70 Inspirational Dalai Lama Quotes on Life, Love & Happiness

His Holiness the Dalai Lama is one of the most influential leaders of the world. A spiritual and political leader, Dalai Lama’s advocacy on peace, love, happiness, and campaign for Tibet’s independence, to name a few, are undoubtedly note-worthy and thought-provoking.

The Dalai Lama is believed to be the reincarnation of Avalokiteśvara, a Bodhisattva of Compassion. Hence, the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso- born Lhamo Thondup- was acknowledged as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama at the young age of two.

The Dalai Lama is a firm believer of peace and love, always trying to bridge the gap between man and the world. Dalai Lama quotes are a sure way of inspiring people to look at the world from a different perspective. They are also a way of manifesting that peace and love are achievable, only if you put your mind and heart towards it. Check out these quotes below to comprehend what the Dalai Lama’s advocacy on life is all about.

Dalai Lama Quotes on Life

“Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.” – Dalai Lama

“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.” – Dalai Lama

“In our struggle for freedom, truth is the only weapon we possess.” – Dalai Lama

“When we meet real tragedy in life, we can react in two ways–either by losing hope and falling into self-destructive habits, or by using the challenge to find our inner strength.” – Dalai Lama

“What is the meaning of life? To be happy and useful.” – Dalai Lama

“The important thing is that men should have a purpose in life. It should be something useful, something good.” – Dalai Lama

“To conquer oneself is a greater victory than to conquer thousands in a battle.” – Dalai Lama

“In order to carry a positive action we must develop here a positive vision.” – Dalai Lama

“The true hero is one who conquers his own anger and hatred.” – Dalai Lama

“The planet does not need more successful people. The planet needs more peacemakers, healers, restorers, storytellers and lovers of all kinds.” – Dalai Lama

“I find hope in the darkest days, and focus in the brightest.” – Dalai Lama

“In order to lead a meaningful life, you need to cherish others, pay attention to human values and try to cultivate inner peace.” – Dalai Lama

“Consider carefully, what prevents you from living the way you want to live your life?” – Dalai Lama

“The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation.” – Dalai Lama

“Never give up. No matter what is going on. Never give up.” – Dalai Lama

“If someone does not smile at you, be generous and offer your own smile. Nobody needs a smile more than the one that cannot smile to others.” – Dalai Lama

“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.” – Dalai Lama

“Just one small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day.” – Dalai Lama

“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

“When you talk, you are only repeating what you already know. But when you listen, you may learn something new.” – Dalai Lama

“The first step toward living a happy life is to treat every other human with kindness.” – Dalai Lama

“It is necessary to help others not in our prayers but in our daily lives.” – Dalai Lama

“When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.” – Dalai Lama

“Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.” – Dalai Lama

“When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.” – Dalai Lama

Dalai Lama Quotes on Love

“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.” – Dalai Lama

“The whole purpose of religion is to facilitate love and compassion, patience, tolerance, humility, and forgiveness.” – Dalai Lama

“The more you are motivated by Love, The more Fearless & Free your action will be.” – Dalai Lama

“Love is the absence of judgment.” – Dalai Lama

“Love and Compassion are the true religions to me. But to develop this, we do not need to believe in any religion.” – Dalai Lama

“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.” – Dalai Lama

“If you don’t love yourself, you cannot love others. You will not be able to love others. If you have no compassion for yourself then you are not able of developing compassion for others.” – Dalai Lama

“No material object, however beautiful or valuable, can make us feel loved, because our deeper identity and true character lie in the subjective nature of the mind.” – Dalai Lama

“A heart full of love and compassion is the main source of inner strength, willpower, happiness, and mental tranquility.” – Dalai Lama

“The need for love lies at the very foundation of human existence.” – Dalai Lama

“If love is defined as a wish that others be happy and compassion as the wish that they be free from suffering, and you cultivate love and compassion within yourself, it will ensure happiness, good health and peace of mind.” – Dalai Lama

“If there is love, there is hope that one may have real families, real brotherhood, real equanimity, real peace.” – Dalai Lama

“Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.” – Dalai Lama

Dalai Lama Quotes on Happiness

“People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they’re not on your road doesn’t mean they’ve gotten lost.” – Dalai Lama

“The ultimate source of happiness is not money and power, but warm-heartedness.” – Dalai Lama

“True happiness comes from having a sense of inner peace and contentment, which in turn must be achieved by cultivating altruism, love and compassion, and by eliminating anger, selfishness and greed.” – Dalai Lama

“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

“The wiser course is to think of others when pursuing our own happiness.” – Dalai Lama

“Happiness doesn’t always come from a pursuit. Sometimes it comes when we least expect it.” – Dalai Lama

“Only the development of compassion and understanding for others can bring us the tranquility and happiness we all seek.” – Dalai Lama

“I believe that happiness can be achieved through training the mind.” – Dalai Lama

“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.” – Dalai Lama

“We seek happiness in external things without realizing that they don’t help when we have problems within. We need to focus instead on the joy that comes with peace of mind that allows us to remain happy whatever happens.” – Dalai Lama

“The basic thing is that everyone wants happiness, no one wants suffering. And happiness mainly comes from our own attitude, rather than from external factors. If your own mental attitude is correct, even if you remain in a hostile atmosphere, you feel happy.” – Dalai Lama

“We need to ask ourselves how to find happiness – it’s not in money and power.” – Dalai Lama

“A disciplined mind leads to happiness, and an undisciplined mind leads to suffering.” – Dalai Lama

Best Dalai Lama Quotes

“The goal is not to be better than the other man, but your previous self.” – Dalai Lama

“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.” – Dalai Lama

“If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.” – Dalai Lama

“I defeat my enemies when I make them my friends.” – Dalai Lama

“Know the rules well, so you can break them effectively.” – Dalai Lama

“An open heart is an open mind.” – Dalai Lama

“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.” – Dalai Lama

“Silence is sometimes the best answer.” – Dalai Lama

“My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.” – Dalai Lama

“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” – Dalai Lama

“We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.” – Dalai Lama

“Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.” – Dalai Lama

“Choose to be optimistic, it feels better.” – Dalai Lama

“Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them.” – Dalai Lama

“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.” – Dalai Lama

“Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.” – Dalai Lama

“Do not let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace.” – Dalai Lama

“Be happy to change your goals, but never change your values.” – Dalai Lama

“There are only two days in the year that nothing can be done. One is called yesterday and the other is called tomorrow. Today is the right day to love, believe, do and mostly live.” – Dalai Lama

“Give the ones you love wings to fly, roots to come back, and reasons to stay.” – Dalai Lama