The Dalai Lama is a title by the Tibetan people for the foremost spiritual leader of the Yellow Hat or Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism- the most dominant school of Tibetan Buddhism. Known for his wise words covering all aspects of life including promoting positive values including compassion, forgiveness, self-discipline tolerance, and contentment, the Dalai Lama is ranked amongst the most beloved and significant spiritual leaders in the recent century.
Since the time of the 5th Dalai Lama in the seventeenth century, his personage has been a symbol of unification of the state of Tibet where he represents the traditions and values of Buddhists. In six decades since the leader of the most secluded people in the world has become one of the most recognized faces of religion that is practiced by about 500 million people globally.
The Dalai Lama is considered to be a living Buddha of compassion which is a reincarnation of the bodhisattva Chenrezig who renounced Nirvana to assist mankind. The current Dalai Lama XVI received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 for his passion and efforts in the Tibet conflict. Below is a collection of the most valuable quotes, wisdom, and sayings by the Dalai Lama to be your constant source of inspiration.
Dalai Lama Quotes
1. “Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.”– Dalai Lama
2. “If a problem is fixable, if a situation is such that you can do something about it, then there is no need to worry. If it’s not fixable, then there is no help in worrying. There is no benefit in worrying whatsoever.”– Dalai Lama
3. “World peace must develop from inner peace. Peace is not just mere absence of violence. Peace is, I think, the manifestation of human compassion.”– Dalai Lama
4. “As people alive today, we must consider future generations: a clean environment is a human right like any other. It is, therefore, part of our responsibility toward others to ensure that the world we pass on is as healthy, if not healthier than we found it.”– Dalai Lama
5. “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.”– Dalai Lama
6. ” Our ancient experience confirms at every point that everything is linked together, everything is inseparable.”– Dalai Lama
7. “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.”– Dalai Lama
8. “This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.”– Dalai Lama
9. “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.”– Dalai Lama
10. “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.”– Dalai Lama
11. “If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.”– Dalai Lama
12. “The planet does not need more successful people. The planet desperately needs more peacemakers, healers, restorers, storytellers, and lovers of all kinds.”– Dalai Lama
13. “If it can be solved, there’s no need to worry, and if it can’t be solved, worry is of no use.”– Dalai Lama
14. “If every 8 year old in the world is taught meditation, we will eliminate violence from the world within one generation.”– Dalai Lama
15. “To remain indifferent to the challenges we face is indefensible. If the goal is noble, whether or not it is realized within our lifetime is largely irrelevant. What we must do therefore is to strive and persevere and never give up.”– Dalai Lama
16. “The purpose of all the major religious traditions is not to construct big temples on the outside, but to create temples of goodness and compassion inside, in our hearts.”– Dalai Lama
17. “One interesting thing about greed is that although the underlying motive is to seek satisfaction, the irony is that even after obtaining the object of your desire you are still not satisfied. The true antidote of greed is contentment.”– Dalai Lama
18. “If you don’t love yourself, you cannot love others. You will not be able to love others. If you have no compassion for yourself then you are not able of developing compassion for others.”– Dalai Lama
19. “The more you are motivated by love, the more fearless and free your action will be.”– Dalai Lama
20. “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.”– Dalai Lama
21. “Because of lack of moral principle, human life becomes worthless. Moral principle, truthfulness, is a key factor. If we lose that, then there is no future.”– Dalai Lama
22. “Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck.”– Dalai Lama
23. “I believe the very purpose of our life is to seek happiness. Whether one believes in religion or not, whether one believes in that religion or this religion, we are all seeking something better in life. So, I think, the very motion of our life is towards happiness.”– Dalai Lama
24. “Only the development of compassion and understanding for others can bring us the tranquillity and happiness we all seek.”– Dalai Lama
25. “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.”– Dalai Lama
26. “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.”– Dalai Lama
27. “Too much self-centered attitude, you see, brings, you see, isolation. Result: loneliness, fear, anger. The extreme self-centered attitude is the source of suffering.”– Dalai Lama
28. “The Chinese government wants me to say that for many centuries Tibet has been part of China. Even if I make that statement, many people would just laugh. And my statement will not change past history. History is history.”– Dalai Lama
29. “Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.”– Dalai Lama
30. “A truly compassionate attitude toward others does not change even if they behave negatively or hurt you.”– Dalai Lama
31. “Irrespective of whether we are believers or agnostics, whether we believe in God or karma, moral ethics is a code which everyone is able to pursue.”– Dalai Lama
32. “Someone else’s action should not determine your response.”– Dalai Lama
33. “The various features and aspects of human life, such as longevity, good health, success, happiness, and so forth, which we consider desirable, are all dependent on kindness and a good heart.”– Dalai Lama
34. “I will not propose to you that my way is best. The decision is up to you. If you find some point which may be suitable to you, then you can carry out experiments for yourself. If you find that it is of no use, then you can discard it.”– Dalai Lama
35. “You must not hate those who do wrong or harmful things; but with compassion, you must do what you can to stop them — for they are harming themselves, as well as those who suffer from their actions.”– Dalai Lama
36. “Death means change our clothes. Clothes become old, then time to come change. So this body become old, and then time come, take young body.”– Dalai Lama
37. “Generally speaking, if a human being never shows anger, then I think something’s wrong. He’s not right in the brain.”– Dalai Lama
38. “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.”– Dalai Lama
39. “Appearance is something absolute, but reality is not that way – everything is interdependent, not absolute.”– Dalai Lama
40. “In order to carry a positive action we must develop here a positive vision.”– Dalai Lama
41. “Instead of looking to blame others and the world around us, we should first look within ourselves.”– Dalai Lama
42. “Since we are not solely material creatures, it is a mistake to place all our hopes for happiness on external development alone. The key is to develop inner peace.”– Dalai Lama
43. “Compassion is the wish for another being to be free from suffering; love is wanting them to have happiness.”– Dalai Lama
44. “We can live without religion and meditation, but we cannot survive without human affection.”– Dalai Lama
45. “The way to overcome negative thoughts and destructive emotions is to develop opposing, positive emotions that are stronger and more powerful.”– Dalai Lama
46. “Anger or hatred is like a fisherman’s hook. It is very important for us to ensure that we are not caught by it.”– Dalai Lama
47. “Through violence, you may ‘solve’ one problem, but you sow the seeds for another.”– Dalai Lama
48. “Our ancient experience confirms at every point that everything is linked together, everything is inseparable.”– Dalai Lama
49. “Choose to be optimistic, it feels better.”– Dalai Lama
50. “The goal is not to be better than the other man, but your previous self.”– Dalai Lama
51. “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 .”– Dalai Lama
52. “Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive.”– Dalai Lama
53. “The challenge today is to convince people of the value of truth, honesty, compassion and a concern for others.”– Dalai Lama
54. “Through difficult experiences, life sometimes becomes more meaningful.”– Dalai Lama
55. “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.”– Dalai Lama
56. “It is not enough to be compassionate, we must act.”– Dalai Lama
57. “Seek to be an oasis of caring and concern as you live your life.”– Dalai Lama
58. ‘The ultimate source of happiness is not money and power, but warm-heartedness.”– Dalai Lama
59. “The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness.”– Dalai Lama
60. “People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they’re not on your road does not mean they are lost.”– Dalai Lama
61. “A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.”– Dalai Lama
Related: the best quotes from the Buddha
Video: Dalai Lama’s guide to happiness
This video is awesome and it examines Buddhism and Happiness and offers the sense of humor and warmth that only comes from the Dalai Lama. This eight minute epic reveals some incredible insights into human behaviour and values that impact our happiness, particularly in a materialistic Western life so many are pursuing.
The Dalai Lama’s talk is from his ‘the quest for happiness’ public talk in Adelaide during his ‘Beyond Religion’ tour in Australia.
Also see our deep quotes about life
Summary
The Dalai Lama represents human values such as determination, mercy, joy love, and fights against tyranny, capitalism, and nuclear weapons for the protection of our lives and the planet in general.
We hope that we have inspired you with these Dalai Lama quotes. The Dalai Lama quotes are taken on board by individuals who aim to live a positive and fulfilled life.
Image Credit: Lonyi, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
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