Buddha was born as Prince Siddhartha Gautama in northern India, in a place that now is part of Nepal. His exact lifetime is uncertain, but most historians date his lifetime from 563 BC to 483 BC.
The meaning of the word Buddha is “The Enlightened One”, or “The Awakened One”, and refers to one who has become enlightened.
We have collected here a collection of quotes on various topics.
Buddha Quotes on Peace and Meditation
Inspirational Buddha quotes that talk about peace of mind and meditation.
“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”
“You will always be getting praise and blame, but do not let either affect the poise of the mind.”
“Inward calm cannot be maintained unless physical strength is constantly and intelligently replenished.”
“Do not overrate what you have received, nor envy others. He who envies others does not obtain peace of mind.”
“Those who have destroyed the roots of jealousy have peace of mind always.”
“Better than a thousand hollow words is one word that brings peace.”
“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.”
“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.”
“Meditate. Live purely. Be quiet. Do your work with mastery. Like the moon, come out from behind the clouds! Shine.”
“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 Quotes on Life
Quotes on life and on change.
“Let a man avoid evil deeds as a man who loves life avoids poison.”
“Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened.”
“If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change.”
“All know the Way, but few actually walk it.”
“It is better to do nothing than to do what is wrong. For whatever you do, you do to yourself.”
“One moment can change a day, one day can change a life, and one life can change the world.”
“Let yourself be open and life will be easier. A spoon of salt in a glass of water makes the water undrinkable. A spoon of salt in a lake is almost unnoticed.”
“Be where you are; otherwise you will miss your life.”
“However many holy words you read, however many you speak, what good will they do you if you do not act on upon them.”
“Each morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.”
Buddha Quotes on Happiness
“If a man who enjoys a lesser happiness beholds a greater one, let him leave aside the lesser to gain the greater.”
“Happiness never decreases by being shared.”
“Happiness is a journey, not a destination.”
“There is no path to happiness. Happiness is the path.”
“Happiness comes when your work and words are of benefit to yourself and others.”
“The mind is the source of happiness and unhappiness.”
Buddha Quotes on the Mind and Thinking
“There is nothing so disobedient as an undisciplined mind, and there is nothing so obedient as a disciplined mind.”
“We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves.”
“What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow. Our life is the creation of our mind.”
“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.”
“As the fletcher whittles and makes straight his arrows, so the master directs his straying thoughts.”
“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.”
“Whatever words we utter should be chosen with care for people will hear them and be influenced by them for good or ill.”
“The thought manifests as the word. The word manifests as the deed. The deed develops into habit. And the habit hardens into character. So watch the thought and its ways with care. And let it spring from love, born out of concern for all beings.”
“A family is a place where minds come in contact with one another. If these minds love one another the home will be as beautiful as a flower garden. But if these minds get out of harmony with one another it is like a storm that plays havoc with the garden.”
“Make your mind pure as a silversmith blows away the impurities of silver, little by little, instant by instant.”
Buddha Quotes on Wisdom
“Through zeal, knowledge is gotten; through lack of zeal, knowledge is lost.”
“One is not wise because he talks a good deal. They are wise who are patient, and free from hate and fear.”
“Being deeply learned and skilled, being well-trained and using well-spoken words, this is good luck.”
“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.”
“Carpenters bend wood fletchers bend arrows; wise men fashion themselves.”
Buddha Quotes on Spirituality
“I reached in experience the nirvana which is unborn, unrivalled, secure from attachment, undecaying and unstained. This condition is indeed reached by me which is deep, difficult to see, difficult to understand, tranquil, excellent, beyond the reach of mere logic, subtle, and to be realized only by the wise.”
“He who experiences the unity of life sees his own Self in all beings, and all beings in his own Self, and looks on everything with an impartial eye.”
“Just as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life.”
“Be a lamp unto yourself.”
“A man should first direct himself in the way he should go. Only then should he instruct others.”
“The way is not in the sky. The Way is in the heart.”
“Work out your own salvation. Do not depend on others.”
“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.”
“No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.”
“On a long journey of human life, faith is the best of companions; it is the best refreshment on the journey; and it is the greatest property.”
Buddha Quotes
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