Quotes: Simplicity
Simplicity is shown here as both an aesthetic ideal and a lived discipline. Leonardo da Vinci points to a refined essentiality, while Paramahansa Yogananda ties simplicity to stepping away from draining worldly routines and to cultivating inner joy.
The selection sets up a question: is simplicity chiefly about elegant reduction or about steady spiritual practice? These quotes ask you to slow down, inhabit the present, and learn the practices that make contentment immediate rather than deferred.
3 quotes on this theme, each with its source and insight
The quotes
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
Source: no specific work is documented · Check the source
MisattributedWhat we know
- What is documented
- Scholars find no evidence of the sentence in Leonardo's notebooks; textual investigations trace the wording to 20th-century publications.
- What remains uncertain
- The quotation is considered apocryphal: it likely arose in the 20th century and was later attached to Leonardo because it fit his image.
The line captures an aesthetic truth: the most polished result often comes from removing what isn't needed. It's widely credited to Leonardo da Vinci because it suits his reputation for elegant engineering, but researchers find no trace of the sentence in his surviving notebooks. The quote is a later homage to his style, not a documented Leonardo sentence.
“It is not your passing thoughts or brilliant ideas so much as your plain everyday habits that control your life.... Live simply. Don’t get caught in the machine of the world—it is too exacting. By the time you get what you are seeking your nerves are gone, the heart is damaged, and the bones are aching. Resolve to develop your spiritual powers more earnestly from now on. Learn the art of right living. If you have joy you have everything, so learn to be glad and contented.... Have happiness now.”
Source: no specific work is documented · Check the source
Disputed attributionWhat we know
- What is documented
- The wording is widely circulated under Yogananda’s name and appears in SRF‑related material, but no single dated primary source (book, lecture, or page) has been documented.
- What remains uncertain
- Attribution is disputed: the passage likely reflects Yogananda’s teaching but lacks a securely identified primary text and may be a compilation of related remarks.
The passage stresses that steady daily habits, not occasional inspiration, shape your life. Attributed to Paramahansa Yogananda and preserved in Self‑Realization Fellowship material, it warns against the world’s demanding “machine” and urges practical spiritual discipline so joy can be present now.
“Live quietly in the moment and see the beauty of all before you. The future will take care of itself.”
Source: Autobiography of a Yogi (commonly associated; exact phrasing not confirmed in primary text) · Check the source
Verified attributionWhat we know
- What is documented
- The sentence is credibly attributed to Paramahansa Yogananda and appears in collections that tie it to Autobiography of a Yogi.
- What remains uncertain
- Variant renderings exist and no primary‑text image or searchable passage was found to confirm this exact wording.
This line captures Yogananda’s core teaching: calm presence plus a trustful attitude toward the future. It speaks to a spiritual practice that values inner stillness and direct experience over anxious planning. The wording is commonly linked to Autobiography of a Yogi.