Martin Buber Quotes

One lives with so many bad deeds on one's conscience and some good intentions in one's heart.

There is only one way to achieve happiness on this terrestrial ball, and that is to have either a clear conscience or none at all.

Begin thus from the first act, and proceed; and, in conclusion, at the ill which thou hast done, be troubled, and rejoice for the good.

It's hard to regret making the choice that you think is right.

As much wrong as I did in life and as many people as I hurt, I can say that God never stopped talking to me. I just stopped listening.

Every night before I turn out the lights to sleep, I ask myself this question: Have I done everything that I can.... Have I done enough?

I have done so many things in my life," she said to the mirror. "Evil things, perhaps. But never unattentively, never wastefully...was I wrong?

The hardest thing usually to leave behind, as was the case now, can loosely be called the conscience.

Remember the man who truly repents is never satisfied with his own repentance.

He had been driven hither by the impulse of that Remorse which dogged him everywhere, and whose own sister and closely linked companion was that Cowardice which invariably drew him back, with her tremulous gripe, just when the other impulse had hurried him to the verge of a disclosure.

Are you winning the battle against materialism?

I've always made a point of not wasting my life, and every time I come back here I know that all I've done is to waste my life.

As though prayer could simply pluck sin out. But any woman knows that a thread, once woven, is fixed in place; the only way to smooth a mistake is to let it all unravel.

Temptation can be tormenting, but remember: The torment of temptation to sin is nothing to compare with the torment of the consequences of sin. Remorse and regret cannot compensate for sin....though sins can be forgiven immediately - the consequences can last a lifetime

The urging of that word, judgment, hath bred a kind of remorse in me.

The most miserable pettifogging in the world is that of a man in the court of his own consciences.

How disappointing would it be get to heaven and find out God created life to be enjoyed while all we did was worry?

We do the best we can," she said softly, looking inward. "And punish ourselves for it. I've tried to make my choices with the idea that I've made those choices for the greatest good. Sometimes someone suffers in the process, but I made the decision for the right reason. That should count for something, shouldn't it?

I nod, because I do understand. I'm just not sure how to go about divorcing myself from the evil I've already accepted.

Since I have introduced this term I had always a bad conscience. . . . I cannot help to feel it strongly and I am unable to believe that such an ugly thing should be realized in nature.

There’s got to be something wrong with us. To do what we did.

Well, I'll repent, and that suddenly, while I am in some liking; I shall be out of heart shortly, and then I shall have no strength to repent.

Only in prayer can we learn to love God with all our heart, mind and soul.

And we could all sit around and wonder and feel bad about each other and blame a lot of people for what they did or didn’t do or what they didn’t know. I don’t know. I guess there would always be someone to blame.