In order to be remembered, leave nothing behind but goodness.

This line is best understood as a modern brand aphorism rather than a traceable historical utterance by a single identifiable speaker. Yogi® Tea is known for printing short “yogi wisdom” sayings on tea-tag strings and in marketing materials, often presented without dates, attributions, or publication details. In that setting, the quote functions as a compact ethical prompt meant to accompany a daily ritual (making tea) and encourage reflective, values-oriented behavior. Because these taglines circulate widely online and across product runs, pinpointing a first appearance or a specific occasion of composition is difficult without access to the company’s internal copy archives or a dated, verifiable product specimen.

The saying proposes a minimalist ethic of legacy: what endures after one’s life should not be possessions, monuments, or even reputation-management, but the tangible moral residue of one’s actions—“goodness” as kindness, integrity, and beneficence. It implicitly critiques material accumulation and ego-driven remembrance, suggesting that the most durable form of being “remembered” is the positive impact one leaves in other people’s lives. The paradox is deliberate: to be remembered, one should not strive to leave “things” behind at all, but to cultivate a character and conduct that others experience as good and therefore carry forward in memory and example.