3rd century BC

Explore 52 quotes from the 3rd century BC

This noble eightfold path…right views, right aspirations, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right contemplation.

The Pali Canon

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Topic

Liberation from suffering Liberation

Source

The Pali Canon

Medium

Scripture

Genre

Religious literature

Language

Pali

Time

250 BC 250s BC 3rd century BC

Authentication Score 1

Citation

The Pali Canon. Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, verse 4.

I am all-powerful Time which destroys all things, and I have come here to slay these men. Even if thou dost not fight, all the warriors facing thee shall die.

Krishna

Bhagavad Gita

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Topic

God taking sides God

Speaker

Krishna

Source

Bhagavad Gita

Medium

Scripture

Genre

Religious literature

Language

Sanskrit

Time

200 BC 200s BC 3rd century BC

Authentication Score 1

Original Citation

Vyasa. The Bhagavad Gita. c. 200 BCE, ch. 11, v. 32.

Current Citation

Vyasa. The Bhagavad Gita, translated W. J. Johnson. Oxford University Press, 2009, ch. 11, v. 32.

A gentleman is ashamed to let his words outrun his deeds.

Confucius

Quoted in Analects

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Topic

Words vs. actions

Speaker

Confucius

Source

Analects

Genre

Philosophical literature

Language

Chinese

Time

221 BC 220s BC 3rd century BC

Authentication Score 1

Original Citation

Confucius. 論語 [The Analects]. c. 479 BCE.

Current Citation

Confucius. The Analects, edited and translated by Annping Chin. Penguin Classics, 2014.

Have no friends who are not of equal (moral) caliber.

Confucius

Quoted in Analects

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Topic

Equality in friendship Equality Friendship

Speaker

Confucius

Source

Analects

Genre

Philosophical literature

Statement Type

Advice

Language

Chinese

Time

221 BC 220s BC 3rd century BC

Authentication Score 0

Original Citation

Confucius. 論語 [The Analects]. c. 479 BCE.

Current Citation

Confucius. The Analects, edited and translated by Annping Chin. Penguin Classics, 2014.

The man of virtue makes the difficulty to be overcome his first business, and success only a subsequent consideration.

Confucius

Quoted in Analects

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Topic

Overcoming obstacles Success

Speaker

Confucius

Source

Analects

Genre

Philosophical literature

Language

Chinese

Time

221 BC 220s BC 3rd century BC

Authentication Score 0

Original Citation

Confucius. 論語 [The Analects]. c. 479 BCE.

Current Citation

Confucius. The Analects, edited and translated by Annping Chin. Penguin Classics, 2014.

If we are not yet able to serve man, how can we serve spiritual beings?... If we do not yet know about life how can we know about death?

Confucius

Quoted in Analects

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Topic

Wisdom

Speaker

Confucius

Source

Analects

Genre

Philosophical literature

Statement Type

Question

Language

Chinese

Time

221 BC 220s BC 3rd century BC

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Confucius. 論語 [The Analects]. c. 479 BCE.

Current Citation

Confucius. The Analects, edited and translated by Annping Chin. Penguin Classics, 2014.

He who will not worry about what is far off will soon find something worse than worry close at hand.

Confucius

Quoted in Analects

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Topic

Worry

Speaker

Confucius

Source

Analects

Genre

Philosophical literature

Language

Chinese

Time

221 BC 220s BC 3rd century BC

Authentication Score 1

Original Citation

Confucius. 論語 [The Analects]. c. 479 BCE.

Current Citation

Confucius. The Analects, edited and translated by Annping Chin. Penguin Classics, 2014.

The superior man understands righteousness; the inferior man understands profit.

Confucius

Quoted in Analects

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Topic

Doing the right thing Righteousness Venality

Speaker

Confucius

Source

Analects

Genre

Philosophical literature

Language

Chinese

Time

221 BC 220s BC 3rd century BC

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Confucius. 論語 [The Analects]. c. 479 BCE.

Current Citation

Confucius. The Analects, edited and translated by Annping Chin. Penguin Classics, 2014.

Does Heaven say anything? The four seasons run their course and all things are produced. Does Heaven say anything?

Confucius

Quoted in Analects

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Topic

God and man Seasons Nature

Speaker

Confucius

Source

Analects

Genre

Philosophical literature

Statement Type

Question

Language

Chinese

Time

221 BC 220s BC 3rd century BC

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Confucius. 論語 [The Analects]. c. 479 BCE.

Current Citation

Confucius. The Analects, edited and translated by Annping Chin. Penguin Classics, 2014.

In the presence of a good man, think all the time how you may learn to equal him. In the presence of a bad man, turn your gaze within.

Confucius

Quoted in Analects

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Topic

Positive influences Negative influences Self-improvement

Speaker

Confucius

Source

Analects

Genre

Philosophical literature

Statement Type

Advice

Language

Chinese

Time

221 BC 220s BC 3rd century BC

Authentication Score 0

Original Citation

Confucius. 論語 [The Analects]. c. 479 BCE.

Current Citation

Confucius. The Analects, edited and translated by Annping Chin. Penguin Classics, 2014.

A young man's duty is to behave well to his parents at home and to his elders abroad.

Confucius

Quoted in Analects

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Topic

Filial piety How to behave

Speaker

Confucius

Source

Analects

Genre

Philosophical literature

Language

Chinese

Time

221 BC 220s BC 3rd century BC

Authentication Score 1

Original Citation

Confucius. 論語 [The Analects]. c. 479 BCE.

Current Citation

Confucius. The Analects, edited and translated by Annping Chin. Penguin Classics, 2014.

What is over and done with, one does not discuss. What has already taken its course, one does not criticize; what already belongs to the past, one does not censure.

Confucius

Quoted in Analects

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Topic

Letting go of the past The past

Speaker

Confucius

Source

Analects

Genre

Philosophical literature

Language

Chinese

Time

221 BC 220s BC 3rd century BC

Authentication Score 1

Original Citation

Confucius. 論語 [The Analects]. c. 479 BCE.

Current Citation

Confucius. The Analects, edited and translated by Annping Chin. Penguin Classics, 2014.

The universe and I exist together, and all things and I are one.

Zhuang Zhou

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Topic

Interconnectedness of all things Man and the universe The universe

Author

Zhuang Zhou

Source

Zhuang Zhou

Genre

Philosophical literature

Language

Chinese

Time

221 BC 220s BC 3rd century BC

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Zhou, Zhuang. 莊子 [Zhuangzi]. c. 221 BC, ch. 2.

Invisible before birth are all beings and after death invisible again. They are seen between two unseens. Why in this truth find sorrow?

Bhagavad Gita

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Topic

Life and death Death

Source

Bhagavad Gita

Medium

Scripture

Genre

Religious literature

Language

Sanskrit

Time

200 BC 200s BC 3rd century BC

Authentication Score 1

Original Citation

Vyasa. The Bhagavad Gita. c. 200 BCE, ch. 2, v. 28.

Current Citation

Vyasa. The Bhagavad Gita, translated W. J. Johnson. Oxford University Press, 2009, ch. 2, v. 28.

As a man leaves an old garment and puts on one that is new, the spirit leaves his mortal body and puts on one that is new.

Bhagavad Gita

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Topic

Reincarnation Death

Source

Bhagavad Gita

Medium

Scripture

Genre

Religious literature

Language

Sanskrit

Time

200 BC 200s BC 3rd century BC

Authentication Score 1

Original Citation

Vyasa. The Bhagavad Gita. c. 200 BCE, ch. 2, v. 22.

Current Citation

Vyasa. The Bhagavad Gita, translated W. J. Johnson. Oxford University Press, 2009, ch. 2, v. 22.

As the Spirit of our mortal body wanders on in childhood, and youth and old age, the Spirit wanders on to a new body: of this the sage has no doubts.

Bhagavad Gita

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Topic

Reincarnation

Source

Bhagavad Gita

Medium

Scripture

Genre

Religious literature

Language

Sanskrit

Time

200 BC 200s BC 3rd century BC

Authentication Score 1

Original Citation

Vyasa. The Bhagavad Gita. c. 200 BCE, ch. 2, v. 13.

Current Citation

Vyasa. The Bhagavad Gita, translated W. J. Johnson. Oxford University Press, 2009, ch. 2, v. 13.

People suppose that words are different from the peeps of baby birds, but is there any difference, or isn't there?

Zhuangzi

More information about this quote

Topic

Man and animals Language

Author

Zhuangzi

Language

Chinese

Time

220 BC 220s BC 3rd century BC

Authentication Score 1

Citation

Zhou, Zhuang. Discussion on Making All Things Equal. c. 221 BC.

Marriage, if one will face the truth, is an evil, but a necessary evil.

Menander

More information about this quote

Topic

Marriage

Author

Menander

Medium

Fragment

Language

Greek

Time

290 BC 290s BC 3rd century BC

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Menander. Unidentified fragment 651. c. 300 BC.

In anger we should refrain from both speech and action.

Pythagoras

Quoted in The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers, by Diogenes Laërtius

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Topic

Controlling one's anger Anger

Speaker

Pythagoras

Author

Diogenes Laërtius

Source

The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers

Medium

Presocratic fragment Fragment

Genre

Philosophical literature

Language

Greek

Time

3rd century BC

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Pythagoras. Quoted in The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers, written by Diogenes Laërtius. c. 240 AD, bk. 8, ch. 1, sect. 23.

Current Citation

Pythagoras. Quoted in The Lives of Eminent Philosophers, written by Diogenes Laërtius, translated by Pamela Mensch, edited by James Miller. Oxford University Press, 2018, bk. 8, ch. 1, sect. 23.

When in recollection he withdraws all his senses from the attractions of the pleasures of sense, even as a tortoise withdraws all his limbs, then his is a serene wisdom.

Bhagavad Gita

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Topic

Temptation Desire Attachment (Buddhism)

Source

Bhagavad Gita

Medium

Scripture

Genre

Religious literature

Language

Sanskrit

Time

200 BC 200s BC 3rd century BC

Authentication Score 1

Original Citation

Vyasa. The Bhagavad Gita. c. 200 BCE, ch. 2, v. 58.

Current Citation

Vyasa. The Bhagavad Gita, translated W. J. Johnson. Oxford University Press, 2009, ch. 2, v. 58.