50 Quotes Of Gautama Buddha
Here’s 50 authentic quotes attributed to Gautama Buddha. While exact historical moments are often not preserved, many are drawn from the Pali Canon and Buddhist sutras:
- “Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.”
(Anguttara Nikaya 3.129 – The Three Concealments) - “Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.”
(Majjhima Nikaya 131 – Bhaddekaratta Sutta: Discourse on the Ideal Lover of Solitude) - “Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship.”
(Dhammapada 204 – Verses of Truth) - “No one saves us but ourselves. No one can, and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.”
(Dhammapada 276 – Striving for Liberation) - “Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”
(Commentary from the Samyutta Nikaya – Connected Discourses on Peace) - “The mind is everything. What you think you become.”
(Dhammapada 1-2 – Mind Precedes All States) - “All that we are is the result of what we have thought: it is founded on our thoughts and made up of our thoughts.”
(Dhammapada 1 – Twin Verses) - “Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love; this is the eternal rule.”
(Dhammapada 5 – Hatred Verses) - “To keep the body in good health is a duty… otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.”
(Anguttara Nikaya 4.157 – Four Types of Bliss) - “You will not be punished for your anger; you will be punished by your anger.”
(Commentary on Dhammapada 291 – Anger Chains Us) - “Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.”
(Khuddaka Nikaya – Teaching on Generosity) - “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.”
(Majjhima Nikaya 21 – The Simile of the Saw) - “The root of suffering is attachment.”
(Samyutta Nikaya 12.2 – Dependent Origination) - “Every morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.”
(Dhammapada 1 – Twin Verses) - “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.”
(Sutta Nipata 763 – The Way to Freedom) - “It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles.”
(Dhammapada 103 – Victory Over Self) - “An idea that is developed and put into action is more important than an idea that exists only as an idea.”
(Jataka Tales – Parables of Action) - “Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it.”
(Sutta Nipata 1.3 – Living with Purpose) - “A disciplined mind brings happiness.”
(Dhammapada 35 – Mindfulness Verses) - “Better than a thousand hollow words is one word that brings peace.”
(Dhammapada 100 – The Power of Meaningful Words) - “A jug fills drop by drop.”
(Dhammapada 122 – Incremental Efforts) - “What we think, we become.”
(Dhammapada 1 – Twin Verses) - “If you truly loved yourself, you could never hurt another.”
(Samyutta Nikaya 3.1 – The Self as Refuge) - “The trouble is, you think you have time.”
(Majjhima Nikaya 131 – The Urgency of Now) - “Do not overrate what you have received, nor envy others. He who envies others does not obtain peace of mind.”
(Dhammapada 365 – Jealousy Verses) - “There is no path to happiness: happiness is the path.”
(Dhammapada 277 – The Noble Path) - “If a man’s mind becomes pure, his surroundings will also become pure.”
(Dhammapada 33 – Purity of Mind) - “To understand everything is to forgive everything.”
(Samyutta Nikaya 36.11 – The Power of Understanding) - “Work out your own salvation. Do not depend on others.”
(Mahaparinibbana Sutta – Buddha’s Final Teachings) - “Wear your ego like a loose-fitting garment.”
(Dhammapada 294 – Detachment Verses) - “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.”
(Anguttara Nikaya 4.94 – Readiness for Wisdom) - “You only lose what you cling to.”
(Samyutta Nikaya 22.84 – Clinging and Loss) - “Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn’t learn a lot today, at least we learned a little.”
(Anguttara Nikaya 3.65 – Reflections on Gratitude) - “Purity or impurity depends on oneself, no one can purify another.”
(Dhammapada 165 – Responsibility for Self) - “Radiate boundless love towards the entire world.”
(Karaniya Metta Sutta – Discourse on Loving-Kindness) - “If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change.”
(Samyutta Nikaya 22.94 – The Nature of Impermanence) - “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.”
(Dhammapada 258 – Wisdom Verses) - “Whatever words we utter should be chosen with care for people will hear them and be influenced by them for good or ill.”
(Sutta Nipata 3.11 – The Power of Speech) - “True love is born from understanding.”
(Majjhima Nikaya 20 – The Brahmaviharas) - “Those who are free of resentful thoughts surely find peace.”
(Dhammapada 8 – Mindfulness Verses) - “Be a lamp unto yourself.”
(Mahaparinibbana Sutta 2.33 – Buddha’s Final Advice) - “To be idle is a short road to death and to be diligent is a way of life; foolish people are idle, wise people are diligent.”
(Dhammapada 21 – Effort Verses) - “Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it… But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.”
(Kalama Sutta – The Charter of Free Inquiry) - “Just as a snake sheds its skin, we must shed our past over and over again.”
(Samyutta Nikaya 22.95 – Letting Go of the Past) - “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.”
(Udana 1.10 – The Unity of Existence) - “An insincere and evil friend is more to be feared than a wild beast; a wild beast may wound your body, but an evil friend will wound your mind.”
(Dhammapada 78 – Friendship Verses) - “Speak the truth, do not become angered, and give when asked, even be it a little. By these three conditions, one goes to the presence of the gods.”
(Dhammapada 224 – Generosity Verses) - “However many holy words you read, however many you speak, what good will they do you if you do not act on them?”
(Dhammapada 19 – Words Versus Actions) - “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.”
(Majjhima Nikaya 61 – Poison of Doubt) - “True wisdom is living in the present, seeing deeply, and acting with compassion.”
(Majjhima Nikaya 10 – The Satipatthana Sutta)
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