7 Buddha Quotes That Could Change Everything
Gautama Siddhartha, commonly known as the Buddha, was an Indian prince in the sixth century b.c. He led a highly pleasurable but sheltered life in the palace. Until one day, as a young man, he decided to explore beyond the confines of his palatial home.
On his first and subsequent ventures, Siddhartha was shocked to discover the reality of disease, old age, and death from which he had previously been protected. But he also encountered a spiritual ascetic who inspired him.
Plunged into an existential crisis, Siddhartha eventually decided to renounce his life as a prince. He left the palace in the dark of night to become a wandering spiritual seeker himself.
Eventually, after years of practice, Siddhartha achieved spiritual awakening. He thus became known as the Buddha, which means “Awakened One.”
Although the Buddha was initially hesitant to teach, he was encouraged to do so by others. He spent the rest of his life traveling on foot throughout parts of India imparting his spiritual insights, which later became what we know as “Buddhism” today.
While Buddhism is practiced as a religion in many Asian countries, it can also be considered a philosophy or way of life. Its universal tenets have been adopted by thousands of people in the West.
Buddhism In a Nutshell
The teachings of Buddhism can be summarized in three words: Peace, compassion, and wisdom.
Peace means non-harming and involves cultivating both inner peace through meditation and outer peace through non-harming and non-violence.
Compassion means cultivating a good heart and practicing acts of love, kindness, and compassion.
Wisdom means seeing reality as it is rather than through the lens of the conceptual mind. It involves ideas like impermanence, selflessness, emptiness, and interdependence.
The inspiring quotes to follow will give you a taste of what Buddhism is all about.
Are These Genuine Buddha Quotes?
Fake Buddha quotes abound on the internet. Even most of the quotes on well-known websites like Good Reads and Brainy Quote are counterfeit. Either they’ve been misattributed to the Buddha or their meaning has been altered in translation.
In most cases, the fake quotes aren’t intentional. Like in the children’s game of “telephone,” where one child whispers a phrase into another child’s ear and it continues to get passed down a line of children. When the last child utters the phrase out loud, it’s usually different than the original one.
I’ve done my best to bring you verifiable Buddha quotes, using ones from Real Buddha Quotes. My personal comments are based upon my 25+ years study of the Tibetan Buddhist teachings.
Shall we get started and look at some of the most inspiring and important messages of the Buddha?
7 Buddha Quotes to Awaken Your Mind and Heart
“All experience is preceded by mind,
Led by mind,
Made by mind.
Speak or act with a corrupted mind,
And suffering follows
As the wagon wheel follows the hoof of the ox.
All experience is preceded by mind,
Led by mind,
Made by mind.
Speak or act with a peaceful mind,
And happiness follows,
Like a never-departing shadow.”
–The Buddha from The Dhammapada, translation by Gil Fronsdal
Humans are creators by default. We constantly create our future based upon the state of our mind, which dictates our speech and action.
However, bear in mind that from a Buddhist view, mind is more than thoughts:
“The word ‘mind’ includes much more than just thoughts. It includes intentions, habits, and emotions.” — Bodhipaksa from I Can’t Believe It’s Not Buddha
If our actions are based in ill intent, a wrong view of reality, karmic propensities or negative emotions, suffering will follow. Sometimes immediately, sometimes later. The effects of karma cannot be escaped, although they can be softened by engaging in positive actions.
Conversely, if our actions are based in a peaceful, loving mind, happiness will follow. So, why do bad things happen to good people? It can be the result of negative actions taken in the past. But eventually, our good actions will indeed bear fruit.
We have choice then. Sometimes, it may not feel like we do. Our mind has been influenced by multiple factors like conditioning, our biology, and in the view of Buddhism, our past karma. The urge to speak or act in detrimental ways can often feel overpowering and impossible to control.
But Buddhism says the mind is pliable, an idea confirmed by neuroscientists in recent decades and given the label “neuroplasticity.”
So, we can train our mind to avoid harm and cultivate positive views instead. Since our speech and action flow from our mind, this will result in more positive behaviors too.
Whatever has happened in the past, whatever habits dominate your life now, you have the power to change. It will likely be a slow process, but you have the power to heal and transform your mind and heart.
“Karma, I tell you is action.” — The Buddha from the Nibbedhika Sutta: Penetrative translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
The word karma means “action.” It refers to our intentional acts, which involve body, speech, and mind — a common threesome in Buddhism. Our actions have consequences, which is referred to as the “fruits” of our karma. The fruits of our karma can ripen immediately, in the future, or even in the next life.
If we want to be happy, we need to be cognizant of which of our actions will lead to suffering and which ones will lead to happiness for both ourselves and others.
So, if we take these two quotes together, we need to be vigilant about the state of our mind, saying “no” to negative thoughts and emotions and “yes” to positive ones. And then act accordingly.
Of course, we can’t control the thoughts and emotions that spontaneously arise in our mind. But we can decide whether to fuel them or not. And the more that we do so, the more the content of our mind will change for the positive.
“It is in the nature of things that joy arises in a person free from remorse.”—The Buddha in the Cetana Sutta
If you live from a peaceful heart, you’ll naturally feel more joy. You won’t harm others or yourself. You won’t engage in activities of body, speech, and mind that bring about remorse.
This doesn’t mean you’ll be a bliss bunny day and night. You’re bound to make mistakes and inadvertently hurt others from time-to-time. But you’ll learn how to forgive yourself and others too.
The scales will definitely balance in favor of joy.
“Let none find fault with others; let none see the omissions and commissions of others. But let one see one’s own acts, done and undone.”—The Buddha from the Dhammapada, verse 50.
Most of us excel at pointing out the faults of others. How often in any given day do you fall into criticism, judgment, or opinions about others?
For the most part, it doesn’t help us though, does it? Focusing on the faults of others only stirs us up, leading to more distress and disturbing emotions.
Instead let’s turn our attention within, watch our own mind, and train in pacifying any disturbing emotions that arise. That doesn’t mean to suppress them. Let whatever rises rise—the good, the bad, and the ugly. But don’t follow each thought with a mile-long train of additional negative ideas or emotions.
Happiness comes about naturally when you reduce your own negativity.
“Whoever doesn’t flare up at someone who’s angry wins a battle hard to win.”––The Buddha from the Samyutta Nikaya.
When we respond to anger with anger, we only strengthen the habitual tendency to do so again in the future. Is that what we really want?
In Buddhism, anger is seen as a highly destructive emotion. Anger leads to all forms of violence and to war. It creates suffering for the sender and the receiver. It destroys your peace of mind. And, it’s an obstacle to spiritual awakening.
There may be a time when it’s appropriate to release healthy anger in a safe setting where no one is harmed. It’s only natural to feel angry if you’ve been the victim of abuse or a violent crime. If that’s the case, you don’t want to suppress anger, but instead learn to express it in healthy ways.
Let’s be honest, it’s not easy to curb an angry response. The time between the evocative event and a response from the amygdala, the part of the brain that deals with emotions, can be only a quarter of a second. But you can improve if you set your mind to it.
In Buddhism, loving-kindness and patience act as antidotes to anger. But if you find it hard to invoke those qualities in the heat of the moment, try counting to 10 before you respond. This will give the rational part of your brain time to come back onboard, so you can respond in a way you won’t later regret.
“We will develop and cultivate the liberation of mind by lovingkindness, make it our vehicle, make it our basis, stabilize it, exercise ourselves in it, and fully perfect it.”—The Buddha from the Samyutta Nikaya
You cannot experience spiritual awakening if your heart is closed.
In the Buddhist practice of loving kindness, we quietly repeat a few simple phrases to ourselves in order to develop a more loving and kinder heart. The specific phrases vary depending upon the teacher and the tradition. These are the ones I use in my practice.
May I be well.
May I be happy.
May I be safe.
The practice is usually done in formal sessions, but the phrases can also be repeated as we go about our day.
We always start by directing loving-kinndess to ourselves. You might practice loving-kindness a full six weeks, until you feel a shift.
Then you’re ready to begin practicing loving-kindness for others, equally important on the spiritual path.
“Ardently do today what must be done. Who knows? Tomorrow, death comes.” — The Buddha from the Bhaddekaratta Sutta
Reflection on impermanence and death is an essential aspect of Buddhist philosophy.
As much as we might try to ignore it, we all know we will die. But we don’t know when or how.
When we embrace the truth of impermanence, we feel an urgency to get our priorities straight and stop wasting time on frivolous or unnecessary activities. That makes for a more fulfilling and meaningful life.
Buddhist masters of the past would turn their tea cup over before going to sleep as a reminder of impermanence. What small ritual could you create to remind yourself of how fragile and precious this life is?
Final Thoughts
To sum up, the essence of Buddhism can be articulated in three words: peace, compassion, and wisdom. But you don’t have to be a Buddhist to aspire to these three states of being.
Use the above quotes as daily reminders to come back to your good heart and act in wise ways. I’ve summed up their meaning for you in the following points:
Everything depends on how we perceive.
Our actions have consequences.
Joy arises in a person free of remorse.
It’s an important achievement to not respond to anger with anger.
Instead of focusing on the faults of others, focus on finding and correcting one’s own faults.
Loving-kindness is essential to spiritual awakening.
Reflection on impermanence and death helps us to stay centered on our most important priorities.
If one or more of these quotes spoke to you, take it/them with you. Write them in your journal or planner and go back to them again and again. Or put one in a visible place where it will serve as beacon to bring you back to peace, compassion, and wisdom.
And don’t forget, watch out for fake Buddha quotes!
(Opening Photo by Sayan Nath on Unsplash)
Your Turn
Which of these quotes spoke to you? I would love to hear in the comments!
Thank you for your presence, I know your time is precious! Don’t forget to sign up for Wild Arisings, my twice monthly letters from the heart filled with insights, inspiration, and ideas to help you connect with and live from your truest self.
You might also like to check out my Living with Ease course or visit my Self-Care Shop. May you be happy, well, and safe – always. With love, Sandra
