Gautama Buddha, also known as Siddhārtha Gautama or Siddhattha Gotama, Shakyamuni Buddha, or simply the Buddha, after the title of Buddha, was a monk, mendicant, sage, philosopher, teacher, and religious leader on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. He is believed to have lived and taught mostly in the northeastern part of ancient India sometime between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE.
He is believed by Buddhists to be an enlightened teacher who attained full Buddhahood and shared his insights to help sentient beings end rebirth and suffering. Accounts of his life, discourses and monastic rules are believed by Buddhists to have been summarized after his death and memorized by his followers. Various collections of teachings attributed to him were passed down by oral tradition and first committed to writing about 400 years later.
Some of the best quotes from Buddha are listed below.
- “A disciplined mind brings happiness.” – Buddha
- “A dog is not considered a good dog because he is a good barker. A man is not considered a good man because he is a good talker.” – 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.” – Buddha
- “All tremble at violence; all fear death. Putting oneself in the place of another, one should not kill nor cause another to kill.” – Buddha
- “All wrong-doing arises because of mind. If mind is transformed can wrong-doing remain?” – Buddha
- “An idea that is developed and put into action is more important than an idea that exists only as an idea.” – Buddha
- “Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.” – Buddha
- “Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.” – Buddha
- “Conquer anger with non-anger. Conquer badness with goodness. Conquer meanness with generosity. Conquer dishonesty with truth.” – Buddha
- “Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” – Buddha
- “Drop by drop is the water pot filled. Likewise, the wise man, gathering it little by little, fills himself with good.” – Buddha
- “Even death is not to be feared by one who has lived wisely.” – Buddha
- “Every human being is the author of his own health or disease.” – Buddha
- “Every morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.” – Buddha
- “Fools wait for a lucky day but every day is a lucky day for an industrious man.” – Buddha
- “Give, even if you only have a little.” – Buddha
- “Happiness will never come to those who fail to appreciate what they already have.” – Buddha
- “Hatred does not cease through hatred at any time. Hatred ceases through love. This is an unalterable law.” – Buddha
- “Have compassion for all beings, rich and poor alike; each has their suffering. Some suffer too much, others too little.” – Buddha
- “He is able who thinks he is able.” – Buddha
- “Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship.” – 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
- “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
- “I never see what has been done, I only see what remains to be done.” – Buddha
- “If anything is worth doing, do it with all your heart.” – Buddha
- “If the problem can be solved why worry? If the problem cannot be solved worrying will do you no good.” – Buddha
- “If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change.” – Buddha
- “If we fail to look after others when they need help, who will look after us?” – Buddha
- “If you knew what I know about the power of giving you would not let a single meal pass without sharing it in some way.” – Buddha
- “If you light a lamp for somebody, it will also brighten your path.” – Buddha
- “If you truly loved yourself, you could never hurt another.” – Buddha
- “If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete.” – Buddha
- “In a controversy the instant we feel anger we have already ceased striving for the truth, and have begun striving for ourselves.” – Buddha
- “In separateness lies the world’s greatest misery; in compassion lies the world’s true strength.” – Buddha
- “In the end these things matter most: How well did you love? How fully did you live? How deeply did you let go?” – 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
- “In whom there is no sympathy for living beings: know him as an outcast.” – Buddha
- “It is a man’s own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways.” – Buddha
- “It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you.” – Buddha
- “It is better to travel well than to arrive.” – Buddha
- “Just as a solid rock is not shaken by the storm, even so the wise are not affected by praise or blame.” – 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
- “Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn’t learn a lot 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
- “Long is the night to him who is awake; long is a mile to him who is tired; long is life to the foolish who do not know the true law.” – Buddha
- “Meditation brings wisdom; lack of meditation leaves ignorance. Know what leads you forward and what holds you back and choose the path that leads to wisdom.” – Buddha
- “No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.” – Buddha
- “Nothing can harm you as much as your own thoughts unguarded.” – Buddha
- “Nothing ever exists entirely alone; everything is in relation to everything else.” – Buddha
- “One is not called noble who harms living beings. By not harming living beings one is called noble.” – Buddha
- “One moment can change a day, one day can change a life and one life can change the world.” – Buddha
- “Pain is certain, suffering is optional.” – Buddha
- “Patience is key. Remember: A jug fills drop by drop.” – Buddha
- “Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.” – Buddha
- “Purity or impurity depends on oneself. No one can purify another.” – Buddha
- “Radiate boundless love towards the entire world — above, below, and across — unhindered, without ill will, without enmity.” – Buddha
- “Remembering a wrong is like carrying a burden on the mind.” – Buddha
- “Resolutely train yourself to attain peace” – Buddha
- “Silence the angry man with love. Silence the ill-natured man with kindness. Silence the miser with generosity. Silence the liar with truth.” – Buddha
- “Some do not understand that we must die, but those who do realize this settle their quarrels.” – Buddha
- “Teach this triple truth to all: A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are the things which renew humanity.” – 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
- “The darkest night is ignorance.” – Buddha
- “The mind is everything. What you think you become.” – Buddha
- “The root of suffering is attachment.” – Buddha
- “The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly.” – Buddha
- “The trouble is, you think you have time.” – 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 whole secret of existence is to have no fear.” – Buddha
- “There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting.” – Buddha
- “There is no fear for one whose mind is not filled with desires.” – Buddha
- “There is no fire like passion, there is no shark like hatred, there is no snare like folly, there is no torrent like greed.” – Buddha
- “There is no path to happiness: happiness is the path.” – 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
- “There is nothing so disobedient as an undisciplined mind, and there is nothing so obedient as a disciplined mind.” – Buddha
- “There isn’t enough darkness in all the world to snuff out the light of one little candle.” – Buddha
- “They blame those who remain silent, they blame those speak much, they blame those who speak in moderation. There is none in the world who is not blamed.” – Buddha
- “Those who cling to perceptions and views wander the world offending people.” – 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
- “Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.” – Buddha
- “To conquer oneself is a greater task than conquering others.” – 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
- “To keep the body in good health is a duty… otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.” – Buddha
- “To support mother and father, to cherish wife and children, and to be engaged in peaceful occupation — this is the greatest blessing.” – Buddha
- “To understand everything is to forgive everything.” – Buddha
- “True love is born from understanding.” – 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
- “We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world.” – Buddha
- “Wear your ego like a loose fitting garment.” – Buddha
- “Whatever precious jewel there is in the heavenly worlds, there is nothing comparable to one who is awakened.” – 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
- “When you dig a well, there’s no sign of water until you reach it, only rocks and dirt to move out of the way. You have removed enough; soon the pure water will flow.” – Buddha
- “When you realize how perfect everything is you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky.” – Buddha
- “Whoever doesn’t flare up at someone who’s angry wins a battle hard to win.” – Buddha
- “Work out your own salvation. Do not depend on others.” – Buddha
- “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
- “You only lose what you cling to.” – Buddha
- “You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger.” – Buddha
- “Your actions are your only true belongings.” – Buddha
- “Your purpose in life is to find your purpose and give your whole heart and soul to it.” – Buddha
