88 Inspirational Dalai Lama Quotes [2024]

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Updated: January 20th, 2022

Tenzin Gyatso is the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibetan Buddhism. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, the “International League for Human Rights Award,” and the “Lifetime Achievement Award” from the Caring Institute in Washington.

He has authored more than 70 books and holds over 50 honorary degrees. In 2003, Dalai Lama established The Dalai Lama Trust to help students achieve quality higher education.

We've put together an incredible collection of Dalai Lama quotes to read.

Here they are:

88 Inspirational Dalai Lama Quotes [2024]

List of Inspiring Dalai Lama Quotes

"It is difficult to violently suppress people in the long run, as the example of the Soviet Union and the Eastern European countries has shown."

"Number of people have said to me, after hearing your thinking, their mind becomes much more happier."

"I don't think generally politician come from democratic country. I think not that thinking. But sometimes little bit short-sighted. They are mainly looking for their next vote."

"As long as I am alive, I am fully committed to amity between Tibetans and Chinese. Otherwise there's no use."

"The Dalai Lama is just a temporal leader of Tibet."

"If some people have the belief or view that the Dalai Lama has some miracle power, that's totally nonsense. I am just one human being."

"I have no trouble sleeping."

"Chinese people themselves, they really want change."

"Some mischievous people always there. Last several thousand years, always there. In future, also."

"There are techniques of Buddhism, such as meditation, that anyone can adopt."

"If some people have the belief or view that the Dalai Lama has some miracle power, that's totally nonsense."

"If you have a particular faith or religion, that is good. But you can survive without it."

"I think really, China, Chinese, I think they really have a long history of civilization, rich culture."

"The Tibetan people will need to determine who the next reincarnation of the Dalai Lama is."

"Today, more than ever before, life must be characterized by a sense of Universal responsibility, not only nation to nation and human to human, but also human to other forms of life."

"I want to be just a pure spiritual leader."

"If I had remained in Lhasa, even without the Chinese occupation, I would probably have carried the ceremonial role in some orthodox way."

"I am confident I will set foot again in Tibet in my lifetime."

"I never dreamt, in my dream, I'm Dalai Lama."

"I felt we must separate political responsibility. The Dalai Lama should not carry that burden. So that is my selfish reason - to protect the old Dalai Lama tradition. It is safer without political involvement."

"Out of 6 billion humans, the troublemakers are just a handful."

"Logically, harmony must come from the heart... Harmony very much based on trust. As soon as use force, creates fear. Fear and trust cannot go together."

"Death means change our clothes. Clothes become old, then time to come change. So this body become old, and then time come, take young body."

"Today different ethnic groups and different nations come together due to common sense."

"China has to go along with world trends. That's democracy, liberty, individual freedom. China sooner or later has to go that way. It cannot go backward."

"Computers make me totally blank out."

"I always believe the rule by king or official leader is outdated. Now we must catch up with the modern world."

"I became the Dalai Lama not on a volunteer basis."

"One thing I want to make clear, as far as my own rebirth is concerned, the final authority is myself and no one else, and obviously not China's Communists."

"At the beginning when the child is coming, people worry the child may be deformed. When a healthy boy or child comes, people are very happy for a short moment."

"I always tell people that religious institutions and political institutions should be separate. So while I'm telling people this, I myself continue with them combined. Hypocrisy!"

"My main concern is meeting with public because my main commitment, main interest is promotion of human value, human affection, compassion and religious harmony."

"The basic Buddhist stand on the question of equality between the genders is age-old. At the highest tantric levels, at the highest esoteric level, you must respect women: every woman."

"In most cases, my visits to the West are for promotion of human values and religious harmony."

"Many Tibetans sacrifice their lives."

"I think there's every reason this 21st century will be much happier."

"I consider myself as a free spokesman for the people."

"Disagreement is something normal."

"I totally disagree with the view that the Tibet struggle will die, and there will be no hope for Tibet, after the Dalai Lama passes away."

"My main hope is eventually, in modern education field, introduce education about warm-heartedness, not based on religion, but based on common experience and a common sort of sense, and then scientific finding."

"My desire to devolve authority has nothing to do with a wish to shirk responsibility"

"I feel exhausted if I teach too long."

"Conversion is not my intention. Changing religion is not easy. You may develop some kind of confusion or difficulties."

"Even when a person has all of life's comforts - good food, good shelter, a companion - he or she can still become unhappy when encountering a tragic situation."

"Even when we have physical hardships, we can be very happy."

"Of course, when I say that human nature is gentleness, it is not 100 percent so. Every human being has that nature, but there are many people acting against their nature, being false."

"I think technology really increased human ability. But technology cannot produce compassion."

"Because of lack of moral principle, human life becomes worthless. Moral principle, truthfulness, is a key factor. If we lose that, then there is no future."

"The ultimate authority must always rest with the individual's own reason and critical analysis."

"We all have to live together, so we might as well live together happily."

"Appearance is something absolute, but reality is not that way - everything is interdependent, not absolute."

"Wherever I go meeting the public... spreading a message of human values, spreading a message of harmony, is the most important thing."

"My aim is to create a happy society with genuine friendship. Friendship between Tibetan and Chinese peoples is very essential."

"I always say that people should not rush to change religions. There is real value in finding the spiritual resources you need in your home religion."

"I am a simple Buddhist monk - no more, no less."

"The Chinese government wants me to say that for many centuries Tibet has been part of China. Even if I make that statement, many people would just laugh. And my statement will not change past history. History is history."

"Generally speaking, if a human being never shows anger, then I think something's wrong. He's not right in the brain."

"Whether you call it Buddhism or another religion, self-discipline, that's important. Self-discipline with awareness of consequences."

"World belongs to humanity, not this leader, that leader or that king or prince or religious leader. World belongs to humanity."

"All religions try to benefit people, with the same basic message of the need for love and compassion, for justice and honesty, for contentment."

"The important thing is that men should have a purpose in life. It should be something useful, something good."

"In order to become prosperous, a person must initially work very hard, so he or she has to sacrifice a lot of leisure time."

"I describe myself as a simple Buddhist monk. No more, no less."

"Physical comforts cannot subdue mental suffering, and if we look closely, we can see that those who have many possessions are not necessarily happy. In fact, being wealthy often brings even more anxiety."

"Open-minded people tend to be interested in Buddhism because Buddha urged people to investigate things - he didn't just command them to believe."

"Even an animal, if you show genuine affection, gradually trust develops... If you always showing bad face and beating, how can you develop friendship?"

"More compassionate mind, more sense of concern for other's well-being, is source of happiness."

"Some scientists believe climate change is the cause of unprecedented melting of the North Pole, and that effects these very uncertain weather patterns. I think we should listen to those scientists and experts."

"It is necessary to help others, not only in our prayers, but in our daily lives. If we find we cannot help others, the least we can do is to desist from harming them."

"I have always had this view about the modern education system: we pay attention to brain development, but the development of warmheartedness we take for granted."

"There is no need for temples, no need for complicated philosophies. My brain and my heart are my temples; my philosophy is kindness."

"Whether one believes in a religion or not, and whether one believes in rebirth or not, there isn't anyone who doesn't appreciate kindness and compassion."

"I am just one human being."

"Where ignorance is our master, there is no possibility of real peace."

"Appearance is something absolute, but reality is not that way - everything is interdependent, not absolute. So that view is very helpful to maintain a peace of mind because the main destroyer of a peaceful mind is anger."

"My faith helps me overcome such negative emotions and find my equilibrium."

"The best way to resolve any problem in the human world is for all sides to sit down and talk"

"We can live without religion and meditation, but we cannot survive without human affection."

"It is very important to generate a good attitude, a good heart, as much as possible. From this, happiness in both the short term and the long term for both yourself and others will come."

"All major religious traditions carry basically the same message, that is love, compassion and forgiveness the important thing is they should be part of our daily lives."

"Home is where you feel at home and are treated well"

"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."

"With realization of one's own potential and self-confidence in one's ability, one can build a better world."

"Sometimes one creates a dynamic impression by saying something, and sometimes one creates as significant an impression by remaining silent."

"We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves."

"Look at situations from all angles, and you will become more open."

"I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest. I do not judge the universe."

"In the practice of tolerance, one's enemy is the best teacher."

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