50 Buddha Quotes to Empower Your Self-Discovery Journey

Tomas Laurinavicius
March 15, 2024

With increasing noise and distractions, more people abandon the journey towards self-discovery and personal development.

The fact is something worth thinking about. If all that’s new and exciting leaves you empty, the answer might be within.

Buddha Quotes

“No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.”

“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.”

“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.”

“Purity or impurity depends on oneself, no one can purify another.”

“There is no fire like passion, there is no shark like hatred, there is no snare like folly, there is no torrent like greed.”

“True love is born from understanding.”

“Just as a snake sheds its skin, we must shed our past over and over again.”

“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.”

“You are the community now. Be a lamp for yourselves. Be your own refuge. Seek for no other. All things must pass. Strive on diligently. Don’t give up.”

“It is a man’s own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways.”

“The Way is not in the sky; the Way is in the heart.”

“Whether our action is wholesome or unwholesome depends on whether that action or deed arises from a disciplined or undisciplined state of mind. It is felt that a disciplined mind leads to happiness and an undisciplined mind leads to suffering, and in fact it is said that bringing about discipline within one’s mind is the essence of the Buddha’s teaching.” – Dalai Lama XIV

“There is nothing so disobedient as an undisciplined mind, and there is nothing so obedient as a disciplined mind.”

“Embrace nothing: If you meet the Buddha, kill the Buddha. If you meet your father, kill your father. Only live your life as it is, not bound to anything.”

“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.”

“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.”

“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.”

“Even death is not to be feared by one who has lived wisely.”

“To keep the body in good health is a duty… otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.”

“We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves.”

“Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship.”

“Just as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life.”

“Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.”

“No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.”

“It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell.”

“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.”

“Whatever words we utter should be chosen with care for people will hear them and be influenced by them for good or ill.”

“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.”

“There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting.”

“We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world.”

“Do not overrate what you have received, nor envy others. He who envies others does not obtain peace of mind.”

“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.”

“However many holy words you read, however many you speak, what good will they do you if you do not act on upon them?”

“You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger.”

“A woman of the world is anxious to exhibit her form and shape, whether walking, standing, sitting, or sleeping. Even when represented as a picture, she desires to captivate with the charms of her beauty and, thus, to rob men of their steadfast heart.”

“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”

“Without health life is not life; it is only a state of languor and suffering – an image of death.”

“With fools, there is no companionship. Rather than to live with men who are selfish, vain, quarrelsome, and obstinate, let a man walk alone.”

“I do not believe in a fate that falls on men however they act; but I do believe in a fate that falls on them unless they act.”

“Work out your own salvation. Do not depend on others.”

“The foot feels the foot when it feels the ground.”

“Better than worshiping gods is obedience to the laws of righteousness.”

“I never see what has been done; I only see what remains to be done.”

“It is better to travel well than to arrive.”

“He who walks in the eightfold noble path with unswerving determination is sure to reach Nirvana.”

“Chaos is inherent in all compounded things. Strive on with diligence.”

“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.”

“I am not the first Buddha who came upon Earth, nor shall I be the last. In due time, another Buddha will arise in the world – a Holy One, a supremely enlightened One, endowed with wisdom in conduct, auspicious, knowing the universe, an incomparable leader of men, a master of angels and mortals.”

“Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.”

Take Action

Choose a quote from the list above that made quite an impression on you. Write it down on a small piece of paper and place it somewhere inside your home where you can easily see to remind you constantly of what you need to do.

Quite often, we neglect to see the need to take deliberate steps to achieve something great within ourselves. Try something new. Challenge yourself to do something that will do a lot of good not only to you but others as well. This makes all the difference.

Tomas Laurinavicius

Hi! I'm Tomas. I'm a founder, marketer, designer, and writer from Lithuania, now happily living in Alicante, Spain. I'm a marketing advisor at Devsolutely and a partner at Craftled, building Best Writing and Marketful, among other useful products.