100 Memorable Dalai Lama Quotes/Status On Compassion

The Dalai Lama holds the prestigious title of the spiritual and political leader of Tibet, a region rich in history and culture. Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, is widely admired for his wisdom and compassion, qualities that have earned him global recognition and reverence. Despite being exiled from his homeland, he continues to inspire millions with his profound teachings and insights.

The Inspirational Leader

Through his numerous speeches and writings, the Dalai Lama has become a beacon of hope and guidance for people around the world. His messages of peace, human rights, and the principles of Buddhism resonate deeply with audiences of all backgrounds. His eloquence and sincerity have garnered him admiration from both religious and secular communities alike, earning him accolades such as the Nobel Peace Prize.

A Voice for Compassion

One of the recurring themes in the Dalai Lama’s teachings is the importance of compassion. He emphasizes the need for individuals to cultivate empathy and kindness towards one another, regardless of differences in belief or background. His profound understanding of human nature and the complexities of modern society allow him to offer practical advice on how to lead a more fulfilling and harmonious life.

Global Impact and Recognition

The Dalai Lama’s influence extends far beyond the borders of Tibet. His tireless advocacy for peace and justice has earned him recognition from world leaders and ordinary citizens alike. Despite facing adversity and persecution, he remains steadfast in his commitment to promoting dialogue and understanding among nations. His legacy as a spiritual leader and peacemaker will continue to inspire future generations to strive for a more compassionate and equitable world.

Dalai Lama quotes on compassion

“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.”

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

“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.”

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

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

“It is very rare or almost impossible that an event can be negative from all points of view.”

“As you breathe in, cherish yourself. As you breathe out, cherish all Beings.”

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

“If you can cultivate the right attitude, your enemies are your best spiritual teachers because their presence provides you with the opportunity to enhance and develop tolerance, patience, and understanding.”

Dalai Lama quotes on compassion

“One great question underlies our experience, whether we think about it or not: what is the purpose of life? From the moment of birth, every human being wants happiness and does not want suffering. Neither social conditioning nor education nor ideology affects this. From the very core of our being, we simply desire contentment. Therefore, it is important to discover what will bring about the greatest degree of happiness.”

“Old friends pass away, new friends appear. It is just like the days. An old day passes, a new day arrives. The important thing is to make it meaningful: a meaningful friend – or a meaningful day.”

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

“If you can cultivate the right attitude, your enemies are your best spiritual teachers because their presence provides you with the opportunity to enhance and develop tolerance, patience and understanding.” – Dalai Lama

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

“Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality.” – 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

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

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

“A good friend who points out mistakes and imperfections and rebukes evil is to be respected as if he reveals the secret of some hidden treasure.” – Dalai Lama

“Compassion naturally creates a positive atmosphere, and as a result you feel peaceful and content.” – 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

“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

Dalai Lama quotes on compassion

“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

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

“It is very rare or almost impossible that an event can be negative from all points of view.” – Dalai Lama

“Instead of wondering WHY this is happening to you, consider why this is happening to YOU.” – Dalai Lama

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

“Because we all share this planet earth, we have to learn to live in harmony and peace with each other and with nature. This is not just a dream, but a necessity.” – Dalai Lama

“When we are motivated by compassion and wisdom, the results of our actions benefit everyone, not just our individual selves or some immediate convenience. When we are able to recognize and forgive ignorant actions of the past, we gain strength to constructively solve the problems of the present.” – Dalai Lama

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

“Peace does not mean an absence of conflicts; differences will always be there. Peace means solving these differences through peaceful means; through dialogue, education, knowledge; and through humane ways.” – Dalai Lama

“You must not hate those who do wrong or harmful things; but with compassion, you must do what you can to stop them — for they are harming themselves, as well as those who suffer from their actions.” – Dalai Lama

“Our ancient experience confirms at every point that everything is linked together, everything is inseparable.” – Dalai Lama

“Someone else’s action should not determine your response.” – Dalai Lama

“Let us try to recognize the precious nature of each day.” – Dalai Lama

“All suffering is caused by ignorance. People inflict pain on others in the selfish pursuit of their own happiness or satisfaction” – Dalai Lama

“A truly compassionate attitude toward others does not change even if they behave negatively or hurt you.” – Dalai Lama

“Human potential is the same for all. Your feeling, “I am of no value”, is wrong. Absolutely wrong. You are deceiving yourself. We all have the power of thought – so what are you lacking? If you have willpower, then you can change anything. It is usually said that you are your own master.” – Dalai Lama

“Old friends pass away, new friends appear. It is just like the days. An old day passes, a new day arrives. The important thing is to make it meaningful: a meaningful friend – or a meaningful day.” – Dalai Lama

Dalai Lama quotes compassion

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

“I will not propose to you that my way is best. The decision is up to you. If you find some point which may be suitable to you, then you can carry out experiments for yourself. If you find that it is of no use, then you can discard it.” – Dalai Lama

“Hard times build determination and inner strength. Through them, we can also come to appreciate the uselessness of anger. Instead of getting angry nurture a deep caring and respect for troublemakers because by creating such trying circumstances they provide us with invaluable opportunities to practice tolerance and patience.”

“Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.”

“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.”

“An open heart is an open mind.”

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

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

“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.”

“There is a saying in Tibetan, ‘Tragedy should be utilized as a source of strength.’

No matter what sort of difficulties, how painful experience is, if we lose our hope, that’s our real disaster.”

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

“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.”

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

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

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

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

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

“Choose to be optimistic, it feels better.”

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

Dalai Lama quotes on compassion

“I will not propose to you that my way is best. The decision is up to you. If you find some point which may be suitable to you, then you can carry out experiments for yourself. If you find that it is of no use, then you can discard it.”
“The way to change others’ minds is with affection and not anger.”

“If you have fear of some pain or suffering, you should examine whether there is anything you can do about it. If you can, there is no need to worry about it; if you cannot do anything, then there is also no need to worry.”

“Instead of wondering WHY this is happening to you, consider why this is happening to YOU.”

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

“In the practice of tolerance, one’s enemy is the best teacher.”

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

“When we are motivated by compassion and wisdom, the results of our actions benefit everyone, not just our individual selves or some immediate convenience. When we are able to recognize and forgive ignorant actions of the past, we gain strength to constructively solve the problems of the present.”

“We need to learn how to want what we have NOT to have what we want in order to get steady and stable happiness”

“Whether one is rich or poor, educated or illiterate, religious or non-believing, man or woman, black, white, or brown, we are all the same. Physically, emotionally, and mentally, we are all equal. We all share basic needs for food, shelter, safety, and love. We all aspire to happiness and we all shun suffering. Each of us has hopes, worries, fears, and dreams. Each of us wants the best for our family and loved ones. We all experience pain when we suffer loss and joy when we achieve what we seek. On this fundamental level, religion, ethnicity, culture, and language make no difference.”

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

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

“Although you may not always be able to avoid difficult situations, you can modify the extent to which you can suffer by how you choose to respond to the situation.”

“Only the development of compassion and understanding for others can bring us the tranquility and happiness we all seek.”
“Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.”

Dalai Lama quotes on compassion

“Look at children. Of course they may quarrel, but generally speaking they do not harbor ill feelings as much or as long as adults do. Most adults have the advantage of education over children, but what is the use of an education if they show a big smile while hiding negative feelings deep inside? Children don’t usually act in such a manner. If they feel angry with someone, they express it, and then it is finished. They can still play with that person the following day.”

“Given the scale of life in the cosmos, one human life is no more than a tiny blip. Each one of us is a just visitor to this planet, a guest, who will only stay for a limited time. What greater folly could there be than to spend this short time alone, unhappy or in conflict with our companions? Far better, surely, to use our short time here in living a meaningful life, enriched by our sense of connection with others and being of service to them.”

“Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality.”

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

“All suffering is caused by ignorance. People inflict pain on others in the selfish pursuit of their own happiness or satisfaction.”

“Compassion is not religious business, it is human business, it is not luxury, it is essential for our own peace and mental stability, it is essential for human survival.”

“Happiness is not something readymade. It comes from your own actions.”

“A truly compassionate attitude toward others does not change even if they behave negatively or hurt you.”
“The more you are motivated by love, the more fearless and free your action will be.”

“Human potential is the same for all. Your feeling, “I am of no value”, is wrong. Absolutely wrong. You are deceiving yourself. We all have the power of thought – so what are you lacking? If you have willpower, then you can change anything. It is usually said that you are your own master.”

“Neither a space station nor an enlightened mind can be realized in a day.”

“Calm mind brings inner strength and self-confidence, so that’s very important for good health.”

Dalai Lama quotes compassion

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

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

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

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

“The important thing is that men should have a purpose in life. It should be something useful, something good.”
“Do not be so busy with your living that you do not know what you are living for.”

Respect yourself enough to walk away from anything that no longer serves you, grows you, or makes you happy.
No matter how big your house is, how new your car is or how big your bank account is. Our graves will always be the same size. Stay humble.”

“When you talk you are only repeating what you already know, but when you listen you may learn something new.”

“Through violence, you may ‘solve’ one problem, but you sow the seeds for another.”

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

“Inner peace is the key: if you have inner peace, the external problems do not affect your deep sense of peace and tranquility…without this inner peace, no matter how comfortable your life is material, you may still be worried, disturbed, or unhappy because of circumstances.”

“Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck.”

Dalai Lama quotes on compassion

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

“It is under the greatest adversity that there exists the greatest potential for doing good, both for oneself and others.”
“I defeat my enemies when I make them my friends.”

“What surprises me most is “Man”, because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he doesn’t enjoy the present; the result being he doesn’t live in the present or the future; He lives as if he’s never going to die, and then he dies having never really lived.”
“Someone else’s action should not determine your response.”

“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.”

“Cultivating a close, warmhearted feeling for others automatically puts the mind at ease. It helps remove whatever fears or insecurities we may have and gives us the strength to cope with any obstacles we encounter. It is the principal source of success in life. Since we are not solely material creatures, it is a mistake to place all our hopes for happiness on external development alone. The key is to develop inner peace.”

“As people alive today, we must consider future generations: a clean environment is a human right like any other. It is, therefore, part of our responsibility toward others to ensure that the world we pass on is as healthy, if not healthier than we found it.”

Other Recommended Reading

• 50 Happy Holidays and Happy New Year Wishes
• 40 One Small Positive Thought in the Morning
• 25 Happy and Positive Quotes for Daily Inspiration
• 50 Song Lyrics Love Quotes for Beautiful Hearts
• 70 Words of Sympathy for the Loss of A Grown Daughter
• 40 Comforting Words for the Loss of A Child
• 30 New Year Message for Boyfriend Long Distance
• 35 Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad from Daughter
• 40 Words of Sympathy for the Sudden Loss of Brother
• 40 Words of Sympathy for the Loss of A Grown Son
• 60 What to Say Instead of Sorry for Someone’s Loss
• 50 Professional New Year Wishes for Colleagues and Boss
•  40 New Year Wishes for Family Members Forever
• 50 Happy Anniversary My Parents Messages, Wishes
• 50 Wishing You a Happy and Healthy New Year
• 40 Happy New Year to My Best Friend Forever
• 50 Best New Year Wishes Quotes for Dear Ones
• 65 Funny New Year Wishes for Best Friend
• 30 Love Song Quotes Spoken from Your Soul
• 30 What to Say When Someone Dies Unexpectedly