20 Quotes from the Dalai Lama
October 11, 2009
Post by Justin Dixon Follow me on Twitter Photo courtesy of
I find Tibetan Buddhism itself to be very fascinating as one of the oldest and most distinct branches of Buddhism. You add the fact that the current Dalai Lama (the fourteenth) was born a prince and has chosen a life of spirituality over a life of material royalty and my interest is piqued more. This man is known all over the world for his joyful nature, and his knack for getting across the most profound ideas with simplest actions or words. It is rare these days to see a leader so compassionate, and straightforward as this man. May you get as much or more out of these quotes than I have.
“Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.”
“Silence is sometimes the best answer”
“Know the rules well, so you can break them effectively.”
“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.”
“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.”
“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.”
“Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them.”
“Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.”
“Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.”
“This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness”
“We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.”
“When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.”
“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.”
“It is under the greatest adversity that there exists the greatest potential for doing good, both for oneself and others.”
“Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.”
“I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest. I do not judge the universe.”
“The ultimate authority must always rest with the individual’s own reason and critical analysis.”
“Where ignorance is our master, there is no possibility of real peace.”
“With realization of one’s own potential and self-confidence in one’s ability, one can build a better world.”`
“If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.”
For more on the Dalai Lama and Tibetan Buddhism:
Dalai Lama XIV’s Wikipedia Page
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1.
Karlil | October 11, 2009 at 11:02 pm
Nice list of quotes you got there Justin. Thanks for sharing.
2.
Justin- AlittleBetter | October 12, 2009 at 12:31 pm
Well I’ve been hearing from people how they wish they were better about quotes so I thought I would start doing this again, maybe once a month or every other week.
3.
Positively Present | October 12, 2009 at 6:54 am
I love quotes and these are especially moving ones. Thanks for sharing them here, Justin! :)
4.
Justin- AlittleBetter | October 12, 2009 at 8:04 am
Its something I used to do every Sunday but I haven’t done it for a while as I thought I had covered my favorite authors and wanted to only reccomend authors that I really got a lot out of.
5.
David | ilcantone.com | October 12, 2009 at 1:17 pm
Hi Justin, good post!
I like this one: “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.” What a great truth.
It reminds me the the lessons taught by the stoics, specially Seneca, one of my favorite philosopher.
6.
Justin- AlittleBetter | October 12, 2009 at 1:41 pm
I’m still going back and catching up on my philosophers I’m going to have to check Seneca out, thanks for the tip. And I’m glad you got something out of these quotes. ^__^
7.
Belinda Munoz | October 12, 2009 at 3:11 pm
Good stuff. His teachings come through in your posts.
8.
Justin- AlittleBetter | October 12, 2009 at 3:32 pm
That is definitely a compliment though the dalai lama is not the thinker with the most influence. I also really like Thoreau, Ayn Rand, Emerson, John C. Maxwell, Gandhi, Buddha, Richard Bach, and Joeseph Campbell so hopefully their influence will shine through as well. If you’re not familiar with any of those authors they are well worth looking up.
9.
Kevin | October 12, 2009 at 3:25 pm
I’m new to this site and just love it! Great quotes.
10.
Justin- AlittleBetter | October 12, 2009 at 6:07 pm
Glad you like it! Let me know if you have any questions that you’d like to see me answer, or if there is any thing I could do that would be a particular encouragement for you. ^__^
11.
peacefulwmn9 | October 12, 2009 at 3:49 pm
These are wonderful quotes. The oddest and most wonderful thing…I truly needed them, right here and right now, so thank you :)
Karen
12.
Justin- AlittleBetter | October 12, 2009 at 5:27 pm
Its funny how often things work out that way. If you haven’t seen it yet you may also want to check out my guest post on GoodLifeZen.com
13.
Liza Mae | October 16, 2009 at 11:15 am
Great quotes! I find when people post quotes, they are irrelevant to me but this one really hit home. Thanks for the inspiration!
14.
Justin- AlittleBetter | October 17, 2009 at 7:28 am
I’m pretty picky about which quotes I use when I do a quote post. I’m glad you enjoyed those. I would also reccomend looking up Lao Tzu, Ghandi’s and Buddha’s quotes in the search box. They also really hit home.
15.
Madeleine | October 30, 2009 at 8:37 pm
These are wonderful quotes, Justin. I especially liked
“Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.” That thought is often expressed as “Be careful what you wish for.” It’s good advice no matter how you say it!