On May 3, 2012, at 4:17 AM, Jundo Cohen wrote:
Name: Jundo Cohen
Email: Jundo … .com
Subject: Fake Buddha Quote
Message: Hello,
I have another quote floating around the internet that strikes me as
something the Buddha wouldn’t be caught dead saying …Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn’t learn a lot today,
at least we learned a little, and if we didn’t learn a little, at
least we didn’t get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn’t
die; so, let us be thankful.
-The Buddha
You’re absolutely right, Jundo. This is not the kind of language or idiom that the Buddha used.
The original source is Leo Buscaglia’s 1992 book, “Born for Love: Reflections on Loving,” where he writes:
‘Years ago I had a Buddhist teacher in Thailand who would remind all his students that there was always something to be thankful for. He’d say, “Let’s rise and be thankful, for if we didn’t learn a lot today, at least we may have learned a little. And if we didn’t learn even a little, at least we didn’t get sick. And if we did get sick, at least we didn’t die. So let us all be thankful.’ (page 102)
I’m actually a little dubious that a Thai monk would use the idiom “rise up and be thankful” — “rise up” in what sense? — but it’s good to have a source.
All the best,
Bodhipaksa
