Looking for some enlightenment? We have rounded the best Buddha quotes and sayings on love, life, happiness, peace, karma, peace, anger, death, change, mindfulness, wisdom, and action to inspire you.
Siddhartha Gautama, known as the Buddha, was a spiritual teacher and the founder of Buddhism, which originated in ancient India around the 5th century BCE.
He was a prince by birth who in his early 20s, experienced realities of the world that led him on a quest for enlightenment.
Buddha quotes are wise sayings and teachings attributed to the Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. He lived in ancient India over 2,500 years ago and is considered one of the greatest spiritual leaders in human history.
His teachings are focused on achieving inner peace and enlightenment through mindfulness, compassion, and self-reflection.
It is said that the “awakened one” was the son of a king who wanted to keep him away from seeing the world’s suffering and hardship. He renounced the palace and eventually attained enlightenment.
After years of deep meditation, he realized that attachment and desire lead to unhappiness in life.
He believed that enlightenment, or “Nirvana“, was achieved when one’s mind is compassionate, free of greed, and attachment, and focused on the present moment.
Top 10 Buddha Quotes
- “What we think, we become.” – Buddha
buddha quotes on life - “The root of suffering is attachment.” – Buddha
- “Quiet the mind and the soul will speak.” – Buddha
- “A disciplined mind brings happiness.” – Buddha
- “To be angry is to let others’ mistakes punish yourself.” – Buddha
- “Be vigilant; guard your mind against negative thoughts.” – Buddha
- “To conquer oneself is a greater task than conquering others.” – Buddha
- “The only real failure in life is not to be true to the best one knows.” – Buddha
Best Buddha Quotes - “Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.” – 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
Best Buddha Quotes
- “Everything changes, nothing remains without change.” – Buddha
- “There is no fear for one whose mind is not filled with desires.” — Buddha
- “The mind is everything. What you think you become.” — Buddha
- “To understand everything is to forgive everything.” ― Gautama Buddha
- “Even death is not to be feared by one who has lived wisely.” – Buddha
- “Good health is simply the slowest way a human being can die,” – Buddha
- “Nothing can harm you as much as your own thoughts unguarded.” — Buddha
- “If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.” – Buddha
- “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
Famous Buddha Quotes On Karma
- “Karma grows from our hearts. Karma terminates from our hearts.” — Buddha
- “Once you know the nature of anger and joy is empty and you let them go, you free yourself from karma.” ― Gautama Buddha
- “One who previously made bad karma, but who reforms and creates good karma, brightens the world like the moon appearing from behind a cloud.” — Buddha
- “When action comes out of nothing it creates no karma.” — Buddha
- “One who acts on truth is happy in this world and beyond.” — Buddha
- “All that we are is the result of what we have thought; what we think we become.” — Buddha
- “If you light a lamp for somebody, it will also brighten your path.” — Buddha
- “Your body is precious. It is our vehicle for awakening. Treat it with care.” — Buddha
- “The tongue like a sharp knife… kills without drawing blood.” — Buddha
- “Do not overrate what you have received, nor envy others. He who envies others does not obtain peace of mind.”- Buddha
Buddha Quotes On Love
- “True love is born from understanding.” ― The Buddha
- “Radiate boundless love towards the entire world.”― The Buddha
- “Love is a gift of one’s innermost soul to another so both can be whole.” ― The Buddha
- “When you like a flower, you just pluck it. But when you love a flower, you water it daily.” – Buddha
- “In separateness lies the world’s greatest misery; in compassion lies the world’s true strength.” – Buddha
- “In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you.” – Buddha
- “As an elephant in the battlefield withstands arrows shot from bows all around, even so shall I endure abuse.” – Buddha
- “Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love; this is the eternal rule.”– (Dhammapada, verse)
- “Be a lamp for yourselves. Be your own refuge. Seek for no other. All things must pass. Strive on diligently. Don’t give up.” – Buddha
- “The calmed say that what is well-spoken is best; second, that one should say what is right, not unrighteous; third, what’s pleasing, not displeasing; fourth, what is true, not false.” – Buddha
Buddha Quotes On Life
Buddha’s words are considered timeless and are widely regarded for their depth and wisdom. They are often used to inspire and guide people on their spiritual journey toward inner peace and enlightenment.
Many of Buddha’s quotes emphasize the importance of compassion and self-reflection, encouraging people to be kind and understanding towards themselves and others.
- “To live a pure unselfish life, one must count nothing as one’s own in the midst of abundance.” – Buddha
- “There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting.” – 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
- “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
- “Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” – Buddha
- “Nothing ever exists entirely alone; everything is in relation to everything else.” ― Gautama Buddha
- “Those who have failed to work toward the truth have missed the purpose of living.” – Buddha
- “Faith and prayer both are invisible, but they make impossible things possible.” — Buddha
- “If with a pure mind a person speaks or acts, happiness follows them like a never-departing shadow.” — Buddha
- “Better to conquer yourself than a thousand battles. Only then can the victory truly be yours. No one can take it away from you – not heaven, hell, demons or angels.” – Buddha
Buddha Quotes On Peace
- “You only lose what you cling to.” ― Gautama Buddha
Buddha Quotes - “Resolutely train yourself to attain peace.” – Buddha
Quotes by Buddha - “If you truly loved yourself, you could never hurt another.” ― Buddha
Buddha Quotes Love - “Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.” ― Siddhārtha Gautama
- “Those who are free of resentful thoughts surely find peace.” ― Gautama Buddha
- “Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.” – Buddha
- “Inward calm cannot be maintained unless physical strength is constantly and intelligently replenished.”- Buddha
- “Friendship is the only cure for hatred, the only guarantee of peace.” ― Buddha
- “It is a man’s own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways.” ― Buddha
Buddha Quote - “Meditation brings wisdom; lack of meditation leaves ignorance.” – Buddha
Wise Buddha Quotes on Happiness
- “There is no path to happiness: happiness is the path.” – Buddha
- “Happiness is a journey, not a destination.” – Buddha
- “Wear your ego like a loose-fitting garment.”– Buddha
- “Happiness will never come to those who fail to appreciate what they already have.”– Buddha
- “Happiness comes when your work and words are of benefit to yourself and others.” – Buddha
- “It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you.”
- “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
- “Sound health is the greatest of gifts contentedness, the greatest of riches trust, the greatest of qualities enlightenment, the greatest happiness.” – Buddha
- “Reverence, humility, contentment, gratitude and hearing the good Dhamma, this is the best good luck.” – Buddha
- “Generosity brings happiness at every stage of its expression. We experience joy in forming the intention to be generous. We experience joy in the actual act of giving something. And we experience joy in remembering the fact that we have given.” – Buddha
Buddhism Quotes
Meanwhile, peace and non-violence are advocated by Buddha through his teachings. In fact, Buddhism is one of the most peaceful religious traditions in the world.
- “Purity or impurity depends on oneself. No one can purify another.” – Buddha
- “The only real failure in life is not to be true to the best one knows.” – Buddha
- “If you find no one to support you on the spiritual path, walk alone. There is no companionship with the immature.” ― Gautama Buddha
- “All wrong-doing arises because of mind. If the mind is transformed can wrong-doing remain?” – Gautama Buddha
- “No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.” ― Gautama Buddha, Sayings of Buddha
- “A man is not called wise because he talks and talks again; but if he is peaceful, loving and fearless then he is in truth called wise.” ― Dhammapada: The Sayings of the 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
- “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
- “If the problem can be solved why worry? If the problem cannot be solved worrying will do you no good.” — Buddha
- “Believe nothing, merely because you have been told it. Do not believe what your teacher tells you merely out of respect for the teacher. But whatsoever, after due examination and analysis, you find to be kind, conducive to the good, the benefit, the welfare of all beings that doctrine believe and cling to, and take it as your guide.” – Buddha
Buddha Quotes Meditation
Buddha’s quotes also encourage people to cultivate mindfulness, which is the practice of being present at the moment and focusing on one’s thoughts, feelings, and surroundings.
- Nothing is forever except change.
- Let all-embracing thoughts for all beings be yours.
- Delight in meditation and solitude. Compose yourself, be happy. You are a seeker.
- “All experiences are preceded by mind, having mind as their master, created by mind.” — Buddha
- “Set your heart on doing good. Do it over and over again and you will be filled with joy.”– Buddha
- “Meditate. Live purely. Be quiet. Do your work with mastery. Like the moon, come out from behind the clouds! Shine”
- “Whatever is not yours: let go of it. Your letting go of it will be for your long-term happiness & benefit.” — Buddha
- “Meditation brings wisdom; lack of meditation leaves ignorance. Know well what leads you forward and what hold you back, and choose the path that leads to wisdom.” – Buddha
- “If you meditate earnestly, pure in mind and kind in deeds, leading a disciplined life in harmony with the dharma, you will grow in glory. If you meditate earnestly, through spiritual disciplines you can make an island for yourself that no flood can overwhelm.”– Buddha
- “Buddha was asked: “What have you gained from meditation?” He replied: “Nothing.” “However”, Buddha said, “let me tell you what I lost: Anger, Anxiety, Depression, Insecurity, Fear of Old Age and Death.”
Buddha Quotes
These insightful quotes basically are the fundamental tenets of Gautama Buddha’s (the originator of Buddhism) teachings and the foundational philosophy of the Buddhist tradition.
His teachings emphasize the importance of mindfulness, compassion, and non-attachment in living a fulfilled life.
And today Buddhism is practiced by millions of people worldwide and continues to inspire spiritual seekers on their journey toward self-realization and enlightenment.
- “If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change.” – Buddha
- “Crying with the wise is better than laughing with the fool.” ― Gautama Buddha
- “Want what you have, and you will always get what you want.” ― Gautama Buddha
- “Doubt everything. Find your own light.” ― Gautama Buddha
- “Each day of my life I am sowing seeds that one day I will harvest.” ― Gautama 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
- “Times of luxury do not last long, but pass away very quickly. Nothing in this world can be long enjoyed.” – Buddha
- Have compassion for all beings, rich and poor alike each has their suffering. Some suffer too much, others too little.” – Buddha
- “If you find no one to support you on the spiritual path, walk alone. There is no companionship with the immature.” ― Gautama Buddha
- “Being deeply learned and skilled, being well trained and using well-spoken words; This is good luck.” – Buddha
More Spiritual Quotes;
If you need more inspiration, don’t forget to also read our selection of Karma quotes. We also have a collection of spiritual quotes as well as these Sadhguru quotes that will open your mind.
Buddha’s spiritual words resonate with all humans, teaching tolerance and love. I hope these famous Buddha sayings bring you inner peace and your personal enlightenment.
These teachings have been compiled into a collection of texts known as the Buddhist scriptures, which contain a vast array of Buddha quotations on topics such as love, happiness, wisdom, and suffering.
His teachings, philosophy, and doctrines ended up creating the religion Buddhism.
The principles of the Buddha are legendary, ones we can all live by, regardless of our beliefs. Gautama Buddha’s wise words can be used to live a calm, happy, and successful life.
Whether you are a practicing Buddhist or simply seeking guidance on your personal journey, Buddha’s quotes offer a wealth of wisdom and inspiration.
They have been passed down through generations and continue to be relevant and meaningful to people of all cultures and beliefs.
