--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A time comes when it isn't enough to read…" description: "\"A time comes when it isn't enough to read about Buddha, we wish to have that happen to ourselves. That's when we move from the exoteric to the esoteric..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/693/frederick-lenz-8_buddhist_a-time-comes-when-it-isn-t-enough-to-rea_2922457.jpg" --- # A time comes when it isn't enough to read about Buddha, we… ![“A time comes when it isn't enough to read about Buddha, we wish to have that happen to ourselves. That's when we move from the exoteric to the esoteric, from religion to mysticism.” quote by Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/693/frederick-lenz-8_buddhist_a-time-comes-when-it-isn-t-enough-to-rea_2922457.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/693/frederick-lenz-8_buddhist_a-time-comes-when-it-isn-t-enough-to-rea_2922457.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/693/frederick-lenz-8_buddhist_a-time-comes-when-it-isn-t-enough-to-rea_2922457.jpg) > “A time comes when it isn't enough to read about Buddha, we wish to have that happen to ourselves. That's when we move from the exoteric to the esoteric, from religion to mysticism.” [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Reading about Buddha is insufficient; personal experience moves one from external teachings to inner mysticism. **In simple terms:** Experience Buddha inner learning beyond reading. Key Takeaway Engage in direct practice. Themes spirituality learning experience esotericism Mood contemplative inspirational Type spiritual motivational When to use this quote - meditation - pilgrimage - rituals - study groups Key Concepts mysticism personal growth Questions to Reflect On - What practices foster inner insight? - How to balance study and experience? A Different Perspective Direct experience can be challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Buddhist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddhist/) [Cosmology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cosmology/) [Enlightenment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enlightenment/) [Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [Esoteric](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/esoteric/) [Exoteric](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exoteric-2278222/) [Exoteric Esoteric](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exoteric-esoteric-2278220/) [Happen Exoteric](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happen-exoteric-4265417/) [Happens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happens/) [Moving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moving/) [Mysticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mysticism/) [Read Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/read-buddha-1067951/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish/) ## Related quotes > [In mystical traditions, it is one's own readiness that makes experiences exoteric or esoteric. The secret isn't that you're not being told. The secret…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/in-mystical-traditions-it-is-one-s-own-readiness-that-makes/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [I read that Buddha was able to see all of his past lives, and I realized the only way any of these people could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-alan-wolf/i-read-that-buddha-was-able-to-see-all-of-his-past-lives-and-i/) [Fred Alan Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-alan-wolf/) > [“On the exoteric level the traditions are irreconcilable. On the esoteric, experiential level of the heart reigns an eloquent, reverential silence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-franck/on-the-exoteric-level-the-traditions-are-irreconcilable-on-the/) [Frederick Franck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-franck/) > [The curious thing about the Ready-Made is that I've never been able to arrive at a definition or explanation that fully satisfies me. There's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/the-curious-thing-about-the-ready-made-is-that-i-ve-never-been-able/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [“Books of the sages of the ages reflect upon in stages; like honey their words on the tongue give due savour.” {Source: A Green…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-mc-sweeney/books-of-the-sages-of-the-ages-reflect-upon-in-stages-like-honey/) [Richard Mc Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-mc-sweeney/) > [I have my own cosmology that's kind of like an esoteric mix of a lot of different things that work for me and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/weyes-blood/i-have-my-own-cosmology-that-s-kind-of-like-an-esoteric-mix-of-a-lot/) [Weyes Blood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/weyes-blood/) > [In the esoteric teachings, a transference process takes place between teacher and student where knowledge is actually transmitted from one to the other. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/in-the-esoteric-teachings-a-transference-process-takes-place-between/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [All of the exoteric teachings are only designed to give you the type of life that will allow you to practice the esoteric teachings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/all-of-the-exoteric-teachings-are-only-designed-to-give-you-the-type/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Karma is not a cop-out. The esoteric meaning of karma is that you are who you are, because of what you have done and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/karma-is-not-a-cop-out-the-esoteric-meaning-of-karma-is-that-you-are/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [An esoteric or enlightened teacher of Buddhism is someone who has the ability to transfer power to another individual. A real empowerment is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/an-esoteric-or-enlightened-teacher-of-buddhism-is-someone-who-has-the/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Buddhism is not just going to temple, being at a ceremony and dressing up. That is the church of Buddhism. Esoteric Buddhism is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/buddhism-is-not-just-going-to-temple-being-at-a-ceremony-and-dressing/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Most teachers of self-discovery have two types of students. They have students they deal with in a more exoteric way than the esoteric students.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/most-teachers-of-self-discovery-have-two-types-of-students-they-have/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Over a period of years he collected thousands of discples. Many became his students. Many didn't become his students but whenever he was in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/over-a-period-of-years-he-collected-thousands-of-discples-many-became/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Knowledge of the Enlightenment Cycle, of the ways that inner dimensions and nirvana work, lifts you far above the transient sorrows, pains, pleasures and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/knowledge-of-the-enlightenment-cycle-of-the-ways-that-inner/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [The Buddha gave his first talks, and three or four ascetics became his first disciples. They recognized his enlightenment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-buddha-gave-his-first-talks-and-three-or-four-ascetics-became-his/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) ## More by Frederick Lenz > [There are places that are very draining. There are places where there is another dimensional crossover but to a dimension that is not powerful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/there-are-places-that-are-very-draining-there-are-places-where-there/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [You can draw power from everything in your life. In order to do that, everything has to be set up in a proper way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/you-can-draw-power-from-everything-in-your-life-in-order-to-do-that/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Everyone will admire you when you do well. What a horrible thing to do to someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/everyone-will-admire-you-when-you-do-well-what-a-horrible-thing-to-do/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Nirvana is a word that means enlightenment, being beyond the illusion of birth and death, the illusion of pain, the illusion of love, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/nirvana-is-a-word-that-means-enlightenment-being-beyond-the-illusion/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [I think the most miraculous thing is learning. I get out of the way and let the students learn. Then you get to watch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/i-think-the-most-miraculous-thing-is-learning-i-get-out-of-the-way/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [If you choose to draw from the inner well of free will, then you can make choices that are outside your current karmic patterns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/if-you-choose-to-draw-from-the-inner-well-of-free-will-then-you-can/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [A human being can only absorb a small amount of the mystical kundalini, you can be exposed again and again to it, but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/a-human-being-can-only-absorb-a-small-amount-of-the-mystical/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Enlightened people live in very charged states of attention, with a tremendous power circuiting through them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/enlightened-people-live-in-very-charged-states-of-attention-with-a/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Only alone can you go into eternity. Only alone can you feel the transcendental light. It is not a shared experience because if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/only-alone-can-you-go-into-eternity-only-alone-can-you-feel-the/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [The sound man, immune as to a sacrifice of straw dogs, faces the passing human generations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-sound-man-immune-as-to-a-sacrifice-of-straw-dogs-faces-the/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Karma means changing planes of reality or changing fields of attention. There will be perhaps a resulting physical action stemming from the change of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/karma-means-changing-planes-of-reality-or-changing-fields-of/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [You and I are both life. There's just the experience of every moment. We like to call them moments. There isn't really such a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/you-and-i-are-both-life-there-s-just-the-experience-of-every-moment/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Why waste your time being around people who drag you down? You don't live forever, at least in this life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/why-waste-your-time-being-around-people-who-drag-you-down-you-don-t/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Everybody here is so caught up in the game of life they don't see death. They don't see beyond their deaths. They are on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/everybody-here-is-so-caught-up-in-the-game-of-life-they-don-t-see/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) [Explore all 4,399 Frederick Lenz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) ## More Buddhist quotes > [One of the things I regret about not putting in that book or I think it's there but I didn't really elaborate on it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-warner/one-of-the-things-i-regret-about-not-putting-in-that-book-or-i-think/) [Brad Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-warner/) > [One of his students asked Buddha, "Are you the Messiah?" "No," answered Buddha. "Then are you a healer?" "No," Buddha replied. "Then are you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/one-of-his-students-asked-buddha-are-you-the-messiah-no-answered/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [For fear of causing terror to living beings, Mahamati, let the Bodhisattva who is disciplining himself to attain compassion, refrain from eating flesh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/for-fear-of-causing-terror-to-living-beings-mahamati-let-the/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [Be lamps unto yourselves. Be refuges unto yourselves. Take yourself no external refuge. Hold fast to the truth as a lamp. Hold fast to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/be-lamps-unto-yourselves-be-refuges-unto-yourselves-take-yourself-no/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [Humility simply means that you do a great job at everything and it isn't really a big deal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/humility-simply-means-that-you-do-a-great-job-at-everything-and-it/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Speak only the speech that neither torments self nor does harm to others. That speech is truly well spoken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/speak-only-the-speech-that-neither-torments-self-nor-does-harm-to/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [I don't look at anything. Every person whether he is Hindu, Muslim or Buddhist, he is my brother, my sister. I think we all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/i-don-t-look-at-anything-every-person-whether-he-is-hindu-muslim-or/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [My family is Jewish, Buddhist, Baptist and Catholic. I don't believe in man-made religions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whoopi-goldberg/my-family-is-jewish-buddhist-baptist-and-catholic-i-don-t-believe-in/) [Whoopi Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whoopi-goldberg/) > [I'm working at trying to be a Christian, and that's serious business. It's like trying to be a good Jew, a good Muslim, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/i-m-working-at-trying-to-be-a-christian-and-that-s-serious-business/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [Buddhist words such as compassion and emptiness don't mean much until we start cultivating our innate ability simply to be there with pain with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/buddhist-words-such-as-compassion-and-emptiness-don-t-mean-much-until/) [Pema Chodron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [“Even my Buddhist friends have been feeling despair and when they go bad, you know the end is nigh.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/even-my-buddhist-friends-have-been-feeling-despair-and-when-they-go/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [He who causes suffering shall suffer. There is no escape.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/he-who-causes-suffering-shall-suffer-there-is-no-escape/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [“When I think about what it would take to achieve freedom from all psychological stuff, the response that comes is this: life is about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-m-ingram/when-i-think-about-what-it-would-take-to-achieve-freedom-from-all/) [Daniel M. Ingram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-m-ingram/) > [If my happiness at this moment consists largely in reviewing happy memories and expectations, I am but dimly aware of this present. I shall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/if-my-happiness-at-this-moment-consists-largely-in-reviewing-happy/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) > [The Buddha gave his first talks, and three or four ascetics became his first disciples. They recognized his enlightenment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-buddha-gave-his-first-talks-and-three-or-four-ascetics-became-his/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) [Browse all 1,479 Buddhist quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddhist/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A time comes when it isn't enough to read about Buddha, we wish to have that happen to ourselves. 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