No need to be a Buddhist to admire the Dalai Lama's mark on this world. A "simple Buddhist monk," as he describes himself, the Dalai Lama is renowned for his sage wisdom on many facets of life, and his famous quotes are cited all across the globe. He has emerged as one of the most beloved and respected spiritual figures of the 20th century. The 14th Dalai Lama has dedicated his entire life to fostering international peace, bridging gaps between opposing nations, and environmental concerns. He is a loving and compassionate leader, which can be felt in the inspirational quotes and the life-long collected wisdom he shares with the world.
In the past few decades, the Dalai Lama has established educational, cultural, and religious institutions that have significantly helped to preserve the Tibetan identity and its rich past. And despite being of respectable age, he doesn't stop bringing Buddhist teachings to the international community today. Despite its Buddhist views, the values and preachings of the Tibetan spiritual leader can be applied to every human being, regardless of their religion or beliefs.
In the Dalai Lama quotes, anyone can find a handful of advice and ample inspiration. Gathered from the plentiful public speeches he delivered worldwide, having visited more than 62 countries, the Dalai Lama's quotes about life, peace, and spirituality work as a universal code for humanity and guide of morality. Look no further if you are looking for encouraging spiritual quotes or simply inspiring quotes to live a moral and rewarding life.
Below, we've gathered many famous inspirational quotes from the vastness of the Internet and put them all in one place for you to read and nourish your soul. What's your favorite Dalai Lama quote? Let us know!
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“Don’t ever mistake my silence for ignorance, my calmness for acceptance or my kindness for weakness. Compassion and tolerance are not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength.”
“Do not let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace.”
“Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck.”
“Think about others and your own problem appears insignificant; think only of oneself and even a small problem appears unbearable.”
“My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.”
“If every 8 year old in the world is taught meditation, we will eliminate violence from the world within one generation.”
“Most people prefer a smile to a frown. It’s human nature. Even dogs respond with wagging tails to a smile and other shows of affection.”
“Friendship depends on trust, not money, not power, not mere education or knowledge. Only if there is trust will there be friendship.”
“Out of 6 billion humans, the troublemakers are just a handful.”
“We can live without religion and meditation, but we cannot survive without human affection.”
“People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they’re not on your road doesn’t mean they’ve gotten lost.”
“Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them.”
“We are the controller of technology. If we become slaves to technology, then that’s not good.”
“The planet does not need more successful people. The planet desperately needs more peacemakers, healers, restorers, storytellers, and lovers of all kinds.”
“The best way to resolve any problem in the human world is for all sides to sit down and talk.”
“What surprises me most is “Man” because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he doesn’t enjoy the present; The result being he doesn’t live in the present or the future; He lives as if he’s never going to die, and then he dies having never really lived.”
“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.”
“Time passes unhindered. When we make mistakes, we cannot turn the clock back and try again. All we can do is use the present well.”
“Proper utilization of time is so important. While we have this body, and especially this amazing human brain, I think every minute is something precious.”
“As individuals, we can influence our own families. Our families can influence our communities and our communities can influence our nations.”
“Even an animal, if you show genuine affection, gradually trust develops… If you are always showing a bad face and beating, how can you develop friendship?”
“Forget the failures. Keep the lessons.”
“Pain can change you, but that doesn't mean it has to be a bad change. Take that pain and turn it into wisdom.”
“When we feel love and kindness towards others, it not only makes others feel loved and cared for, but it also helps us to develop inner happiness and peace.”
“Compassion naturally creates a positive atmosphere, and as a result, you feel peaceful and content.”
“Instead of wondering WHY this is happening to you, consider why this is happening to YOU.”
“Old friends pass away, new friends appear. It is just like the days. An old day passes, a new day arrives. The important thing is to make it meaningful:a meaningful friend – or a meaningful day.”
“When we meet real tragedy in life, we can react in two ways-either by losing hope and falling into self-destructive habits or by using the challenge to find our inner strength.”
“Calm mind brings inner strength and self-confidence, so that’s very important for good health.”
“Sometimes one creates a dynamic impression by saying something, and sometimes one creates as significant an impression by remaining silent.”
“Although you may not always be able to avoid difficult situations, you can modify the extent to which you can suffer by how you choose to respond to the situation.”
“If you have fear of some pain or suffering, you should examine whether there is anything you can do about it. If you can, there is no need to worry about it; if you cannot do anything, then there is also no need to worry.”
“Anger or hatred is like a fisherman’s hook. It is very important for us to ensure that we are not caught by it.”
“I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest. I do not judge the universe.”
“World belongs to humanity, not this leader, that leader or that king or prince or religious leader. World belongs to humanity.”
“You must lead a good life. And a good life does not mean just good food, good clothes, good shelter. These are not sufficient. A good motivation is what is needed: compassion, without dogmatism, without complicated philosophy; just understanding that others are human brothers and sisters and respecting their rights and human dignity.”
“Whether one is rich or poor, educated or illiterate, religious or non-believing, man or woman, black, white, or brown, we are all the same. Physically, emotionally, and mentally, we are all equal. We all share basic needs for food, shelter, safety, and love. We all aspire to happiness and we all shun suffering. Each of us has hopes, worries, fears, and dreams. Each of us wants the best for our family and loved ones. We all experience pain when we suffer loss and joy when we achieve what we seek. On this fundamental level, religion, ethnicity, culture, and language make no difference.”
“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”
“Our prime purpose in this life is to help others, and if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them.”
“Optimism doesn’t mean that you are blind to the reality of the situation. It means that you remain motivated to seek a solution to whatever problems arise.”
“Because we all share this planet earth, we have to learn to live in harmony and peace with each other and with nature. This is not just a dream, but a necessity.”
“I believe that to meet the challenges of our times, human beings will have to develop a greater sense of universal responsibility. Each of us must learn to work not just for oneself, one’s own family, or nation, but for the benefit of all humankind. Universal responsibility is the key to human survival. It is the best foundation for world peace.”
“All major religious traditions carry basically the same message, that is love, compassion, and forgiveness. The important thing is they should be part of our daily lives.”
“To be kind, honest and have positive thoughts; to forgive those who harm us and treat everyone as a friend; to help those who are suffering and never to consider ourselves superior to anyone else: even if this advice seems rather simplistic, make the effort of seeing whether by following it you can find greater happiness.”
“A truly compassionate attitude toward others does not change even if they behave negatively or hurt you.”
“World peace must develop from inner peace. Peace is not just the mere absence of violence. Peace is, I think, the manifestation of human compassion.”
“Only the development of compassion and understanding for others can bring us the tranquility and happiness we all seek.”
“If we are sincere in taking care of others, if we protect their lives and respect their rights, we’ll be able to conduct our lives transparently and that is the basis of trust, which in turn is the basis of friendship.”
“When you are discontent, you always want more, more, more. Your desire can never be satisfied. But when you practice contentment, you can say to yourself, 'Oh yes - I already have everything that I really need.”
“When we meet real tragedy in life, we can react in two ways - either by losing hope and falling into self-destructive habits, or by using the challenge to find our inner strength. Thanks to the teachings of Buddha, I have been able to take this second way.”
“Physical comforts cannot subdue mental suffering, and if we look closely, we can see that those who have many possessions are not necessarily happy. In fact, being wealthy often brings even more anxiety.”
“There is no need for temples, no need for complicated philosophies. My brain and my heart are my temples; my philosophy is kindness.”
“Whether you call it Buddhism or another religion, self-discipline, that's important. Self-discipline with awareness of consequences.”
“It is very important to generate a good attitude, a good heart, as much as possible. From this, happiness in both the short term and the long term for both yourself and others will come.”
“Even when a person has all of life's comforts-good food, good shelter, a companion-he or she can still become unhappy when encountering a tragic situation.”
“Some scientists believe climate change is the cause of unprecedented melting of the North Pole, and that effects these very uncertain weather patterns. I think we should listen to those scientists and experts.”
“There are only two days in the year that nothing can be done. One is called yesterday and the other is called tomorrow. Today is the right day to love, believe, do and mostly live.”
“Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it. I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others; to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. I am going to have kind thoughts towards others, I am not going to get angry or think badly about others. I am going to benefit others as much as I can.”
“There is only one important point you must keep in your mind and let it be your guide. No matter what people call you, you are just who you are. Keep to this truth. You must ask yourself how you want to live your life. We live and we die, this is the truth that we can only face alone. No one can help us, not even the Buddha. So consider carefully, what prevents you from living the way you want to live your life?”
“Inner peace is the key: if you have inner peace, the external problems do not affect your deep sense of peace and tranquility…without this inner peace, no matter how comfortable your life is materially, you may still be worried, disturbed, or unhappy because of circumstances.”
“Hard times build determination and inner strength. Through them, we can also come to appreciate the uselessness of anger. Instead of getting angry, nurture a deep caring and respect for troublemakers because by creating such trying circumstances they provide us with invaluable opportunities to practice tolerance and patience.”
“If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you, it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun.”
“I have always had this view about the modern education system: we pay attention to brain development, but the development of warmheartedness we take for granted.”
“Human potential is the same for all. Your feeling, “I am of no value”, is wrong. Absolutely wrong. You are deceiving yourself. We all have the power of thought–so what are you lacking? If you have willpower, then you can change anything. It is usually said that you are your own master.”
“Be honest, truthful, and altruistic. If you concern yourself with taking care of others, there’ll be no room for lies, bullying, and cheating. If you’re truthful you can live transparently, which will enable you to establish trust, the basis for making friends.”
“It’s good to remember that other human beings are like us. We are born the same way; we die the same way. While we’re alive it’s better to be able to trust each other as friends.”
“When we feel love and kindness toward others, it not only makes others feel loved and cared for, but it also helps us to develop inner happiness and peace.”
“Appearance is something absolute, but reality is not that way - everything is interdependent, not absolute. So that view is very helpful to maintain a peace of mind because the main destroyer of a peaceful mind is anger.”
“The basic Buddhist stand on the question of equality between the genders is age-old. At the highest tantric levels, at the highest esoteric level, you must respect women: every woman.”
“I think technology really increased human ability. But technology cannot produce compassion.”
“All major religious traditions carry basically the same message, that is love, compassion and forgiveness the important thing is they should be part of our daily lives.”
“As a human being, anger is a part of our mind. Irritation also part of our mind. But you can do-anger come, go. Never keep in your sort of- your inner world, then create a lot of suspicion, a lot of distrust, a lot of negative things, more worry.”
“Generally speaking, if a human being never shows anger, then I think something's wrong. He's not right in the brain.”
“At the beginning when the child is coming, people worry the child may be deformed. When a healthy boy or child comes, people are very happy for a short moment.”
“Logically, harmony must come from the heart. Harmony very much based on trust. As soon as use force, creates fear. Fear and trust cannot go together.”
“We are but visitors on this planet. We are here for ninety or one hundred years at the very most. During that period, we must try to do something good, something useful with our lives. If you contribute to other people's happiness, you will find the true goal, the true meaning of life.”
“When you talk you are only repeating something you already know. But, if you listen you may learn something new.”
“Sometimes one creates a dynamic impression by saying something, and sometimes one creates as significant of an impression by remaining silent.”
“Happiness doesn’t always come from a pursuit. Sometimes it comes when we least expect it.”
“Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it. I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others; to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. I am going to have kind thoughts towards others, I am not going to get angry or think badly about others. I am going to benefit others as much as I can.”
