How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
[…] to behold the flames of their beings, colored with the hues and shades of their passions, flickering with avarice and lust and envy, darting with greed and hunger, smouldering with hate, waning with fear and pain. (4.199)
Interesting, isn't it? When Sam takes a peek at the flames—the souls—of other people, they are colored not in the hues of their virtues, but in the hues of their sins and sufferings. That's fascinating. Awful, but fascinating.
Quote #8
[…] and then Lord Mara re-created the flight of Helba and the Buddha through the City. This last dreaming troubled many, however, and more names were recorded at that time. (5.454)
Mara takes delight in the suffering of others. It's about the only thing we can say about the guy, and it doesn't bode well for him getting an invite to our fancy dress party.
Quote #9
"I decided that mankind could live better without the gods. If I disposed of them all, people could start having can openers and cans to open again, and things like that, without fearing the wrath of Heaven. We've stopped on these poor fools enough. I wanted to give them a chance to be free, to build what they wanted." (6.303)
Sam's version of helping to end suffering is with can openers and cans. Seems odd at first, but take a second and consider a world without cans. Or cans and no can openers. Pretty spot on, right?