Buddha, born with the name Siddhartha Gautama, was a teacher, philosopher and spiritual leader who is considered the founder of Buddhism. Many consider him the pioneer of psychology. Buddha lived around 2,000 BC in the area now known as Nepal.
Buddhism is a path to find mental peace and spiritual enlightenment. This is done by the individual through a process known as the eight fold path. As you can imagine Buddha’s quotes are very popular and have much to teach us, even 4000 years on (maybe especially now!).
Below are Gautama Buddha’s quotes about life, love, happiness, anger, death and much more. Enjoy.
Read to the end for more details about what Buddha’s quotes mean, what we can learn from them – and how to apply their wisdom to our own day to day lives!
Quotes By Guatama Buddha – Blow Away Doubts and Live In the Present Moment
“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.” ~ Buddha
“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” ~ Buddha
“We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world.” ~ Buddha
“Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.” ~ Buddha
“It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It can not be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell.” ~ Buddha
“Holding onto anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.” ~ Buddha
“Do not overrate what you have received, nor envy others. He who envies others does not obtain peace of mind.” ~ 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
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Click here to browse our Etsy shop selling our personally designed wall art with our favourite quotes… and hopefully some of yours too!
From Buddha, Rumi and Lao Tzu … to Epictetus, Marcus Aerelius and Socrates … to Einstein, Oscar Wilde and Mark Twain… there will be something to motivate and inspire wisdom and delight (whilst providing some beautiful home decor!)
“You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe deserve your love and affection.” ~ Buddha
“Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship.” ~ Buddha
“The mind is everything. What you think you become.” ~ 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
“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.” ~ Buddha
“All that we are is the result of what we have thought.” ~ Buddha
“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.” ~ Buddha
“Your mind is a powerful thing. When you filter it with positive thoughts, your life will start to change.” ~ Buddha
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“Change is never painful, only the resistance to change is painful.” ~ Buddha
“Do not be the judge of people; do not make assumptions about others. A person is destroyed by holding judgements about others.” ~ Buddha
“If you are poor, live wisely. If you have riches, live wisely. It is not your station in life but your heart that brings blessings.” ~ Buddha
“Delight in meditation and solitude. Compose yourself, be happy. You are a seeker.” ~ Buddha
“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.” ~ Buddha
“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.” ~ Buddha
“One moment can change a day, one day can change a life and one life can change the world.” ~ Buddha
“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.” ~ Buddha
“If you want to know the past, look at your present. If you want to know the future, look at your present.” ~ Buddha
“Sometimes it’s better to be kind than to be right. We do not need an intelligent mind that speaks, but a patient heart that listens. You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger.” ~ Buddha
“Doubt everything. Find your own light.” ~ Buddha
“Happiness will never come to those who fail to appreciate what they already have.” ~ Buddha
“Love in the past is only a memory. Love in the future is only a fantasy. True love lives in the here and now.” ~ Buddha
“We will develop love, we will practice it, we will make it both a way and a basis.” ~ Buddha
“Do not be the judge of people; do not make assumptions about others. A person is destroyed by holding judgements about others.” ~ Buddha
“It is not life and wealth and power that enslave men, but the cleaving to life and wealth and power.” ~ Buddha
“If you want to know the past, look at your present. If you want to know the future, look at your present.” ~ Buddha
“Every experience, no matter how bad it seems, holds within a blessing of some kind. The goal is to find it.” ~ Buddha
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“When you move your focus from competition to contribution life becomes a celebration. Never try to defeat people, just win their hearts.” ~ Buddha
“Since everything is a reflection of our minds, everything can be changed by our minds.” ~ Buddha
“The person who masters himself through self-control and discipline is truly undefeatable.” ~ Buddha
“Just as treasures are uncovered from the earth, so virtue appears from good deeds, and wisdom appears from a pure and peaceful mind. To walk safely through the maze of human life, one needs the light of wisdom and the guidance of virtue.” ~ Buddha
“The tongue like a sharp knife… Kills without drawing blood.” ~ Buddha
“There is no path to happiness. Happiness is the path.” ~ Buddha
“Learn to let go. That is the key to happiness.” ~ Buddha
“We are formed and molded by our thoughts. Those whose minds are shaped by selfless thoughts give joy when they speak or act. Joy follows them like a shadow that never leaves them.” ~ Buddha
“All that we are is the result of what we have thought. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him.” ~ Buddha
“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.” ~ Buddha
“There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth not going all the way, and not starting.” ~ Buddha
“Those who are free of resentful thoughts surely find peace.” ~ Buddha
“You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” ~ Buddha
“Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.” ~ Buddha
“Just as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life.” ~ Buddha
“To live a pure unselfish life, one must count nothing as one’s own in the midst of abundance.” ~ Buddha
“Your work is discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it.” ~ Buddha
“You yourself, as much as anyone in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” ~ Buddha
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“Even death is not to be feared by one who has lived wisely.” ~ Buddha
“If you want to fly give up everything that weighs you down.” ~ Buddha
“It is a man’s own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways.” ~ 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
“The virtues, like the Muses, are always seen in groups. A good principle was never found solitary in any breast.” ~ Buddha
“What is the appropriate behavior for a man or a woman in the midst of this world, where each person is clinging to his piece of debris? What’s the proper salutation between people as they pass each other in this flood?” ~ Buddha
“In a controversy the instant we feel anger we have already ceased striving for the truth, and have begun striving for ourselves.” ~ Buddha
“To be idle is a short road to death and to be diligent is a way of life foolish people are idle, wise people are diligent.” ~ Buddha
“Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn’t learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn’t learn a little, at least we didn’t get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn’t die; so, let us all be thankful.” ~ Buddha
“The foot feels the foot when it feels the ground.” ~ Buddha
“You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger.” ~ Buddha
“In our lives, change is unavoidable, loss is unavoidable. In the adaptability and ease with which we experience change, lies our happiness and freedom.” ~ Buddha
“It is better to travel well than to arrive.” ~ 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
“Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love this is the eternal rule.” ~ Buddha
“The way is not in the sky. The way is in the heart.” ~ Buddha
“Chaos is inherent in all compounded things. Strive on with diligence.” ~ Buddha
“What we think, we become.” ~ Buddha
“There has to be evil so that good can prove its purity above it.” ~ Buddha
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“Virtue is persecuted more by the wicked than it is loved by the good.” ~ Buddha
“Attachment leads to suffering.” ~ 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
“He who loves 50 people has 50 woes; he who loves no one has no woes.” ~ Buddha
“When you realize how perfect everything is you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky.” ~ Buddha
“A jug fills drop by drop.” ~ Buddha
“I do not believe in a fate that falls on men however they act but I do believe in a fate that falls on them unless they act.” ~ Buddha
“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
“I never see what has been done; I only see what remains to be done.” ~ Buddha
“All wrong-doing arises because of mind. If mind is transformed can wrong-doing remain?” ~ Buddha
“An insincere and evil friend is more to be feared than a wild beast a wild beast may wound your body, but an evil friend will wound your mind.” ~ Buddha
“Unity can only be manifested by the Binary. Unity itself and the idea of Unity are already two.” ~ Buddha
“There is nothing more dreadful than the habit of doubt. Doubt separates people. It is a poison that disintegrates friendships and breaks up pleasant relations. It is a thorn that irritates and hurts; it is a sword that kills.” ~ Buddha
“Without health life is not life it is only a state of langour and suffering – an image of death.” ~ Buddha
“No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.” ~ Buddha
“When one has the feeling of dislike for evil, when one feels tranquil, one finds pleasure in listening to good teachings when one has these feelings and appreciates them, one is free of fear.” ~ Buddha
“The wise ones fashioned speech with their thought, sifting it as grain is sifted through a sieve.” ~ 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
“The trouble is, you think you have time.” ~ Buddha
“Work out your own salvation. Do not depend on others.” ~ Buddha
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What Can We Learn From Buddha’s Quotes?
Where to start? There is so much ancient wisdom in Buddha’s words – but uncanny how over 4 millenia later they are still so relevant and resonate, down the ages.
Buddha’s teachings are rooted in the idea that everything is impermanent and that attachment leads to suffering. His quotes emphasize the importance of living in the present moment, controlling one’s thoughts, and letting go of attachment and negative emotions such as anger and envy.
Buddha believed that happiness is found within oneself and that it can be shared without diminishing it. His philosophy emphasizes the power of the mind in shaping our experiences and the importance of cultivating positive thoughts and actions.
Buddha’s core teachings are centered around the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. The Four Noble Truths are i) the truth of suffering; ii) the truth of the cause of suffering; iii) the truth of the cessation of suffering and the iv) truth of the path leading to the cessation of suffering.
What Can We Learn From Buddha’s Quotes?
Buddha’s quotes teach us that suffering is an inherent part of life and that we can learn to transcend it by changing our thoughts and actions. They also teach us the importance of mindfulness, compassion, and kindness towards ourselves and others. Buddha’s teachings offer a way to understand the nature of the human mind and the causes of suffering, and they provide a path to greater happiness, peace, and well-being.
Buddha’s quotes teach us to be mindful of our thoughts and actions, to live in the present moment, and to let go of attachment and negative emotions. They also emphasize the importance of cultivating positive thoughts and actions and the power of the mind in shaping our experiences. Through his teachings, we can learn to find happiness within ourselves and to share it with others.
What Can We Learn From Buddha’s Quotes?
To apply Buddha’s teachings in everyday life, we can start by practicing mindfulness, letting go of negative emotions, and cultivating positive thoughts and actions. We can practice mindfulness by being aware of our thoughts and emotions without judgment and focusing on the present moment. Meditation is, of course, a great starting point for developming mindfulness!
We can let go of negative emotions such as anger and envy by practicing forgiveness and understanding that they only lead to suffering – just read the quotes again if you need a reminder. You can also work on positive thoughts and actions by practicing gratitude, compassion, and kindness towards ourselves and others. A gratitude diary is an excellent place to start!
By applying these teachings in our daily lives, we can develop greater happiness, peace, and well-being, and contribute to a more compassionate and harmonious world.
Inspired by these quotes and want something unique and thoughtful to print for your walls? Something to remind you each day to put their teachings and wisdom into practice in your own life?
Click here to browse our Etsy shop selling our personally designed wall art with our favourite quotes… and hopefully some of yours too!
From Buddha, Rumi and Lao Tzu … to Epictetus, Marcus Aerelius and Socrates … to Einstein, Oscar Wilde and Mark Twain… there will be something to motivate and inspire wisdom and delight (whilst providing some beautiful home decor!)
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