101 Buddha Quotes on Life, Meditation & Compassion
Buddhism has been around for more than 2500 years and is a very spiritual, genuine, and peaceful way of life of about 490 million followers and scholars around the world. Buddha quotes which I will be sharing here encompass the philosophy of Gautama Buddha’s (founder of Buddhism) teachings and about Buddhism.
Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism left his home at the age of 35. He experimented with different teachings for years, and found none of them acceptable. Sitting under a Bodhi tree and meditating, he finally found the answer to the questions of suffering that he had been seeking for so many years.
In that moment of pure enlightenment, Siddhartha Gautama became the Buddha (“he who is awake”).
If you want to see the best Buddha quotes in one place, then you’ll LOVE this post. Here are famous and inspirational Buddha Quotes (words of wisdom) on Meditation, Spirituality, and Happiness
Buddha Quotes
- “To conquer oneself is a greater task than conquering others.” – Buddha
- “If anything is worth doing, do it with all your heart.” – Buddha
- “The past is already gone, the future is not yet here. There’s only one moment for you to live.” – Buddha
- “If you find no one to support you on the spiritual path, walk alone. There is no companionship with the immature.” – Buddha
- “Everything that has a beginning has an ending. Make your peace with that and all will be well.” – Buddha
- “Pain is certain, suffering is optional.” – Buddha
- “When words are both true and kind, they can change the world” – Buddha
- “Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.” – Buddha
- “Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.” – Buddha
- “One moment can change a day, one day can change a life and one life can change the world.” – Buddha
Gautama Buddha Quotes
- “All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become.” – Buddha
- “As you walk and eat and travel, be where you are. Otherwise you will miss most of your life.” – Buddha
- “Nothing is permanent.” – Buddha
- “A man is not called wise because he talks and talks again; but is he peaceful, loving and fearless then he is in truth called wise.” – Buddha
- “Even as a solid rock is unshaken by the wind, so are the wise unshaken by praise or blame.” – Buddha
- “It is better to travel well than to arrive.” – Buddha
- “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.” – Buddha
- “To keep the body in good health is a duty…otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.” – Buddha
- “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.” – Buddha
- “Imagine that every person in the world is enlightened but you. They are all your teachers, each doing just the right things to help you.” – Buddha
Buddha Quotes
- “Speak or act with an impure mind and trouble will follow you.” – Buddha
- “Even death is not to be feared by one who has lived wisely.” – Buddha
- “Whatever words we utter should be chosen with care for people will hear them and be influenced by them for good or ill.” – Buddha
- “An idea that is developed and put into action is more important than an idea that exists only as an idea.” – Buddha
- “Have compassion for all beings, rich and poor alike; each has their suffering. Some suffer too much, others too little.” – Buddha
- “Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” – Buddha
- “If you knew what I know about the power of giving you would not let a single meal pass without sharing it in some way.” – Buddha
- “Learn this from water: loud splashes the brook but the oceans depth are calm.” – Buddha
- “No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.” – Buddha
- “If a man’s thoughts are muddy, If he is reckless and full of deceit, How can he wear the yellow robe? Whoever is master of his own nature, Bright, clear and true, He may indeed wear the yellow robe.” – Buddha
Buddha Inspiring Short Quotes
- “I never see what has been done; I only see what remains to be done.” – Buddha
- “You only lose what you cling to.” – Buddha
- “Nothing ever exists entirely alone; everything is in relation to everything else.” – Buddha
- “In the end these things matter most: How well did you love? How fully did you live? How deeply did you let go?” – Buddha
- “A jug fills drop by drop.” – Buddha
- “The only real failure in life is not to be true to the best one knows.” – Buddha
- “Purity or impurity depends on oneself. No one can purify another.” – Buddha
- “Wear your ego like a loose fitting garment.” – Buddha
- “People with opinions just go around bothering one another.” – Buddha
- “There isn’t enough darkness in all the world to snuff out the light of one little candle.” – Buddha
Famous Buddha Quotes
- “The trouble is, you think you have time.” – Buddha
- “To abstain from lying is essentially wholesome.” – Buddha
- “Avoid evil deeds as a man who loves life avoids poison.” – Buddha
- “Every human being is the author of his own health or disease.” – Buddha
- “Your body is precious. It is our vehicle for awakening. Treat it with care.” – Buddha
- “Remembering a wrong is like carrying a burden on the mind.” – Buddha
- “Every morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.” – Buddha
- “If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change.” – Buddha
- “Those who have failed to work toward the truth have missed the purpose of living.” – Buddha
- “In separateness lies the world’s greatest misery; in compassion lies the world’s true strength.” – Buddha
Buddha Quotes
- “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.” – Buddha
- “If the problem can be solved why worry? If the problem cannot be solved worrying will do you no good.” – Buddha
- “Teach this triple truth to all: A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are the things which renew humanity.” – Buddha
- “However many holy words you read, however many you speak, What good will they do you If you do not act on upon them?” – Buddha
- “Work out your own salvation. Do not depend on others.” – Buddha
- “All wrong-doing arises because of mind. If mind is transformed can wrong-doing remain?” – Buddha
- “It is a man’s own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways.” – Buddha
- “We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves.” – Buddha
- “There is nothing so disobedient as an undisciplined mind, and there is nothing so obedient as a disciplined mind.” – Buddha
- “Your worst enemy cannot harm you as much as your own unguarded thoughts.” – Buddha
Inspirational Buddha Quotes
- “Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.” – Buddha
- “A disciplined mind brings happiness.” – Buddha
- “Those who are free of resentful thoughts surely find peace.” – Buddha
- “There has to be evil so that good can prove its purity above it.” – Buddha
- “It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you.” – Buddha
- “The whole secret of existence is to have no fear. Never fear what will become of you, depend on no one. Only the moment you reject all help are you freed.” – Buddha
- “Set your heart on doing good. Do it over and over again and you will be filled with joy.” – Buddha
- “You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger.” – Buddha
- “The root of suffering is attachment.” – Buddha
- “You cannot travel the path until you have become the path itself.” – Buddha
Buddha Quotes on Happiness
- “There is no path to happiness. Happiness is the path.” – Buddha
- “It is ridiculous to think that somebody else can make you happy or unhappy.” – Buddha
- “Happiness does not depend on what you have or who you are. It solely relies on what you think.” – Buddha
- “Happiness will never come to those who fail to appreciate what they already have.” – Buddha
- “If you are quiet enough, you will hear the flow of the universe. You will feel its rhythm. Go with this flow. Happiness lies ahead. Meditation is key.” – Buddha
- “Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.” – Buddha
- “There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting.” – Buddha
- “Anger will never disappear so long as thoughts of resentment are cherished in the mind. Anger will disappear just as soon as thoughts of resentment are forgotten.” – Buddha
- “If you light a lamp for somebody, it will also brighten your path.” – Buddha
- “Meditation brings wisdom; lack of meditation leaves ignorance. Know well what leads you forward and what holds you back, and choose the path that leads to wisdom.” – Buddha
Buddha Quotes
- “Your work is to discover your work and then with all your heart to give yourself to it.” – Buddha
- “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.” – Buddha
- “The tongue like a sharp knife… Kills without drawing blood.” – Buddha
- “A dog is not considered a good dog because he is a good barker. A man is not considered a good man because he is a good talker.” – Buddha
- “Quiet the mind and the soul will speak.” – Buddha
- “If you want to fly, give up everything that weighs you down.” – Buddha
- “Don’t rush anything. When the time is right it’ll happen.” – Buddha
- “To understand everything is to forgive everything.” – Buddha
- “When it hurts, observe. Life is trying to teach you something.” – Buddha
- “Change is never painful. Only resistance to change is painful.” – Buddha
Best Buddha Quotes
- “Suffering is not holding you, you are holding suffering.” – Buddha
- “Virtue is persecuted more by the wicked than it is loved by the good.” – Buddha
- “Give, even if you only have a little.” – Buddha
- “Neither fire, nor wind, birth, nor death, can erase our good deeds.” – Buddha
- “There is no fear for one whose mind is not filled with desires.” – Buddha
- “Endurance is one of the most difficult disciplines, but it is to the one who endures that the final victory comes.” – Buddha
- “Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love; this is the eternal rule.” – Buddha
- “True love is born from understanding.” – Buddha
- “Just as a snake sheds its skin, we must shed our past over and over again.” – Buddha
- “If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete.” – Buddha
- “If you are facing in the right direction, all you need to do is keep on walking.” – Buddha
