Dalai Lama a title given to spiritual leader of Tibetan people. Dalai Lama is of great importance, symbol of unification of Tibet and strong believer of Buddhist traditions & values. The current 14^th Dalai Lama is Tenzin Gyatso. He is the longest serving Dalai Lama to hold the position.  Dalai Lama’s wise words self-discipline, tolerance, compassion and forgiveness have spread positivity around the world and in 1989 he also won Nobel peace prize. Enjoy these inspirational Dalai Lama quotes and hope it adds positivity in your life. These Dalai Lama quotes are life changing quotes to spread the message of love and peace.

Dalai Lama quotes

1. “Give the ones you love wings to fly, roots to come back and reasons to stay.”  , Dalai Lama quotes on love
2. “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.”
3. “An open heart is an open mind.” ,Dalai Lama quotes travel
4. “We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.”
5. “A spoon cannot taste of the food it carries. Likewise, a foolish man cannot understand the wise man´s wisdom even if he associates with a sage.”
6. “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.”
7. “Silence is sometimes the best answer”
8. “The true hero is one who conquers his own anger and hatred.”
9. “Motivation is so important.  In fact all human action can be seen in terms of movement, and the mover behind all actions is one’s motivation.  If you develop a pure and sincere motivation, if you are motivated by a wish to help on the basis of kindness, compassion, and respect, then you can carry on any kind of work, in any field, and function more effectively with less fear or worry, not being afraid of what others think or whether you ultimately will be successful in reaching your goal.  Even if you fail to achieve your goal, you can feel good about having made the effort.  But with a bad motivation, people can praise you or you can achieve goals, but you still will not be happy.”
10. “In our struggle for freedom, truth is the only weapon we possess.”
11. “Know the rules well, so you can break them effectively.”
12. “Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.”  , Dalai Lama quotes compassion
13. “Choose to be optimistic, it feels better.”
14. “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.”
15. Dalai Lama quotes images
16. “Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them.”
17. “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.” The ultimate source of happiness is not money and power, but warm-heartedness”
18. “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 XIV
19.  “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 quotes religion
20. “Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.”
21. “In fact, the enemy is the necessary condition for practicing patience. Without an enemy’s action, there is no possibility for patience or tolerance to arise. Our friends do not ordinarily test us and provide the opportunity to cultivate patience; only our enemies do this. So, from this standpoint we can consider our enemy as a great teacher, and revere them for giving us this precious opportunity to practice patience.”
22. “The seed of goodness is found in the soil of appreciation.”
23. “It is very rare or almost impossible that an event can be negative from all points of view.”
24. “As you breathe in, cherish yourself. As you breathe out, cherish all Beings.”
25. “People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they’re not on your road doesn’t mean they’ve gotten lost.”
26. “The whole purpose of religion is to facilitate love and compassion, patience, tolerance, humility, and forgiveness.”
27. “Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.”
28. “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 don’t 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.”
29. “The ultimate authority must always rest with the individual’s own reason and critical analysis.”
30. “Given the scale of life in the cosmos, one human life is no more than a tiny blip. Each one of us is a just visitor to this planet, a guest, who will only stay for a limited time. What greater folly could there be than to spend this short time alone, unhappy or in conflict with our companions? Far better, surely, to use our short time here in living a meaningful life, enriched by our sense of connection with others and being of service to them.” – Dalai Lama XIV
31. “Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality.”
32. “When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.”
33. “Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.”
34. “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.”
35. “The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation.”
36. “Let us try to recognize the precious nature of each day.”
37. “World peace must develop from inner peace. Peace is not just mere absence of violence. Peace is, I think, the manifestation of human compassion.”
38. “All suffering is caused by ignorance. People inflict pain on others in the selfish pursuit of their own happiness or satisfaction”
39. “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 quotes images,
    
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41. “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.”
42. “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.”
43. “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.”
44. “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.”
45. “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.”
46. “To conquer oneself is a greater victory than to conquer thousands in a battle.”
47. “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.”
48. “I will not propose to you that my way is best. The decision is up to you. If you find some point which may be suitable to you, then you can carry out experiments for yourself. If you find that it is of no use, then you can discard it.”
49. “The way to change others’ minds is with affection, and not anger.”
50. “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.”
51. “Instead of wondering WHY this is happening to you, consider why this is happening to YOU.” – Dalai Lama XIV
52.  “In the practice of tolerance, one’s enemy is the best teacher.”
53. “Because we all share this planet earth, we have to learn to live in harmony and peace with each other and with nature. This is not just a dream, but a necessity.” ,Dalai Lama quotes about nature
54. “Anger or hatred is like a fisherman’s hook. It is very important for us to ensure that we are not caught by it.”
55. “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.”
56. “Human potential is the same for all. Your feeling, “I am of no value”, is wrong. Absolutely wrong. You are deceiving yourself. We all have the power of thought – so what are you lacking? If you have willpower, then you can change anything. It is usually said that you are your own master.”
57. “Neither a space station nor an enlightened mind can be realized in a day.”
58. “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.”
59. “Happiness doesn’t always come from a pursuit. Sometimes it comes when we least expect it.”
60. “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.”
61. “I believe the very purpose of our life is to seek happiness. Whether one believes in religion or not, whether one believes in that religion or this religion, we are all seeking something better in life. So, I think, the very motion of our life is towards happiness.”  , Dalai Lama quotes on life
62. “Compassion is the radicalism of our time.”
63. “If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you, it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun.”
64. “Peace does not mean an absence of conflicts; differences will always be there. Peace means solving these differences through peaceful means; through dialogue, education, knowledge; and through humane ways.”
65. “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.”
66. “One great question underlies our experience, whether we think about it or not: what is the purpose of life? . . . From the moment of birth every human being wants happiness and does not want suffering. Neither social conditioning nor education nor ideology affects this. From the very core of our being, we simply desire contentment. . . Therefore, it is important to discover what will bring about the greatest degree of happiness.”
67. “Only the development of compassion and understanding for others can bring us the tranquility and happiness we all seek.”
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69. “We need to learn how to want what we have NOT to have what we want in order to get steady and stable Happiness”
70. “Through violence, you may ‘solve’ one problem, but you sow the seeds for another.”
71. “Where ignorance is our master, there is no possibility of real peace.”  , Dalai Lama quotes on peace
72. “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.”
73. “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.”
74. “Those who have little interest in spirituality shouldn’t think that human inner values don’t apply to you. The inner peace of an alert and calm mind are the source of real happiness and good health. Our human intelligence tells us which of our emotions are positive and helpful and which are damaging and to be restrained or avoided.”
75. “Happiness is not something readymade. It comes from your own actions.”
76. “A truly compassionate attitude toward others does not change even if they behave negatively or hurt you.”
77. “One problem with our current society is that we have an attitude towards education as if it is there to simply make you more clever, make you more ingenious… Even though our society does not emphasize this, the most important use of knowledge and education is to help us understand the importance of engaging in more wholesome actions and bringing about discipline within our minds. The proper utilization of our intelligence and knowledge is to effect changes from within to develop a good heart.” , Dalai Lama quotes on education
78. “Today there are societies that are very developed materially, yet among them there are many people who are not very happy.  Just underneath the beautiful surface of affluence there is a kind of mental unrest, leading to frustration, unnecessary quarrels, reliance on drugs or alcohol, and in the worst case, suicide.  So there is no guarantee that wealth alone can give you the joy or fulfillment that you are seeking.”
79. “I don’t know whether the universe, with its countless galaxies, stars and planets, has a deeper meaning or not, but at the very least, it is clear that we humans who live on this earth face the task of making a happy life for ourselves. Therefore, it is important to discover what will bring about the greatest degree of happiness.”
80. “The more you are motivated by Love, The more Fearless & Free your action will be.”
81. “Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck.”
82. “If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.”
83. “Love is the absence of judgment.”  , Dalai Lama quotes about love
84. “It is under the greatest adversity that there exists the greatest potential for doing good, both for oneself and others.”
85. “Once [our] basic needs are met (food, clothing, shelter, etc), the message is clear: we don’t need more money, we don’t need greater success or fame, we don’t need the perfect body or even the perfect mate – right now, at this very moment, we have a mind, which is all the basic equipment we need to achieve complete happiness.”
86. “Whether one is rich or poor, educated or illiterate, religious or non-believing, 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.”
87. “I defeat my enemies when I make them my friends.”
88. “Our ancient experience confirms at every point that everything is linked together, everything is inseparable.”
89. “We can live without religion and meditation, but we cannot survive without human affection.”  , Dalai Lama quotes meditation
90. “What surprises me most is “Man”, because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he doesn’t enjoy the present; The result being he doesn’t live in the present or the future; He lives as if he’s never going to die, and then he dies having never really lived.”
91. “Love and Compassion are the true religions to me. But to develop this, we do not need to believe in any religion.”
    

    Dalai Lama quotes

92. “Someone else’s action should not determine your response.”
93.  “Cultivating a close, warmhearted feeling for others automatically puts the mind at ease. It helps remove whatever fears or insecurities we may have and gives us the strength to cope with any obstacles we encounter. It is the principal source of success in life. Since we are not solely material creatures, it is a mistake to place all our hopes for happiness on external development alone. The key is to develop inner peace.”
94. “Anger is the ultimate destroyer of your own peace of mind.”
95. “The goal is not to be better than the other man, but your previous self.”
96. “An eye for an eye….we are all blind.”
97. “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
98. “Compassion naturally creates a positive atmosphere, and as a result you feel peaceful and content.” – Dalai Lama XIV
99. “My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.”
100. “We begin from the recognition that all beings cherish happiness and do not want suffering. It then becomes both morally wrong and pragmatically unwise to pursue only one’s own happiness oblivious to the feelings and aspirations of all others who surround us as members of the same human family. The wiser course is to think of others when pursuing our own happiness.”
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102. “The topic of compassion is not at all religious business; it is important to know it is human business, it is a question of human survival.”
103. “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”
104. “Sometimes one creates a dynamic impression by saying something, and sometimes one creates as significant an impression by remaining silent.”
105. “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.”
106. “We discover that all human beings are just like us, so we are able to relate to them more easily. That generates a spirit of friendship in which there is less need to hide what we feel or what we are doing.”
107. “Like a lamp, dispelling the darkness of ignorance.”
108. “We need to learn to want what we have, not to have what we want, in order to get stable and steady happiness.” , Dalai Lama quotes about happiness
109. “Compassion is the radicalism of our time.”
110. “People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they’re not on your road doesn’t mean they’ve gotten lost.”
111. “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.”
112. “As people alive today, we must consider future generations: a clean environment is a human right like any other. It is therefore part of our responsibility toward others to ensure that the world we pass on is as healthy, if not healthier, than we found it.” , Dalai Lama quotes health
113. “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.”
114. “The world doesn’t belong to leaders. The world belongs to all humanity.” , Dalai Lama quotes humanity
115. “Our ultimate aim in seeking more wealth is a sense of satisfaction, of happiness.  But the very basis of seeking more is a feeling of not having enough, a feeling of discontentment.  That feeling of discontentment, of wanting more and more and more, doesn’t arise from the inherent desirability of the objects we are seeking but rather from our own mental state.”
116. “When you talk, you are only repeating what you already know; But when you listen, you may learn something new.”  , Dalai Lama quotes about listening
117. “Unlike physical progress, which is subject to natural restrictions, the qualities of the mind can be developed limitlessly.”
118. “Our moment-to-moment happiness is largely determined by our outlook.  In fact, whether we are feeling happy or unhappy at any given moment often has very little to do with our absolute conditions but, rather it is a function of how we perceive our situation, how satisfied we are with what we have.”
119. “I believe all suffering is caused by ignorance. People inflict pain on others in the selfish pursuit of their happiness or satisfaction. Yet true happiness comes from a sense of inner peace and contentment, which in turn must be achieved through the cultivation of altruism, of love and compassion and elimination of ignorance, selfishness and greed.”
120.  “There is one aspect to our experience of suffering that is of vital importance.  When you are aware of your pain and suffering, it helps you to develop your capacity for empathy, the capacity that allows you to relate to other people’s feelings and suffering.  This enhances your capacity for compassion towards others.  So as an aid in helping us connect with others, it can be seen as having value.” ,awesome Dalai Lama quotes
121. “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.”
122. “There is no guarantee that tomorrow at this time we will be here.  But still we are working for that purely on the basis of hope.  So, we need to make the best use of our time.  I believe that the proper utilization of time is this: if you can, serve other people, other sentient beings.  If not, at least refrain from harming them.  I think that is the whole basis of my philosophy.”  , Dalai Lama quotes about time
123. “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 XIV
124. “It is not enough to be compassionate, we must act.” – Dalai Lama XIV

Interesting facts to know about Dalai Lama:-

• At the age of 2 current Dalai Lama was chosen and at the age of 4 he was formally recognized as the 14th Dalai Lama
• Current Dalai Lama became monk at the age of 6 and believed to be reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama
• Dalai Lama has keen interest in meditation and its effects on the brain
• He once quoted American author John Perkins, “Don’t become a Buddhist. The world doesn’t need more Buddhists. Do practice compassion. The world needs more compassion.”
• Current 14th Dalai Lama can be last Dalai Lama as to reincarnate or not will be decided by him when he turns 90
• He like repairing watches as a hobby
• Only 14 Dalai Lama have been appointed at the position, despite first Dalai Lama born 622 years ago