The current and 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, stems from a Tibetan line of custodians who are believed to be incarnations of the Bodhisattva of Compassion. As such, his teachings focus on promoting tolerance, forgiveness, empathy, and self-discipline. The Dalai Lama is not only the leader of the Tibetan exile government and therefore one of the most popular world leaders but is also regarded as a wise spiritual teacher. In fact, the profound lessons he shares on living the good life and peaceful coexistence have greatly contributed to his reputation as one of the central spiritual teachers alive. In the following, you can find a collection of the most powerful, wise, profound, and inspirational Dalai Lama quotes.
If you’ve ever listened to a speech of the Dalai Lama or read one of his books, you will know why he has become such a popular spiritual leader. His beautiful message highlights the importance of discovering simple ways to be happy and learning to be content with what you already have. At the same time, the Dalai Lama is one of the most well-known promoters of world peace.
“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.”
Dalai Lama XIV
It is, therefore, understandable why many Buddhists believe that the Bodhisattva of Compassion desired to share his message of peace with the world, which is why he chose to reincarnate as the 14th Dalai Lama.
Enjoy the following collection of the most powerful Dalai Lama quotes.
Irrespective of whether this is the case or not, it can be safely said that the 14th Dalai Lama is not only a great man of wisdom but also an important peacemaker. His words and actions have greatly contributed to the benefit of mankind and have helped to make this world a better place. Let’s have a look at some of the wisest statements and sayings of the current Dalai Lama.
115 Inspirational Dalai Lama Quotes
Having a couple of inspiring Dalai Lama quotes at hand can be quite helpful, especially during challenging times. By reading these profound jewels of wisdom from a true Sage, you can quickly lift your mood. Not to mention that you will always find some pearls of wisdom that are applicable in your current situation.
Similarly, there are many Dalai Lama quotes on happiness that will help you to remember that it doesn’t take much to be truly happy. Even more so, his profound sayings will show you that real happiness comes from within and that it’s not difficult to access this inner stream of happiness.
Enjoy the following collection of some of the most inspirational Dalai Lama quotes about peace, happiness, and living the good life.
1. The purpose of life
“The purpose of our lives is to be happy.”
Dalai Lama
2. Stop thinking you’re insignificant
“If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.”
Dalai Lama
3. Understanding the rules
“Know the rules well, so you can break them effectively.”
Dalai Lama
4. About those you love
“Give the ones you love wings to fly, roots to come back and reasons to stay.”
Dalai Lama
5. Surviving without religion and meditation
“We can live without religion and meditation, but we cannot survive without human affection.”
Dalai Lama
6. Happiness
“Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.”
Dalai Lama
7. Days where nothing can be done
“There are only two days in the year that nothing can be done. One is called Yesterday and the other is called Tomorrow. Today is the right day to Love, Believe, Do and mostly Live.”
Dalai Lama
8. When you don’t get what you want
“Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck.”
Dalai Lama
9. The way to obtain peace
“We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.”
Dalai Lama
10. A simple religion
“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
11. Explanation of the best relationship
“Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.”
Dalai Lama
12. Attaining fulfillment and happiness
“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
13. The way to carry a positive action
“In order to carry a positive action we must develop a positive vision.”
Dalai Lama
14. Benefiting from difficulties
“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
15. A person that has everything
“Even when a person has all of life’s comforts – good food, good shelter, a companion – he or she can still become unhappy when encountering a tragic situation.”
Dalai Lama
16. Being grateful
“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
17. The power of silence
“Silence is sometimes the best answer.”
Dalai Lama
18. About anger and hatred
“Anger or hatred is like a fisherman’s hook. It is very important for us to ensure that we are not caught by it.”
Dalai Lama
19. The importance of attaining inner peace
“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
20. About making mistakes
“When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.”
Dalai Lama
21. Awareness
“Religion, any religion, no matter what sort of wonderful religion, never is universal. So now education is universal, so we have to sort of find ways and means through the education system, from kindergarten up to university level, to make awareness these good things, the values, inner values.”
Dalai Lama
22. Giving things a meaning
“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
23. Developing compassion
“Only the development of compassion and understanding for others can bring us the tranquility and happiness we all seek.”
Dalai Lama
24. Cultivating the right attitude
“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
25. The power of faith
“My faith helps me overcome such negative emotions and find my equilibrium.”
Dalai Lama
26. The way to evaluate your successes
“Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.”
Dalai Lama
27. Choose kindness
“Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.”
Dalai Lama
28. The way to react to tragedy
“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
29. Living together
“We all have to live together, so we might as well live together happily.”
Dalai Lama
30. About true heroes
“The true hero is one who conquers his own anger and hatred.”
Dalai Lama
31. Choosing optimism
“Choose to be optimistic, it feels better.”
Dalai Lama
32. The benefit of a calm mind
“A calm mind brings inner strength and self-confidence, so that’s very important for good health.”
Dalai Lama
33. Selfishness
“If we think only of ourselves, forget about other people, then our minds occupy a very small area. Inside that small area, even tiny problem appears very big. But the moment you develop a sense of concern for others, you realize that, just like ourselves, they also want happiness; they also want satisfaction. When you have this sense of concern, your mind automatically widens. At this point, your own problems, even big problems, will not be so significant. The result? Big increase in peace of mind. So, if you think only of yourself, only your own happiness, the result is actually less happiness. You get more anxiety, more fear.”
Dalai Lama
34. Compassion
“The more compassionate the mind, the more sense of concern for other’s well-being, which is the source of happiness.”
Dalai Lama
35. Without love and compassion
“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive.”
Dalai Lama
36. Material possessions
“Physical comforts cannot subdue mental suffering, and if we look closely, we can see that those who have many possessions are not necessarily happy. In fact, being wealthy often brings even more anxiety.”
Dalai Lama
37. Reaching certain stages
“Human use, population, and technology have reached that certain stage where mother Earth no longer accepts our presence with silence.”
Dalai Lama
38. Suppressing anger
“Generally speaking, if a human being never shows anger, then I think something’s wrong. He’s not right in the brain.”
Dalai Lama
39. About sleep
“Sleep is the best meditation.”
Dalai Lama
40. The way to establish world peace
“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
41. Worrying about unsolvable problems
“If there is no solution to the problem then don’t waste time worrying about it. If there is a solution to the problem then don’t waste time worrying about it.”
Dalai Lama
42. The benefits of difficult times
“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
43. About children
“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 dont 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
44. What happens during times of adversity
“It is under the greatest adversity that there exists the greatest potential for doing good, both for oneself and others.”
Dalai Lama
45. The purpose of religion
“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
46. Having compassion with others
“A truly compassionate attitude toward others does not change even if they behave negatively or hurt you.”
Dalai Lama
47. The consequences of ignorance
“All suffering is caused by ignorance. People inflict pain on others in the selfish pursuit of their own happiness or satisfaction
Dalai Lama
48. Taking risks
“Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.”
Dalai Lama
49. The importance of friendship
“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
50. Practicing compassion
“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
51. Living life
“There is only one important point you must keep in your mind and let it be your guide. No matter what people call you, you are just who you are. Keep to this truth. You must ask yourself how is it you want to live your life. We live and we die, this is the truth that we can only face alone. No one can help us, not even the Buddha. So consider carefully, what prevents you from living the way you want to live your life?
Dalai Lama
52. Violent suppression
“It is difficult to violently suppress people in the long run, as the example of the Soviet Union and the Eastern European countries has shown.”
Dalai Lama
53. The pursuit of happiness
“Happiness doesn’t always come from a pursuit. Sometimes it comes when we least expect it.”
Dalai Lama
54. Changing within
“True change is within; leave the outside as it is.”
Dalai Lama
55. Dealing with enemies
“I defeat my enemies when I make them my friends.”
Dalai Lama
56. Open hearts
“An open heart is an open mind.”
Dalai Lama
57. The wish to live
“Life is as dear to a mute creature as it is to man. Just as one wants happiness and fears pain, just as one wants to live and not die, so do other creatures.”
Dalai Lama
58. Indifference
“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.”
Dalai Lama
59. Doing something good
“We are visitors on this planet. We are here for one hundred years at the very most. During that period we must try to do something good, something useful, with our lives. if you contribute to other people’s happiness, you will find the true meaning of life.”
Dalai Lama
60. Becoming happy
“We need to learn how to want what we have NOT to have what we want in order to get steady and stable Happiness
Dalai Lama
61. Other people’s actions
“Someone else’s action should not determine your response.”
Dalai Lama
62. The features of human life
“The various features and aspects of human life, such as longevity, good health, success, happiness, and so forth, which we consider desirable, are all dependent on kindness and a good heart.”
Dalai Lama
63. Avoiding difficulties
“Although you may not always be able to avoid difficult situations, you can modify the extent to which you can suffer by how you choose to respond to the situation.”
Dalai Lama
64. Ignoring moral principles
“Dangerous consequences will follow when politicians and rulers forget moral principles. Whether we believe in God or karma, ethics is the foundation of every religion.”
Dalai Lama
65. Pursuing moral ethics
“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
66. Disciplining your mind
“Whether our action is wholesome or unwholesome depends on whether that action or deed arises from a disciplined or undisciplined state of mind. It is felt that a disciplined mind leads to happiness and an undisciplined mind leads to suffering, and in fact it is said that bringing about discipline within one’s mind is the essence of the Buddha’s teaching.”
Dalai Lama
67. Compassion and wisdom
“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
68. Those who do wrong
“You must not hate those who do wrong or harmful things; but with compassion, you must do what you can to stop them — for they are harming themselves, as well as those who suffer from their actions.”
Dalai Lama
69. About 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.”
Dalai Lama
70. Sharing your wisdom
“Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality.”
Dalai Lama
71. About walking the walk
“It is not enough to be compassionate, we must act.”
Dalai Lama
72. Developing inner happiness
“When we feel love and kindness toward others, it not only makes others feel loved and cared for, but it helps us also to develop inner happiness and peace.”
Dalai Lama
73. We are all the same
“Whether one is rich or poor, educated or illiterate, religious or nonbelieving, man or woman, black, white, or brown, we are all the same. Physically, emotionally, and mentally, we are all equal. We all share basic needs for food, shelter, safety, and love. We all aspire to happiness and we all shun suffering. Each of us has hopes, worries, fears, and dreams. Each of us wants the best for our family and loved ones. We all experience pain when we suffer loss and joy when we achieve what we seek. On this fundamental level, religion, ethnicity, culture, and language make no difference.”
Dalai Lama
74. Disciplined minds
“A disciplined mind leads to happiness, and an undisciplined mind leads to suffering.”
Dalai Lama
75. The beauty of a genuine smile
“A genuine, affectionate smile is very important in our day-to-day lives.”
Dalai Lama
76. Inner tranquility
“I have found that the greatest degree of inner tranquility comes from the development of love and compassion. The more we care for the happiness of others, the greater is our own sense of well-being. Cultivating a close, warmhearted feeling for others automatically puts the mind at ease. It is the ultimate source of success in life.”
Dalai Lama
77. Being afraid of suffering
“Every single being, even those who are hostile to us, is just as afraid of suffering as we are, and seeks happiness in the same way we do. Every person has the same right as we do to be happy and not to suffer. So let’s take care of others wholeheartedly, of both our friends and our enemies. This is the basis for true compassion.”
Dalai Lama
78. The precious nature of life
“Let us try to recognize the precious nature of each day.”
Dalai Lama
79. What it means to be at home
“Home is where you feel at home and are treated well.”
Dalai Lama
80. Abandoning false beliefs
“If scientific analysis were conclusively to demonstrate certain claims in Buddhism to be false, then we must accept the findings of science and abandon those claims.”
Dalai Lama
81. Practicing compassion
“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”
Dalai Lama
82. Fixing problems
“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
83. Equality between the genders
“The basic Buddhist stand on the question of equality between the genders is age-old. At the highest tantric levels, at the highest esoteric level, you must respect women: every woman.”
Dalai Lama
84. Being tolerant
“In the practice of tolerance, one’s enemy is the best teacher.”
Dalai Lama
85. A wasted life
“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.”
Dalai Lama
86. The importance of practicing gratefulness
“When you practice gratefulness, there is a sense of respect toward others.”
Dalai Lama
87. Changing others
“The way to change others’ minds is with affection, and not anger.”
Dalai Lama
88. About being a monk
“I describe myself as a simple Buddhist monk. No more, no less.”
Dalai Lama
89. Being afraid of pain
“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
90. Being open to change
“Open your arms to change but don’t let go of your values.”
Dalai Lama
91. Being angry
“Anger is the ultimate destroyer of your own peace of mind.”
Dalai Lama
92. Dynamic impressions
“Sometimes one creates a dynamic impression by saying something, and sometimes one creates as significant an impression by remaining silent.”
Dalai Lama
93. Appreciating goodness
“The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness.”
Dalai Lama
94. About force and fear
“Logically, harmony must come from the heart… Harmony is very much based on trust. As soon as use force, creates fear. Fear and trust cannot go together.”
Dalai Lama
95. Interdependence
“Appearance is something absolute, but reality is not that way – everything is interdependent, not absolute. So that view is very helpful to maintain a peace of mind because the main destroyer of a peaceful mind is anger.”
Dalai Lama
96. Appreciating kindness and compassion
“Whether one believes in a religion or not, and whether one believes in rebirth or not, there isn’t anyone who doesn’t appreciate kindness and compassion.”
Dalai Lama
97. Try to help others
“If you can, help others; if you cannot do that, at least do not harm them.”
Dalai Lama
98. Solving problems
“The best way to resolve any problem in the human world is for all sides to sit down and talk.”
Dalai Lama
99. Finding hope
“I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest. I do not judge the universe.”
Dalai Lama
100. Being kind
“To be kind, honest and have positive thoughts; to forgive those who harm us and treat everyone as a friend; to help those who are suffering and never to consider ourselves superior to anyone else: even if this advice seems rather simplistic, make the effort of seeing whether by following it you can find greater happiness.”
Dalai Lama
101. The way to become prosperous
“In order to become prosperous, a person must initially work very hard, so he or she has to sacrifice a lot of leisure time.”
Dalai Lama
102. The results of a lack of transparency
“A lack of transparency results in distrust and a deep sense of insecurity.”
Dalai Lama
103. Love
“Love is the absence of judgment.”
Dalai Lama
104. Ignorance
“Where ignorance is our master, there is no possibility of real peace.”
Dalai Lama
105. Changing history
“The Chinese government wants me to say that for many centuries Tibet has been part of China. Even if I make that statement, many people would just laugh. And my statement will not change past history. History is history.”
Dalai Lama
106. Being discontent
“When you are discontent, you always want more, more, more. Your desire can never be satisfied. But when you practice contentment, you can say to yourself, ‘Oh yes – I already have everything that I really need.’
Dalai Lama
107. About climate change
“Some scientists believe climate change is the cause of unprecedented melting of the North Pole, and that effects these very uncertain weather patterns. I think we should listen to those scientists and experts.”
Dalai Lama
108. Unfolding your potential
“With the realization of one’s own potential and self-confidence in one’s ability, one can build a better world.”
Dalai Lama
109. Past, present, and future
“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.”
Dalai Lama
110. About miracles
“If some people have the belief or view that the Dalai Lama has some miracle power, that’s totally nonsense.”
Dalai Lama
111. Making a contribution
“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
112. Having a purpose
“The important thing is that men should have a purpose in life. It should be something useful, something good.”
Dalai Lama
113. Disagreeing
“I totally disagree with the view that the Tibet struggle will die, and there will be no hope for Tibet, after the Dalai Lama passes away.”
Dalai Lama
114. Temples and philosophies
“There is no need for temples, no need for complicated philosophies. My brain and my heart are my temples; my philosophy is kindness.”
Dalai Lama
115. Being unbiased
“Look at situations from all angles, and you will become more open.”
Dalai Lama
I hope you enjoyed reading this collection of Dalai Lama quotes. What are your favorite quotes from the spiritual leader of Tibet?
Stay victorious!
