245 Quotes by Buddha
Buddha, whose birth name was Siddhartha Gautama, was a spiritual leader and founder of Buddhism, one of the major religions in the world. Born in ancient India around the 6th century BCE, Buddha's teachings and philosophy have had a profound and lasting impact on millions of individuals. After attaining enlightenment, Buddha spent the rest of his life spreading his teachings of compassion, mindfulness, and the pursuit of liberation from suffering.
His teachings, known as the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, provide guidance on how to live a meaningful and fulfilling life. Buddha's emphasis on self-reflection, moral conduct, and the cultivation of wisdom has resonated with people across cultures and continues to be practiced by millions today. His teachings transcend religious boundaries and offer insights into the nature of human existence, suffering, and the pursuit of inner peace. Buddha's legacy as a spiritual leader and his profound impact on the world make him one of the most influential figures in human history.
Buddha Quotes
It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you. (Meaning)
Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it. (Quote Meaning)
We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves. (Meaning)
All wrong-doing arises because of mind. If mind is transformed can wrong-doing remain? (Quote Meaning)
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. (Meaning)
To keep the body in good health is a duty, otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear. (Quote Meaning)
Every morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most. (Meaning)
There is no path to happiness: happiness is the path. (Quote Meaning)
However many holy words you read, however many you speak, what good will they do you if you do not act on upon them? (Meaning)
Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment. (Quote Meaning)
Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace. (Meaning)
Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth. (Quote Meaning)
Hate is never conquered by hate; hate is only conquered by love. (Meaning)
The mind is everything. What you think you become. (Quote Meaning)
Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without. (Meaning)
Your mind is a powerful thing. When you filter it with positive thoughts, your life will start to change.
Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared. (Quote Meaning)
You will not be punished for your anger; you will be punished by your anger. (Meaning)
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.
Since everything is a reflection of our minds, everything can be changed by our minds.
Change is never painful, only the resistance to change is painful (Quote Meaning)
Happiness will never come to those who fail to appreciate what they already have.
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.
Set your heart on doing good. Do it over and over again, and you will be filled with joy.
Love in the past is only a memory. Love in the future is only a fantasy. True love lives in the here and now.
One moment can change a day, One day can change a life and One life can change the world
When you move your focus from competition to contribution life becomes a celebration. Never try to defeat people, just win their hearts.
Do not be the judge of people; do not make assumptions about others. A person is destroyed by holding judgments about others.
If you light a lamp for someone else, it will also brighten your path. (Meaning)
Those who are truly wise will remain unmoved by feelings of happiness and suffering, fame and disgrace, praise and blame, gain and loss.They will remain calm like the eye of a hurricane.
The only way to bring peace to the earth is to learn to make our own life peaceful.
Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship. (Quote Meaning)
In the sky, there is no distinction of east and west; people create disticntions out of their own minds and then believe them to be true.
"All life is temporary
Why worry about anything that's only temporary"
If you let cloudy water settle, it will become clear. If you let your upset mind settle, your course will also become clear.
As a lotus flower is born in water, grows in water and rises out of water to stand above it unsoiled, so I, born in the world, raised in the world having overcome the world, live unsoiled by the world
You can search the world over and you will find no one who is more deserving of your kindness and well wishing than you yourself.
When an evil-doer, seeing you practise goodness, comes and maliciously insults you, you should patiently endure it and not feel angry with him, for the evil-doer is insulting himself by trying to insult you.
Our sorrows and wounds are healed only when we touch them with compassion.
Good men and bad men differ radically. Bad men never appreciate kindness shown them, but wise men appreciate and are grateful. Wise men try to express their appreciation and gratitude by some return of kindness, not only to their benefactor, but to everyone else
Fools wait for a lucky day, but everyday is a lucky day for an industrious man.
If you want to know the past, look at your present. If you want to know the future, look at your present.
The less you have, the less you have to worry about.
When wishes are few, the heart is happy. When craving ends, there is peace.
Everything that happens to us is the result of what we ourselves have thought, said, or done.We alone are responsible for our lives.
He who experiences the unity of life sees his own self in all beings.
True and lasting inner peace can never be found in external things. It can only be found within in. And then, once we find and nurture it with ourselves, it radiates outward.
If you find no one to support you on the spiritual path, walk alone. There is no companionship with the immature.
No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path. (Meaning)
Develop a mind that is vast like space, where experiences both pleasant and unpleasant can appear and disappear without conflict, struggle or harm. Rest in a mind like vast sky.
Serenity comes when you trade expectations for acceptance.
Awake. Be the witness of your thoughts. You are what observes, not what you observe.
All things appear and disappear because of the concurrence of causes and conditions. Nothing ever exists entirely alone; everything is in relation to everything else.
The tongue like a sharp knife ... Kills without drawing blood.
If you cannot find a good companion to walk with, walk alone, like an elephant roaming the jungle. It is better to be alone than to be with those who will hinder your progress.
Crying with the wise is better than laughing with the fool.
Love yourself and be awake- Today, tomorrow, always. First establish yourself in the way, Then teach others, And so defeat sorrow. To straighten the crooked You must first do a harder thing- Straighten yourself. You are your only master. Who else? Subdue yourself, And discover your master.
"There is no fire like passion
No crime like hatred,
No sorrow like separation,
No sickness like hunger,
And no joy like the joy of freedom."
To enjoy good health, to bring true happiness to one's family, to bring peace to all, one must first discipline and control one's own mind. If a man can control his mind he can find the way to Enlightenment, and all wisdom and virtue will naturally come to him.
Doubt everything. Find your own light.
"When you come upon a path
that brings benefit
and happiness to all,
follow this course
as the moon
journeys through the stars."
All that we are is the result of what we have thought; what we think we become.
Mind is everything. What we think, we become.
The way is not in the sky. The way is in the heart. (Quote Meaning)
No one outside ourselves can rule us inwardly. When we know this, we become free.
Nirvana is this moment seen directly. There is no where else than here. The only gate is now. The only doorway is your own body and mind. There’s nowhere to go. There’s nothing else to be. There’s no destination. It’s not something to aim for in the afterlife. It’s simply the quality of this moment.
Just as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life. (Meaning)
When you like a flower, you just pluck it. But when you love a flower, you water it daily.
The whole secret of existence is to have no fear.
As you walk and eat and travel, be where you are. Otherwise you will miss most of your life.
Nothing is forever except change.
Suffering is wishing things were other than they are.
Master your words. Master your thoughts. Never allow your body to do harm. Follow these three roads with purity And you will find yourself upon the one way, The way of wisdom.
Forgive and be free. Forget that you have forgiven and be freer.
Know well what holds you back, and what moves you forward
Remembering a wrong is like carrying a burden on the mind.
Always be mindful of the kindness and not the faults of others
Do not learn how to react. Learn how to respond.
The trouble is you think you have time.
Consider Others as Yourself.
Life can only take place in the present moment. If we lose the present moment, we lose life.
Life is a river always flowing. do not hold onto things. work hard.
You are your own master, you make your own future. Therefore discipline yourself as a horse-dealer trains a thoroughbred
The secret of health for both mind and body is...live the present moment wisely and earnestly.
They who imagine truth in untruth and see untruth in truth will never arrive at the truth.
We are formed and molded by our thoughts. Those whose minds are shaped by selfless thoughts give joy when they speak or act.
The right time to show your good character is when you are pestered by someone weaker than you.
Wherever we go, wherever we remain, the results of our actions follow us.
A fool learns nothing from a wise man; but a wise man learns from a fool.
Be vigilant; guard your mind against negative thoughts
Every experience, no matter how bad it seems, holds within a blessing of some kind. The goal is to find it.
Do not speak - unless it improves on silence.
Just as a snake sheds its skin, we must shed our past over and over again.
Pain is certain, suffering is optional. (Quote Meaning)
Do not judge yourself harshly. Without mercy for ourselves we cannot love the world.
Joy comes not through possession or ownership but through a wise and loving heart.
If we fail to look after others when they need help, who will look after us?
Want what you have and you will always get what you want.
Heaven and Hell are imaginary creation of ignorant minds.
Your purpose in life is to find your purpose and give your whole heart and soul to it
The mind precedes all things, the mind dominates all things, the mind creates all things.
Goodwill toward all beings is the true religion; cherish in your hearts boundless goodwill to all that lives.
To understand everything is to forgive everything.
The thought manifests as the word. The word manifests as the deed. The deed develops into habit. And the habit hardens into character. So watch the thought and its ways with care. And let it spring from love, born out of concern for all beings.
If you find someone with wisdom, good judgment, and good actions; make him a companion.
A person is ruined by taking the measure of other persons.
Life is dear to all beings, they have the right to live the same that we do.
Find out for yourself what is truth, what is real. Discover that there are virtuous things and there are non-virtuous things. Once you have discovered for yourself give up the bad and embrace the good.
True love is born from understanding.
One who does not rouse themself when it is time to rise, who, though capable, is full of sloth, whose will and thought are weak, that lazy and idle person will never find their way to true knowledge.
Those who have failed to work toward the truth have missed the purpose of living.
In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you. (Meaning)
He who never thinks of anything as 'mine' does not feel the lack of anything: he is never worried by a sense of loss.
Radiate boundless love towards the entire world - above, below, and across - unhindered, without ill will, without enmity.
Concentrate the mind on the present moment.
A tree is a wonderful living organism which gives shelter, food, warmth and protection to all living things. It even gives shade to those who wield an axe to cut it down
There is no meditation without wisdom, and there is no wisdom without meditation. When a man has both meditation and wisdom, he is indeed close to nirvana.
Your worst enemy is your best teacher.
Within this moment, the only moment that exists, the past, present and future are contained.
Doing the good deeds is like the grass in the garden. You don't see its growth. But, it does by days. Doing the wicked deeds is like the hone. You don't see its damage. But, it does by days.
A wise man, recognizing that the world is but an illusion, does not act as if it is real, so he escapes the suffering.
Man's troubles are rooted in extreme attention to senses, thoughts, and imagination. Attention should be focused internally to experience a quiet body and a calm mind.
Be a lamp to yourself. Be your own confidence. Hold on to the truth within yourself as to the only truth.
If anything is worth doing, do it with all your heart.
The secret of happiness lies in the mind's release from worldly ties.
Moved by their selfish desires, people seek after fame and glory. But when they have acquired it, they are already stricken in years. If you hanker after worldly fame and practise not the Way, your labors are wrongfully applied and your energy is wasted. It is like unto burning an incense stick. However much its pleasing odor be admired, the fire that consumes is steadily burning up the stick.
Anyone who is not working toward the truth is missing the whole point of living.
"An outside enemy exists only if there is anger inside."
Conquer anger by love, evil by good; Conquer the miser with liberality, and the liar with truth.
Treat others with respect. How you treat others will be how they treat you.
I've got children', 'I've got wealth.' This is the way a fool brings suffering on himself. He does not even own himself, so how can he have children or wealth?
Pity arises when we are sorry for someone.Compassion is when we understand and help wisely.
Don't keep searching for the truth, just let go of your opinions.
The greatest impurity is ignorance. Free yourself from it. Be pure.
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.
Do not blindly believe what others say. See for yourself what brings contentment, clarity and peace. That is the path for you to follow.
Do not overlook tiny good actions, thinking they are of no benefit; even tiny drops of water in the end will fill a huge vessel. Do not overlook negative actions merely because they are small; however small a spark may be, it can burn down a haystack as big as a mountain.
Observe the life by cause and consequence. Explore the life by wisdom. Treat the life by equality. Complete the life by love.
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. There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting.
There is nothing more dreadful than the habit of doubt. Doubt separates people. It is a poison that disintegrates friendships and breaks up pleasant.
All human unhappiness comes from not facing reality squarely, exactly as it is.
Our life is a creation of our mind.
I am a finger pointing to the moon. Don't look at me; look at the moon.
Do not be jealous of others' good qualities, but out of admiration adopt them yourself.
Believe nothing because it is written in books. Believe nothing because wise men say it is so. Believe nothing because it is religious doctrine. Believe it only because you yourself know it to be true.
There is no fire like greed, No crime like hatred, No sorrow like separation, No sickness like hunger of heart, And no joy like the joy of freedom. Health, contentment and trust Are your greatest possessions, And freedom your greatest joy. Look within. Be still. Free from fear and attachment, Know the sweet joy of living in the way.
If you don't see God in the next person you meet, look no further.
You should respect each other and refrain from disputes; you should not, like water and oil, repel each other, but should, like milk and water, mingle together.
When we feel happy and peaceful, our happiness and peace radiates around us, and others can enjoy it as well. This is called 'the enjoyment of others of our body of bliss'.
Whatever suffering there is in this world, all arises from desiring only myself to be happy. And whatever joy there is in this world, all arises from desiring to share my happiness with everyone.
Form is emptiness, emptiness is form
Holding on to anger is like poisoning yourself and hoping someone else will die.
The more fully we give our energy, the more it returns to us.
The mind is the source of happiness and unhappiness by what it chooses to compare the experience with. If it chooses to compare it to something worse then it will create happiness, gratitude and pride but if it chooses to compare it to something better then it will create unhappiness, bitterness and envy.
Dharma is not upheld by talking about it. Dharma is upheld by living in harmony with it.
The world is full of suffering. Birth is suffering, decre- pitude is suffering, sickness and death are sufferings. To face a man of hatred is suffering, to be separated from a beloved one is suffering, to be vainly struggling to satisfy one's needs is suffering. In fact, life that is not free from desire and passion is always involved with suffering.
Like a lovely flower full of color but lacking in fragrance, are the words of those who do not practice what they teach.
Be the witness of your thoughts.
Easy to do are things that are bad and harmful to oneself. But exceedingly difficult to do are things that are good and beneficial.
A generous heart, kind speech, & a life of service & compassion are the things which renew humanity.
The wind cannot shake a mountain. Neither praise nor blame moves the wise man.
Unity can only be manifested by the Binary. Unity itself and the idea of Unity are already two.
Only within our body, with its heart and mind, can bondage and suffering be found, and only here can we find true liberation.
Kindness should become the natural way of life, not the exception.
To utter pleasant words without practicing them, is like a fine flower without fragrance.
If a man's mind becomes pure, his surroundings will also become pure.
Those who are pure in heart and single in purpose are able to understand the most supreme Way. It is like polishing a mirror, which becomes bright when the dust is removed. Remove your passions, and have no hankering.
Whatever words we utter should be chosen with care for people will hear them and be influenced by them for good or ill.
If you sleep, Desire grows in you Like a vine in the forest. Like a monkey in the forest You jump from tree to tree, Never finding the fruit - From life to life, Never finding peace. If you are filled with desire Your sorrows swell Like the grass after the rain. But if you subdue desire Your sorrows shall fall from you Like drops of water from a lotus flower.
The cause of all pain and suffering is ignorance.
Don't pray for lighter burdens, but for stronger backs.
Only those who go where few have gone can see what few have seen.
No one can escape death and unhappiness. If people expect only happiness in life, they will be disappointed.
If a man possesses a repentant spirit his sins will disappear, but if he has an unrepentant spirit his sins will continue and condemn him for their sake forever.
A person is not learned nor wise because he talks much; the person who is patient, free from hatred and fear, that person is called learned and wise.
Rain falls, wind blows, plants bloom, leaves mature and are blown away; these phenomena are all interrelated with causes and conditions, are brought about by them, and disappear as the causes and conditions change.
The fool thinks he has won a battle when he bullies with harsh speech, but knowing how to be forbearing alone makes one victorious.
Friendship is the only cure for hatred, the only guarantee of peace.
As soon as we think we are safe, something unexpected happens.
Through our senses the world appears. Through our reactions we create delusions.Without reactions the world becomes clear.
Even if a fool lived with a wise man all his life, he would still not recognise the truth, like a wooden spoon cannot recognise the flavour of the soup.
The greatest victory is the one over oneself.
Greed is an imperfection that defiles the mind; hate is an imperfection that defiles the mind; delusion is an imperfection that defiles the mind.
Offend in neither word nor deed. Eat with moderation. Live in your heart. Seek the highest consciousness. Master yourself according to the law. This is the simple teaching of the awakened.
One who previously made bad karma, but who reforms and creates good karma, brightens the world like the moon appearing from behind a cloud.
Happiness comes when your work and words are of benefit to others.
Life is easy For the man who is without shame, Impudent as a crow, A vicious gossip, Vain, meddlesome, dissolute. But life is hard For the man who quietly undertakes The way of perfection, With purity, detachment and vigor. He sees light.
It is impossible to underestimate the significance of your today's choices
Let yourself be open and life will be easier. A spoon of salt in a glass of water makes the water undrinkable. A spoon of salt in a lake is almost unnoticed.
Love yourself and watch - Today, tomorrow, always. To straighten the crooked You must first do a harder thing - Straighten yourself.
Let the wise one control his thoughts, for they are difficult to perceive, often elusive, and they rush about frantically: a mind well controlled achieves peace and happiness.
With his mind free from the inflow of thoughts and from restlessness, by abandoning both good and evil, an alert man knows no fear.
Of all the worldly passions, lust is the most intense. All other worldly passions seem to follow in its train.
By taking these three steps you will get closer to the Gods: First, Say the Truth. Second: Don't let you get Angry. Third: Give, even though you have so little to give.
The greatest action is not conforming with the worlds ways.
He who is grateful doesn't suffer.
To stop suffering, stop greediness. Greediness is a source of suffering.
It is the fool who is haunted by fears, dread of dangers, oppression of mind, not the wise man.
We are the same as plants, as trees, as other people, as the rain that falls. We consist of that which is around us, we are the same as everything.
To awaken, sit calmly, letting each breath clear your mind and open your heart.
Dwell not on the faults and shortcomings of others; instead, seek clarity about your own.
The past is already gone, the future is not yet here. There's only one moment for you to live, and that is the present moment
Whatever is subject to origination is all subject to cessation.
Letting go of our suffering is the hardest work we will ever do.
In protecting oneself, others are protected; In protecting others, oneself is protected.
Why do what you will regret? Why bring tears upon yourself? Do only what you do not regret, And fill yourself with joy.
From the passions arise worry, and from worry arises fear. Away with the passions, and no fear, no worry.
When action comes out of nothing it creates no karma.
A good friend who points out mistakes is to be respected, as if he reveals a secret of hidden treasure.
To conquer oneself is a greater task than conquering others. (Quote Meaning)
Why cling to the pain and the wrongs of yesterday? Why hold on to the very things that keep you from hope and love.
Beware of the anger of the mouth. Master your words. Let them serve truth.
Do not look at the faults of what others have done or not done; observe what you yourself have done or not done.
Men who are addicted to the passions are like the torch-carrier running against the wind; his hands are sure to be burned.
If we destroy something around us we destroy ourselves. If we cheat another, we cheat ourselves.
You only lose that which you cling to.
There are two things that we should avoid, oh disciple! A life of pleasures, that is low and vain. A life of mortification, that is useless and vain.
Freedom and happiness are found in the flexibility and ease with which we move through change.
Mutual respect and mutual listening are the foundations of harmony within the family.
Flower and thorn are in the same stem.
Believe only what you yourself test and judge to be true.
As a water bead on a lotus leaf, as water on a red lily, does not adhere, so the sage does not adhere to the seen, the heard, or the sensed.
"Rely on the teaching, not on the person;
Rely on the meaning, not on the words;
Rely on the definitive meaning, not on the provisional;
Rely on your wisdom mind, not on your ordinary mind."
There's a treasury full of jade and jewels; It is in you. Don't go searching far from home for it-it's here.
"All is passing". When one realises this, he sits loose to this world of sorrow : This is the way of purity.
He who causes suffering shall suffer. There is no escape.
The ignorant man is an ox. He grows in size, not in wisdom.
Even loss and betrayal can bring us awakening.
Attachment is the source of all suffering.
What you have become is the result of what you have thought
As a mountain is unshaken by the wind, so the heart of a wise person is unmoved by all the changes on this earth.
Your greatest weapon is your enemy's mind
See the truth, and you will see me.
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. A good friend who points out mistakes and imperfections and rebukes evil is to be respected as if he reveals a secret of hidden treasure.
As solid rock remains unmoved by the wind, so the wise remain unmoved by blame and praise.
To force oneself to believe and to accept a thing without understanding is political, and not spiritual or intellectual.
Beware of the anger of the body. Master the body. Let it serve truth. Beware of the anger of the mouth. Master your words. Let them serve truth. Beware of the anger of the mind. Master your thoughts. Let them serve truth.
Better than a long speech is a single quietening word.
No matter what path you choose, really walk it.
Life is uncertain; death is certain.
If a string has one end, it has another.
Don't indulge in careless behaviour. Don't be the friend of sensual pleasures. He who meditates attentively attains abundant joy.
There has to be evil so that good can prove its purity above it. To live a pure unselfish life, one must count nothing as one's own in the midst of abundance.
Those who recognize the existence of suffering, its cause, its remedy, and its cessation, have fathomed the four noble truths. They will walk in the right path.
There is only one time when it is essential to awaken. That time is now.
Nothing is to be clung to as I, me or mine
Foolish, ignorant people indulge in careless lives, whereas a clever man guards his attention as his most precious possession.
There are three ways to correct our faults: We can change through behavior We can change through understanding We can change heart
At the end of the way is freedom. Until then, patience.
The darkest night is ignorance.
Let your diet be spare, your wants moderate, your needs few. So, living modestly, with no distracting desires, you will find content.
Few cross over the river. Most are stranded on this side. On the riverbank they run up and down. But the wise man, following the way, Crosses over, beyond the reach of death. He leaves the dark way For the way of light.
For innumerable reasons, Mahamati, the Bodhisattva, whose nature is compassion, is not to eat any meat.
Harm no other beings. They are just your brothers and sisters.
You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger... Let a man overcome anger by love.
If dresses would have qualified people, then whores would have ruled the world.
All things that are born must die. Work hard for your own freedom from sorrow.
Happy are those who have overcome their egos; happy are those who have attained peace; happy are those who have found the Truth.
A victor only breeds hatred, while a defeated man lives in misery, but a man at peace within lives happily, abandoning up ideas of victory and defeat.
Winter always turns into Spring.
― Buddha Quotes
Chief Editor
Tal Gur is an author, founder, and impact-driven entrepreneur at heart. After trading his daily grind for a life of his own daring design, he spent a decade pursuing 100 major life goals around the globe. His journey and most recent book, The Art of Fully Living, has led him to found Elevate Society.
