The Dalai Lama is a Tibetan Buddhist monk born to a farming family in northeastern Tibet in 1935.
The Dalai Lama is the 14th and current Dalai Lama, as well as the longest-lived incumbent. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.
In 1950, at the age of 15, he was chosen to be the reincarnation of his predecessor. Still, he only got full political power in 1959 at the age of 23 when China’s People’s Liberation Army invaded and occupied Tibet.
From then on, he has served as both heads of state and government for Tibetans inside Tibet, which now comprises an area roughly equivalent to Western Europe. His Holiness has traveled worldwide, spreading his message of universal responsibility for humankind and spirituality through kindness rather than violence.
Here are 125 quotes from the Dalai Lama that will inspire you to be the best
“Through violence, you may ‘solve’ one problem, but you sow the seeds for another.”
“Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality.”
“Happiness doesn’t always come from a pursuit. Sometimes it comes when we least expect it.”
“Love and compassion are the true religions to me. But to develop this, we do not need to believe in any religion.”
“Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck.”
“If it can be solved, there’s no need to worry, and if it can’t be solved, worry is of no use.”
“Someone else’s action should not determine your response.”
“Forget the failures. Keep the lessons.”
“The important thing is that men should have a purpose in life. It should be something useful, something good.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“When we are caught up in a destructive emotion, we lose one of our greatest assets: our independence.”
“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive.”
“Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible”
“Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them.”
“When reason ends, then anger begins. Therefore, anger is a sign of weakness.”
“Home is where you feel at home and are treated well.”
“Look at situations from all angles, and you will become more open.”
“If your heart has peace, nothing can disturb you.”
“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.”
“When you practice gratefulness, there is a sense of respect toward others.”
“When you talk you are only repeating something you already know. But, if you listen you may learn something new.”
“Pain can change you, but that doesn’t mean it has to be a bad change. Take that pain and turn it into wisdom.”
“We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.”
“If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.”
“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.”
“I defeat my enemies when I make them my friends.”
“The topic of compassion is not at all religious business; it is important to know it is human business, it is a question of human survival.”
“It is very rare or almost impossible that an event can be negative from all points of view.”
“Give the ones you love wings to fly, roots to come back, and reasons to stay.”
“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”
“Anger or hatred is like a fisherman’s hook. It is very important for us to ensure that we are not caught by it.”
“To conquer oneself is a greater victory than to conquer thousands in a battle”
“People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they’re not on your road doesn’t mean they’ve gotten lost”
“The goal is not to be better than the other man, but your previous self.”
“Compassion is the radicalism of our time.”
“A disciplined mind leads to happiness, and an undisciplined mind leads to suffering.”
“In the practice of tolerance, one’s enemy is the best teacher.”
“An open heart is an open mind.”
“The more you are motivated by love, the more fearless and free your action will be.”
“Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.”
“It is under the greatest adversity that there exists the greatest potential for doing good, both for oneself and others.”
“My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.”
“Choose to be optimistic, it feels better.”
“Sometimes one creates a dynamic impression by saying something, and sometimes one creates as significant an impression by remaining silent.”
“We need to learn to want what we have, not to have what we want, in order to get stable and steady happiness.”
“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.”
“Just one small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day.”
“To conquer oneself is a greater victory than to conquer thousands in a battle.”
“Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.”
“The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation.”
“Silence is sometimes the best answer”
“The world doesn’t belong to leaders. The world belongs to all humanity.”
“Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.”
“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.”
“Know the rules well, so you can break them effectively.”
“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.”
“In our struggle for freedom, truth is the only weapon we possess”
“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.”
“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.”
“When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.”
“All suffering is caused by ignorance. People inflict pain on others in the selfish pursuit of their own happiness or satisfaction”
“An eye for an eye….we are all blind”
“The whole purpose of religion is to facilitate love and compassion, patience, tolerance, humility, and forgiveness.”
“A truly compassionate attitude toward others does not change even if they behave negatively or hurt you.”
“If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you, it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun.”
“Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.”
“People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they’re not on your road doesn’t mean they’ve gotten lost.”
“Only the development of compassion and understanding for others can bring us the tranquility and happiness we all seek.”
“The more you are motivated by Love, The more Fearless & Free your action will be.”
“Neither a space station nor an enlightened mind can be realized in a day.”
“We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves”
“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.”
“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.”
“The way to change others’ minds is with affection, and not anger.”
“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.”
“Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.”
“Instead of wondering WHY this is happening to you, consider why this is happening to YOU.”
“Give the ones you love wings to fly, roots to come back and reasons to stay.”
“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.”
“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion”
“Compassion is not religious business, it is human business, it is not luxury, it is essential for our own peace and mental stability, it is essential for human survival.”
“Where ignorance is our master, there is no possibility of real peace.”
“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.”
“Smile if you want a smile from another face.”
“No matter what sort of difficulties, how painful experience is, if we lose our hope, that’s our real disaster.”
“Silence is sometimes the best answer.”
“We can live without religion and meditation, but we cannot survive without human affection.”
“The best way to resolve any problem in the human world is for all sides to sit down and talk.”
“Never give up. No matter what is happening, no matter what is going on around you, never give up.”
“The true hero is one who conquers his own anger and hatred.”
“Through difficult experiences, life sometimes becomes more meaningful.”
“Do not let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace.”
“Compassion naturally creates a positive atmosphere, and as a result you feel peaceful and content.”
“The ultimate source of my mental happiness is my peace of mind. Nothing can destroy this except my own anger.”
“A lack of transparency results in distrust and a deep sense of insecurity.”
“The more you are motivated by Love,
The more Fearless & Free your action will be.”
“Love is the absence of judgement.”
“Generally speaking, if a human being never shows anger, then I think something’s wrong. He’s not right in the brain.”
“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.”
“The more you are motivated by love, the more fearless & free your action will be”
“Love is the absence of judgment.”
“Some mischievous people always there. Last several thousand years, always there. In future, also.”
“True friendship develops not as a result of money or power but on the basis of genuine human affection.”
“The ultimate source of happiness is not money and power, but warm-heartedness”
“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.”
“My faith helps me overcome such negative emotions and find my equilibrium.”
“Follow the three R’s: – Respect for self. – Respect for others. – Responsibility for all your actions.”
“World peace must develop from inner peace. Peace is not just mere absence of violence. Peace is, I think, the manifestation of human compassion.”
“Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions”
“The ultimate source of happiness is not money and power, but warm-heartedness.”
“A truly compassionate attitude toward others does not change even if they behave negatively or hurt you”
“Let us try to recognize the precious nature of each day.”
“All suffering is caused by ignorance. People inflict pain on others in the selfish pursuit of their own happiness or satisfaction.”
“In order to become prosperous, a person must initially work very hard, so he or she has to sacrifice a lot of leisure time.”
“In our struggle for freedom, truth is the only weapon we possess.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“Sleep is the best meditation.”
“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.”
“I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest. I do not judge the universe.”
“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.”