--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are wars, there's pestilence, there…" description: "\"There are wars, there's pestilence, there are plagues, there is corruption in religious circles, corruption in the government, when was it not?\" — Tenz..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe1/tenzin-palmo-1431_circles_there-are-wars-there-s-pestilence-there_153346.png" --- # There are wars, there's pestilence, there are plagues… ![“There are wars, there's pestilence, there are plagues, there is corruption in religious circles, corruption in the government, when was it not?” quote by Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe1/tenzin-palmo-1431_circles_there-are-wars-there-s-pestilence-there_153346.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe1/tenzin-palmo-1431_circles_there-are-wars-there-s-pestilence-there_153346.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe1/tenzin-palmo-1431_circles_there-are-wars-there-s-pestilence-there_153346.png) > “There are wars, there's pestilence, there are plagues, there is corruption in religious circles, corruption in the government, when was it not?” [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human history is marked by pervasive suffering and corruption across institutions, suggesting an endless cycle of turmoil. **In simple terms:** War, disease, and corruption repeat. Key Takeaway Recognize patterns of systemic suffering. Themes war disease corruption religion government history Mood somber critical Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - political discourse - social activism - historical study - spiritual reflection Key Concepts systemic critique ethical analysis Questions to Reflect On - How can we break cycles of corruption? - What role does compassion play in societal healing? A Different Perspective Optimism may overlook progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Circles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/circles/) [Corruption](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corruption/) [Corruption Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corruption-government/) [Corruption Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corruption-religious-1700667/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Pestilence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pestilence/) [Pestilence Plagues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pestilence-plagues-1700666/) [Plague](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plague/) [Plagues Corruption](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plagues-corruption-1700664/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Wars Pestilence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wars-pestilence-1700665/) ## Related quotes > [Let us be separated by wars and pestilence, death, madness but not by the passing of time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/let-us-be-separated-by-wars-and-pestilence-death-madness-but-not-by/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) > [“↑ top up position down ↓ bottom “The corruption of religious leaders, who were expected to be the source of spiritual force and regeneration,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fazlur-rahman/top-up-position-down-bottom-the-corruption-of-religious-leaders-who/) [Fazlur Rahman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fazlur-rahman/) > [“The corruption of religious leaders, who were expected to be the source of spiritual force and regeneration, is the last step in the of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fazlur-rahman/the-corruption-of-religious-leaders-who-were-expected-to-be-the/) [Fazlur Rahman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fazlur-rahman/) > [It's very simple. If the American people care about a lot of things including corruption in government, then, in fact, if you use the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darrell-issa/it-s-very-simple-if-the-american-people-care-about-a-lot-of-things/) [Darrell Issa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darrell-issa/) > [To oppose corruption in government is the highest obligation of patriotism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-edward-griffin/to-oppose-corruption-in-government-is-the-highest-obligation-of/) [G. Edward Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-edward-griffin/) > [The time has come to tell the truth about the corruption of the government employee unions in this country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/the-time-has-come-to-tell-the-truth-about-the-corruption-of-the/) [Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/) > [Government Picking Winners and Losers = Corruption. When government tries to pick winners and losers, the inevitable consequence is corruption. Yes, corruption. If not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-johnson/government-picking-winners-and-losers-corruption-when-government/) [Gary Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-johnson/) > [Corruption is government intrusion into market efficiencies in the form of regulations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/corruption-is-government-intrusion-into-market-efficiencies-in-the/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [The state is obliged to fight corruption within the government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enrique-pena-nieto/the-state-is-obliged-to-fight-corruption-within-the-government/) [Enrique Pena Nieto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enrique-pena-nieto/) > [Corruption in government is an overwhelming problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-fitton/corruption-in-government-is-an-overwhelming-problem/) [Tom Fitton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-fitton/) > [Luxury, or a refinement on the pleasures and conveniences of life, had long been supposed the source of every corruption in government, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/luxury-or-a-refinement-on-the-pleasures-and-conveniences-of-life-had/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [New York voters agree on this: There is too much corruption in government - federal, state, and local.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-long/new-york-voters-agree-on-this-there-is-too-much-corruption-in/) [Wendy Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-long/) > [Why does corruption in government always surprise us? Why do we expect anything else from it? Government is organized force. It takes our wealth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-sobran/why-does-corruption-in-government-always-surprise-us-why-do-we-expect/) [Joseph Sobran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-sobran/) > [The real cost of corruption in government, whether it is local, state, or federal, is a loss of the public trust.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-quigley/the-real-cost-of-corruption-in-government-whether-it-is-local-state/) [Mike Quigley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-quigley/) > [We see the corrupt prison system, we see the corrupt police system, we see the corruption in the government, from the top on down.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-chong/we-see-the-corrupt-prison-system-we-see-the-corrupt-police-system-we/) [Tommy Chong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-chong/) ## More by Tenzin Palmo > [All of us are playing roles, and there's nothing wrong with playing roles because we have to live in this world - the problem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/all-of-us-are-playing-roles-and-there-s-nothing-wrong-with-playing/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [The very best players, when they are practicing, put everything they've got into it. But then they leave it for a while. And it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/the-very-best-players-when-they-are-practicing-put-everything-they-ve/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [I really don't know what I could teach and don't really plan to teach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/i-really-don-t-know-what-i-could-teach-and-don-t-really-plan-to-teach/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [If you go to any nunnery and ask them what the main obstacle is, they'll always say low self-esteem and lack of confidence. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/if-you-go-to-any-nunnery-and-ask-them-what-the-main-obstacle-is-they/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [To really be of benefit to others as the Buddha always taught, we ourselves must first get out of the swamp. One of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/to-really-be-of-benefit-to-others-as-the-buddha-always-taught-we/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [For any practice to work, the mind which is meditating on the object must merge. Often they are facing each other. One has to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/for-any-practice-to-work-the-mind-which-is-meditating-on-the-object/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [I've often said that the seventh paramita should be a sense of humor, so we don't take ourselves too seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/i-ve-often-said-that-the-seventh-paramita-should-be-a-sense-of-humor/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [If you take the time to study how to be a doctor and how to use your scalpel and your medicine, then there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/if-you-take-the-time-to-study-how-to-be-a-doctor-and-how-to-use-your/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [If we want to be musicians, dancers or sportspeople, we can download a certain amount and watch DVDs and read books, but in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/if-we-want-to-be-musicians-dancers-or-sportspeople-we-can-download-a/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [Realization is wonderful, but you have to expand it until there's not a single defilement left in the mind and the mind is completely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/realization-is-wonderful-but-you-have-to-expand-it-until-there-s-not/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [It's not a matter of how much you know or can define, or how many millions of mantras or thousands of prostrations you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/it-s-not-a-matter-of-how-much-you-know-or-can-define-or-how-many/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [We have compassion because of the incredible pain and suffering which we as unenlightened beings cause to ourselves and all others through our ignorance.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/we-have-compassion-because-of-the-incredible-pain-and-suffering-which/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [When I look back I can think that of course I've been lazy and haven't practiced as much as I could have and have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/when-i-look-back-i-can-think-that-of-course-i-ve-been-lazy-and-haven/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [We do have the precious opportunity of this human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/we-do-have-the-precious-opportunity-of-this-human-life/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [I think the problem with Western students is they're very ambitious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/i-think-the-problem-with-western-students-is-they-re-very-ambitious/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) [Explore all 242 Tenzin Palmo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) ## More Circles quotes > [In some circles where very heavy people think they have very heavy brains, words like "charming" and "clever" and "pretty" are all put-downs; all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-warhol/in-some-circles-where-very-heavy-people-think-they-have-very-heavy/) [Andy Warhol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-warhol/) > [Alone in a world, With millions of souls Walking in circles Trapped in their dreams unhealthy, unclean walking in circles, now do not disturb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-bennington/alone-in-a-world-with-millions-of-souls-walking-in-circles-trapped-in/) [Chester Bennington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-bennington/) > [Gambling has held human beings in thrall for millennia. It has been engaged in everywhere, from the dregs of society to the most respectable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-l-bernstein/gambling-has-held-human-beings-in-thrall-for-millennia-it-has-been/) [Peter L. Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-l-bernstein/) > [And the seasons they go 'round and 'round And the painted ponies go up and down We're captive on the carousel of time We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/and-the-seasons-they-go-round-and-round-and-the-painted-ponies-go-up/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [If, for instance, they have heard something from the postman, they attribute it to a semi-official statement; if they have fallen into conversation with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-waugh/if-for-instance-they-have-heard-something-from-the-postman-they/) [Evelyn Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-waugh/) > [Maybe this is a way of gaslighting myself, but I think of it this way: In certain circles, my grandpa was considered to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-kazan/maybe-this-is-a-way-of-gaslighting-myself-but-i-think-of-it-this-way/) [Zoe Kazan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-kazan/) > [All my life's a circle; But I can't tell you why; Season's spinning round again; The years keep rollin' by.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-chapin/all-my-life-s-a-circle-but-i-can-t-tell-you-why-season-s-spinning/) [Harry Chapin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-chapin/) > [There's when a phrase circles in my head in a number of ways for any number of days, weeks, or months, and then that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-mangan/there-s-when-a-phrase-circles-in-my-head-in-a-number-of-ways-for-any/) [Dan Mangan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-mangan/) > [I have no name for what circles so perfectly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/i-have-no-name-for-what-circles-so-perfectly/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [It's important to recognize that expanding the circle of opportunity and increasing the democratic potential of our own society, as well as those across…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/it-s-important-to-recognize-that-expanding-the-circle-of-opportunity/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [The fight against syphilis demands a fight against prostitution, against prejudices, old habits, against previous conceptions, general views among them not least the false…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/the-fight-against-syphilis-demands-a-fight-against-prostitution/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [Tell them you came, and saw, and looked into my eyes and saw the shadow of the guard receding. 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Guys would drink and fight one another like circle saws.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-armstrong/the-brick-house-was-one-of-the-toughest-joints-i-ever-played-in-guys/) [Louis Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-armstrong/) [Browse all 1,860 Circles quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/circles/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There are wars, there's pestilence, there are plagues, there is corruption in religious circles, corruption in the government, when was it not?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tenzin Palmo" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/there-are-wars-there-s-pestilence-there-are-plagues-there-is/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Circles" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/there-are-wars-there-s-pestilence-there-are-plagues-there-is/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe1/tenzin-palmo-1431_circles_there-are-wars-there-s-pestilence-there_153346.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe1/tenzin-palmo-1431_circles_there-are-wars-there-s-pestilence-there_153346.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe1/tenzin-palmo-1431_circles_there-are-wars-there-s-pestilence-there_153346.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There are wars, there's pestilence, there are plagues, there is corruption in religious circles, corruption…” — Tenzin Palmo", "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": "Tenzin Palmo", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There are wars, there's pestilence, there...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/there-are-wars-there-s-pestilence-there-are-plagues-there-is/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/there-are-wars-there-s-pestilence-there-are-plagues-there-is/#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 } } ] } ```