Know well what leads you forward and what holds you back, and choose the path that leads to wisdom.

Although widely attributed to the Buddha, this wording reads like a modern paraphrase of core Buddhist counsel: cultivate clear awareness of the mental states and habits that conduce to liberation versus those that perpetuate suffering. “What leads you forward” aligns with wholesome qualities—mindfulness, ethical conduct, concentration, and discernment—while “what holds you back” evokes craving, aversion, and delusion. The imperative to “choose the path” emphasizes agency and repeated practice: wisdom is not merely learned but enacted through moment-to-moment decisions. In Buddhist terms, the “path that leads to wisdom” resonates with the Noble Eightfold Path, especially Right View and Right Intention, which guide conduct and meditation toward insight.