According to tradition, the man we know as Buddha was born a prince and he was carefully sheltered from life outside the castle. When he left the castle one day as an adult, he saw suffering he never knew existed. He was overcome by death, disease, and the difficulty of life in a world he never knew. Quickly Siddharta left his family and set out to find a way to overcome suffering.
Buddha, like Christ, perhaps did not intend to create a new religion, but that is what happened. His followers came to know him as the one who came to relieve human suffering. For millions, Buddhism is the path to contentment and ha ppiness even today, hundreds of years after Buddha taught his ideas in sixth-century Nepal.
Buddhism is born of reason and love. Followers strive to train their minds to find happiness and the cause of happiness. His followers learned in the sixth century what we now call mindfulness! Compassion, kindness, and mind-training are the basic principles, but mind-training takes a lifetime and more.
Buddha Quotes
Here are 61 of the best Buddha quotes that can make your life more peaceful and happier today, regardless of your religious beliefs.
1.”We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world.”
2.“A disciplined mind brings happiness.”
3.“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly.”
4.”You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe deserve your love and affection.”
5. “Happiness will never come to those who fail to appreciate what they already have,”
6. “No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.”
7. “The past is already gone, the future is not yet here. There’s only one moment for you to live.”
8. “Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.”
9. “Teach this triple truth to all: A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are the things which renew humanity.”
10. “Drop by drop is the water pot filled. Likewise, the wise man, gathering it little by little, fills himself with good.”
11. “You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger.”
12. “What is evil? Killing is evil, lying is evil, slandering is evil, abuse is evil, gossip is evil, envy is evil, hatred is evil, to cling to false doctrine is evil; all these things are evil. And what is the root of evil? Desire is the root of evil, illusion is the root of evil.”
13. “When you realize how perfect everything is you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky.”
14. “Delight in heedfulness! Guard well your thoughts!”
15. “Serenity comes when you trade expectations for acceptance.”
16. “Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love; this is the eternal rule.”
17. “It is a man’s own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways.”
18. “What you think, you become. What you feel, you attract. What you imagine, you create.”
19. “Holding on to anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.”
20. “Should you find a wise critic to point out your faults, follow him as you would a guide to hidden treasure.”
21. “All conditioned things are impermanent—when one sees this with wisdom, one turns away from suffering.”
22. “One is not called noble who harms living beings. By not harming living beings one is called noble.”
23. “Endurance is one of the most difficult disciplines, but it is to the one who endures that the final victory comes.”
24. “Resolutely train yourself to attain peace.”
25. “Radiate boundless love towards the entire world.”
26. “Want what you have and you will always get what you want.”
27. “Just as a mother would protect her only child with her life, even so let one cultivate a boundless love towards all beings.”
28. “Whatever words we utter should be chosen with care for people will hear them and be influenced by them for good or ill.”
29. “In a controversy the instant we feel anger we have already ceased striving for the truth, and have begun striving for ourselves.”
30. “To support mother and father, to cherish wife and children, and to be engaged in peaceful occupation — this is the greatest blessing.”
31. “Suffering is wishing things were other than they are.”
32. “Do not judge yourself harshly. Without mercy for ourselves, we cannot love the world.”
33. “If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete.”
34. “Awake. Be the witness of your thoughts. You are what observes, not what you observe.”
35. “When wishes are few, the heart is happy. When craving ends, there is peace.”
Quotes about Realizations and Insights
36. “If you light a lamp for somebody, it will also brighten your path.”
37. “Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”
38. “All tremble at violence; all fear death. Putting oneself in the place of another, one should not kill nor cause another to kill.”
39. “Work out your own salvation. Do not depend on others.”
40. “The only real failure in life is not to be true to the best one knows.”
41. “As rain falls equally on the just and the unjust, do not burden your heart with judgment but rain your kindness equally on all.”
42. “Three things cannot be hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.”
43. “If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change.”
44. “Wrong-doing arises because of mind. If the mind is transformed can wrong-doing remain?”
45. “I do not believe in a fate that falls on men however they act; but I do believe in a fate that falls on them unless they act.”
46. “The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”
47. “Pain is certain; suffering is optional.”
48. “Nothing ever exists entirely alone; everything is in relation to everything else.”
49. “Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.”
50. “Sometimes it’s better to be kind than to be right. We do not need an intelligent mind that speaks, but a patient heart that listens.”
51. “Change is never painful, only the resistance to change is painful.”
52. “One moment can change a day, One day can change a life, and One life can change the world.”
53. “Forgive and be free. Forget that you have forgiven and be freer.”
54. “Everything that happens to us is the result of what we ourselves have thought, said, or done. We alone are responsible for our lives.”
55. “The world is a looking glass. It gives back to every man a true reflection of his own thoughts. Rule your mind or it will rule you.”
56. “He who gives away shall have real gain. He who subdues himself shall be free; he shall cease to be a slave of passions. The righteous man casts off evil, and by rooting out lust, bitterness, and illusion do we reach Nirvana.”
57. “In the sky, there is no distinction of east and west; people create distinctions out of their own minds and then believe them to be true.”
58. “The virtues, like the Muses, are always seen in groups. A good principle was never found solitary in any breast.”
59. “True and lasting inner peace can never be found in external things. It can only be found within. And then, once we find and nurture it with ourselves, it radiates outward.”
60. “Since everything is a reflection of our minds, everything can be changed by our minds.”
61. “The way to happiness is: keep your heart free from hate, your mind from worry. Live simply, give much. Fill your life with love. Do as you would be done by.”
Video: EASTERN PHILOSOPHY – The Buddha
Summary
The 14th Dalai Lama was asked in an interview what Buddhism’s goal was. He smiled and said simply: “Happiness.”
Indeed, millions have found happiness through Buddhism. Most religions teach these critical instructions. F
or instance, Christ’s words in the Sermon on the Mount parallel these instructions: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” (Luke 6:32) Known as the Golden Rule, this instruction contains a great deal of wisdom. Kindness and compassion have changed lives for thousands of years, regardless of anyone’s religious affiliation.
Although some followers of Buddhism practice their religion daily, the quotes above need no dedicated practice. We hope they have given you something to think about. They are words of wisdom and love, through which followers of Buddhism learn to love everyone, all the billions of us sharing this wonderful world. May you live long, and have happiness.
I’m Alice Judy and AnQuotes is a fun hobby for me. We know that everyone loves a great quote and our mission here is simple – to be the best and most interesting quote site in the world! If you have quotes you would like us to cover, please contact us.
