Inspiration, Life, Motivation

70 Inspiring and Life Quotes by Dalai Lama

Famous Quotes by Dalai Lama

Dalai Lama is the 14th and current Dalai Lama, the head parson of the Gelugpa ancestry of Tibetan Buddhism. He is also the longest lived incumbent gifting words of motivation as well as guidance that help to revolutionize peoples’ lives. We have gathered few of his insightful quotes.

  1. “Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.” - Dalai Lama
  2. “If you can, help others; if you cannot do that, at least do not harm them.” - Dalai Lama
  3. “The ultimate authority must always rest with the individual’s own reason and critical analysis.” - Dalai Lama
  4. “If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.” - Dalai Lama
  5. “In order to carry a positive action we must develop here a positive vision.” - Dalai Lama
  6. “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
  7. “We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.” - Dalai Lama
  8. “A good friend who points out mistakes and imperfections and rebukes evil is to be respected as if he reveals the secret of some hidden treasure.” - Dalai Lama
  9. “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
  10. “Love is the absence of judgment.” - Dalai Lama
  11. “The true hero is one who conquers his own anger and hatred.” - Dalai Lama
  12. “Through violence, you may ‘solve’ one problem, but you sow the seeds for another.” - Dalai Lama
  13. “My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.” - Dalai Lama
  14. “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
  15. “To conquer oneself is a greater victory than to conquer thousands in a battle.” - Dalai Lama
  16. “There is a saying in Tibetan, ‘Tragedy should be utilized as a source of strength.’ No matter what sort of difficulties, how painful experience is, if we lose our hope, that’s our real disaster.” - Dalai Lama
  17. “The creatures that inhabit this earth-be they human beings or animals-are here to contribute, each in its own particular way, to the beauty and prosperity of the world.” - Dalai Lama
  18. “A spoon cannot taste of the food it carries. Likewise, a foolish man cannot understand the wise man´s wisdom even if he associates with a sage.” - Dalai Lama
  19. “Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.” - Dalai Lama
  20. “In our struggle for freedom, truth is the only weapon we possess.” - Dalai Lama
  21. “With realization of one’s own potential and self-confidence in one’s ability, one can build a better world.” - Dalai Lama
  22. “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.” - Dalai Lama
  23. “When you think everything is someone else’s fault, you will suffer a lot. When you realize that everything springs only from yourself, you will learn both peace and joy.” - Dalai Lama
  24. “Where ignorance is our master, there is no possibility of real peace.” - Dalai Lama
  25. “Silence is sometimes the best answer” - Dalai Lama
  26. “The mind is like a parachute. It works best when it’s open.” - Dalai Lama
  27. “Open your arms to change but don’t let go of your values.” - Dalai Lama
  28. “Know the rules well, so you can break them effectively.” - Dalai Lama
  29. “Spend some time alone everyday.” - Dalai Lama
  30. “Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.” - Dalai Lama
  31. “This is my simple religion. No need for temples. No need for complicated philosophy. Your own mind, your own heart is the temple. Your philosophy is simple kindness.” - Dalai Lama
  32. “Choose to be optimistic, it feels better.” - Dalai Lama
  33. “Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck.” - Dalai Lama
  34. “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.” - Dalai Lama
  35. “Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them.” - Dalai Lama
  36. “People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they’re not on your road doesn’t mean they’ve gotten lost.” - Dalai Lama
  37. “Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.” - Dalai Lama
  38. “I believe compassion to be one of the few things we can practice that will bring immediate and long-term happiness to our lives. I’m not talking about the short-term gratification of pleasures like sex, drugs or gambling (though I’m not knocking them), but something that will bring true and lasting happiness. The kind that sticks.” - Dalai Lama
  39. “The whole purpose of religion is to facilitate love and compassion, patience, tolerance, humility, and forgiveness.” - Dalai Lama
  40. “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
  41. “Only the development of compassion and understanding for others can bring us the tranquility and happiness we all seek.” - Dalai Lama
  42. “Look at children. Of course they may quarrel, but generally speaking they do not harbor ill feelings as much or as long as adults do. Most adults have the advantage of education over children, but what is the use of an education if they show a big smile while hiding negative feelings deep inside? Children don’t usually act in such a manner. If they feel angry with someone, they express it, and then it is finished. They can still play with that person the following day.” - Dalai Lama
  43. “Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.” - Dalai Lama
  44. “If you can cultivate the right attitude, your enemies are your best spiritual teachers because their presence provides you with the opportunity to enhance and develop tolerance, patience and understanding.” - Dalai Lama
  45. “Sleep is the best meditation.” - Dalai Lama
  46. “The way to change others’ minds is with affection, and not anger.” - Dalai Lama
  47. “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
  48. “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.” - Dalai Lama
  49. “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” - Dalai Lama
  50. “When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.” - Dalai Lama
  51. “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
  52. “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.” - Dalai Lama
  53. “We can live without religion and meditation, but we cannot survive without human affection.” - Dalai Lama
  54. “The more you are motivated by Love, The more Fearless & Free your action will be.” - Dalai Lama
  55. “All suffering is caused by ignorance. People inflict pain on others in the selfish pursuit of their own happiness or satisfaction.” - Dalai Lama
  56. “A truly compassionate attitude toward others does not change even if they behave negatively or hurt you.” - Dalai Lama
  57. “We must recognize that the suffering of one person or one nation is the suffering of humanity. That the happiness of one person or nation is the happiness of humanity.” - Dalai Lama
  58. “In the practice of tolerance, one’s enemy is the best teacher.” - Dalai Lama
  59. “Love and Compassion are the true religions to me. But to develop this, we do not need to believe in any religion.” - Dalai Lama
  60. “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
  61. “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.” -Dalai Lama
  62. “Compassion is the radicalism of our time.” - Dalai Lama
  63. “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.” - Dalai Lama
  64. “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
  65. “I defeat my enemies when I make them my friends.” - Dalai Lama
  66. “When we are motivated by compassion and wisdom, the results of our actions benefit everyone, not just our individual selves or some immediate convenience. When we are able to recognize and forgive ignorant actions of the past, we gain strength to constructively solve the problems of the present.” - Dalai Lama
  67. “Peace does not mean an absence of conflicts; differences will always be there. Peace means solving these differences through peaceful means; through dialogue, education, knowledge; and through humane ways.” - Dalai Lama
  68. “If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you, it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun.” - Dalai Lama
  69. “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
  70. “It is under the greatest adversity that there exists the greatest potential for doing good, both for oneself and others.” - Dalai Lama

We hope the enjoyed the above quotes by Dalai Lama. If you have more of his quotes feel free to share through comments.