-should-never-hate-anyone-even-your-worst-enemies-everyone-has/)

[Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/)

> [The sense that in this universe we are treated as strangers, the longing to be acknowledged, to meet with some response, to bridge some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-sense-that-in-this-universe-we-are-treated-as-strangers-the/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

[Browse all 3,960 Acceptance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptance/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Action arising out of suffering is contaminated with suffering and causes further suffering, and that is karma. Action that arises out of a state of \"acceptance\" is totally free of karma. And there is a vast difference.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Eckhart Tolle"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/action-arising-out-of-suffering-is-contaminated-with-suffering-and/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Acceptance"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/action-arising-out-of-suffering-is-contaminated-with-suffering-and/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e81/eckhart-tolle-81_acceptance_action-arising-out-of-suffering-is-conta_2782483.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e81/eckhart-tolle-81_acceptance_action-arising-out-of-suffering-is-conta_2782483.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e81/eckhart-tolle-81_acceptance_action-arising-out-of-suffering-is-conta_2782483.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Action arising out of suffering is contaminated with suffering and causes further suffering, and that is…” — Eckhart Tolle",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Eckhart Tolle",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Action arising out of suffering is...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/action-arising-out-of-suffering-is-contaminated-with-suffering-and/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/action-arising-out-of-suffering-is-contaminated-with-suffering-and/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
