--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Buddha taught that we should not merely…" description: "\"“Buddha taught that we should not merely not be evil, but that we should be positively good.”\" — Henry Steel Olcott" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e6/henry-steel-olcott-53981_buddha_buddha-taught-that-we-should-not-merely_721819.jpg" --- # Buddha taught that we should not merely not be evil, but… ![“Buddha taught that we should not merely not be evil, but that we should be positively good.” quote by Henry Steel Olcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e6/henry-steel-olcott-53981_buddha_buddha-taught-that-we-should-not-merely_721819.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e6/henry-steel-olcott-53981_buddha_buddha-taught-that-we-should-not-merely_721819.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e6/henry-steel-olcott-53981_buddha_buddha-taught-that-we-should-not-merely_721819.jpg) > ““Buddha taught that we should not merely not be evil, but that we should be positively good.”” [Henry Steel Olcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-steel-olcott/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Being good is an active pursuit, not just avoiding evil; it calls for positive, constructive behavior. **In simple terms:** Being good is more than not being bad. Key Takeaway Actively practice kindness. Themes morality virtue action Mood inspirational ethical Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - daily interactions - community service - personal growth Key Concepts ethics spirituality Questions to Reflect On - What does “positively good” mean to you? - How can you cultivate good actions? A Different Perspective Goodness can be hard to define universally. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddha/) [Buddhism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddhism/) [Enlightenment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enlightenment/) ## Related quotes > [“There are only two mistakes on the way to truth,” the Buddha taught. “One is not going far enough and the other is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-are-only-two-mistakes-on-the-way-to-truth-the-buddha-taught-one/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Mindfulness, the aware, balanced acceptance of present experience, is at the heart of what the Buddha taught.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-boorstein/mindfulness-the-aware-balanced-acceptance-of-present-experience-is-at-2/) [Sylvia Boorstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-boorstein/) > [“The Buddha taught that most problems - if only you give them enough time and space - will eventually wear themselves out.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/the-buddha-taught-that-most-problems-if-only-you-give-them-enough/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [The Buddha taught that we're not actually in control, which is a pretty scary idea. But when you let things be as they are,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/the-buddha-taught-that-we-re-not-actually-in-control-which-is-a/) [Pema Chodron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [The Buddha never taught a sectarian religion; he taught Dhamma - the way to liberation - which is universal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-n-goenka/the-buddha-never-taught-a-sectarian-religion-he-taught-dhamma-the-way/) [S. N. Goenka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-n-goenka/) > [Education was not about consumption, but about contentment with less and less. This is what Buddha taught and this is what the Vedas say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonam-wangchuk/education-was-not-about-consumption-but-about-contentment-with-less/) [Sonam Wangchuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonam-wangchuk/) > [When ever Buddhism has taken root in a new land, there has been a certain variation in the style in which it is observed.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/when-ever-buddhism-has-taken-root-in-a-new-land-there-has-been-a/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [Buddha himself taught different teachings to different people under different circumstances. For some people, there are beliefs based on a Creator. 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A noncombative response, the Buddha…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-boorstein/i-understood-that-the-teacher-was-not-eing-dismissive-that-the/) [Sylvia Boorstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-boorstein/) > [Buddha taught kindness towards lower beings; and since then there has not been a sect in India that has not taught charity to all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/buddha-taught-kindness-towards-lower-beings-and-since-then-there-has/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [The Buddha taught complete honesty, with the extra instruction that everything a person says should be truthful and helpful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-boorstein/the-buddha-taught-complete-honesty-with-the-extra-instruction-that/) [Sylvia Boorstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-boorstein/) > [The Buddha taught three cycles of teachings. His first cycle of teachings cover the basics, the prerequisites. This would include the Dharmapada.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-buddha-taught-three-cycles-of-teachings-his-first-cycle-of/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“Rituals, ceremonies, prayers, and special outfits are inevitable, but they do not—they cannot—express the heart of what the Buddha taught. In fact, all too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hagen/rituals-ceremonies-prayers-and-special-outfits-are-inevitable-but/) [Steve Hagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hagen/) ## More by Henry Steel Olcott > [“Hindrances? A. Greed, Malice, Sloth, Pride, and Doubt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-steel-olcott/hindrances-a-greed-malice-sloth-pride-and-doubt/) [Henry Steel Olcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-steel-olcott/) > [“Q. Was the Buddha God? A. No. Buddha Dharma teaches no "divine" incarnation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-steel-olcott/q-was-the-buddha-god-a-no-buddha-dharma-teaches-no-divine-incarnation/) [Henry Steel Olcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-steel-olcott/) > [ “THE LIFE OF THE BUDDHA 1. Question. Of what religion\[1\] are you? Answer. The Buddhist. 2. Q. What is Buddhism? A. It is a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-steel-olcott/the-life-of-the-buddha-1-question-of-what-religion-1-are-you-answer/) [Henry Steel Olcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-steel-olcott/) > [“A. The eight parts of this path are called angas. They are: 1. Right Belief (as to the law of Causation, or Karma); 2.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-steel-olcott/a-the-eight-parts-of-this-path-are-called-angas-they-are-1-right/) [Henry Steel Olcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-steel-olcott/) > [“I taught you not to believe merely because you have heard, but when you believed of your own consciousness, then to act accordingly and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-steel-olcott/i-taught-you-not-to-believe-merely-because-you-have-heard-but-when/) [Henry Steel Olcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-steel-olcott/) [Explore all 6 Henry Steel Olcott quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-steel-olcott/) ## More Buddha quotes > [Of course the Dharma-body of the Buddha was the hedge at the bottom of the garden. 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I read 'Confession of a Buddhist Atheist' by Stephen Batchelor and Karen Armstrong's biography of Buddha, which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-o-hare/i-went-on-a-buddha-jag-i-read-confession-of-a-buddhist-atheist-by/) [Denis O'Hare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-o-hare/) > [The Buddha, the Godhead, resides quite as comfortably in the circuits of a digital computer or the gears of a cycle transmission as he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-pirsig/the-buddha-the-godhead-resides-quite-as-comfortably-in-the-circuits/) [Robert M. Pirsig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-pirsig/) > [Why don't the names of Buddha, Mohammed, Confucius offend people? The reason is that these others didn't claim to be God, but Jesus did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdowell/why-don-t-the-names-of-buddha-mohammed-confucius-offend-people-the/) [Josh McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdowell/) > [When people suffer, their relationships usually suffer as well. Period. And we all suffer because, as the Buddha says, that's the nature of being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-karr/when-people-suffer-their-relationships-usually-suffer-as-well-period/) [Mary Karr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-karr/) > [The real power of the Buddha was that he had so much love. He saw people trapped in their notions of small separate self,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/the-real-power-of-the-buddha-was-that-he-had-so-much-love-he-saw/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) > [“Then Maitreya Bodhisattva thought: “Now the World-Honored One has displayed a marvelous sign. 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Our ego's false perceptions led us to grow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-bernstein/inside-we-are-all-golden-buddha-s-but-we-grew-to-believe-we-were-made/) [Gabrielle Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-bernstein/) > [The mind is the Buddha, and the Buddha is the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bodhidharma/the-mind-is-the-buddha-and-the-buddha-is-the-mind/) [Bodhidharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bodhidharma/) > [“In the eyes of Buddha, there are no evil people, only people who don't yet have light in their hearts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lijia-zhang/in-the-eyes-of-buddha-there-are-no-evil-people-only-people-who-don-t/) Lijia Zhang > [I hold that all the Teachers of the world have attained that Life which is the fulfilment of life. Hence, whenever anyone enters that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/i-hold-that-all-the-teachers-of-the-world-have-attained-that-life/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) [Browse all 411 Buddha quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddha/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Buddha taught that we should not merely not be evil, but that we should be positively good.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry Steel Olcott" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-steel-olcott/buddha-taught-that-we-should-not-merely-not-be-evil-but-that-we/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Buddha" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-steel-olcott/buddha-taught-that-we-should-not-merely-not-be-evil-but-that-we/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e6/henry-steel-olcott-53981_buddha_buddha-taught-that-we-should-not-merely_721819.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e6/henry-steel-olcott-53981_buddha_buddha-taught-that-we-should-not-merely_721819.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e6/henry-steel-olcott-53981_buddha_buddha-taught-that-we-should-not-merely_721819.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Buddha taught that we should not merely not be evil, but that we should be positively good.” — Henry Steel Olcott", "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": "Henry Steel Olcott", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-steel-olcott/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Buddha taught that we should not...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-steel-olcott/buddha-taught-that-we-should-not-merely-not-be-evil-but-that-we/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-steel-olcott/buddha-taught-that-we-should-not-merely-not-be-evil-but-that-we/#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 } } ] } ```