As one of the greatest minds of our time, Buddha is viewed by many as the embodiment of true wisdom, joy, and positivity. In Buddha’s teachings, we learn to be happy in life despite whatever suffering we experience.
Buddha Shares 31 Happiness Quote That Will Change Your Life
While life won’t always be filled with happy moments, we can find a way to see the positive through it all. Read on for 31 of our favorite happiness quotes inspired by Buddha.
1. Don’t focus on the past, do not daydream about the future; think about the present moment.
It can be hard to let go of our past failures, but in doing so we will be able to focus entirely on the present. The same is true for the future—while we should set our goals for a better future, we must center all our energy on today.
2. Your mind is everything. Protect your mind and your thoughts—what you think about, you will become.
Many of us go through the day letting our thoughts go unchecked. While it’s important to let our minds wander at times, we also must exercise intentionality in what we choose to think about.
3. Joy is the companion of a pure mind. Focus on pure thoughts and happiness will find you.
This happiness quote inspires us to clear our minds. When our thoughts are pure, happiness and joy aren’t far behind.
4. Only you can save you—no one else.
When we go through difficult times in life, it is natural to search for someone to give us a way out. The truth is that whatever we go through, only we can save ourselves. We have to be strong enough to keep going.
5. In life, your greatest mistakes are not starting and not following through.
This happiness quote shows us that our mistakes are just lessons to learn in life. The only real mistakes are choosing to quit or not starting in the first place.
6. An undisciplined mind leads to confusion. If we can train our minds, our thoughts will become obedient to us.
Our minds naturally want to wander—we have to discipline ourselves to change the way we think.
7. In life, we must be virtuous, wise, and of right mind. The purer we live, the more we enjoy life.
We are all born with a purpose. This happiness quote reminds us what really matters in life.
8. Many of us spend a lifetime searching for something. Stop looking long enough to realize that what you are searching for is already within you.
Many of us are searching for direction in life without realizing that we have the answer within ourselves. This happiness quote shows us that we have the ability to create our own destiny and we must trust and follow our inner desires to reach our destination.
9. Peace is found on the inside; it cannot come from an outside source.
Oftentimes, society will encourage us to do more, buy more, or be more to find happiness. This happiness quote teaches that true peace can only be found within.
10. Doing something good for another person will also have a positive impact on you.
The power of goodness is that it acts as a beacon of light for all that are exposed to it. When we do something good for someone else, we are shining that same light of positivity on ourselves.
11. Few people in life have the maturity to truly be a companion to you. Instead of searching for a partner in the wrong person, choose to walk through these moments alone.
We all long for companionship in life, but oftentimes, our greatest adventures and challenges must be experienced alone.
12. Compassion is the world’s greatest strength.
This happiness quote teaches us the truth to inner strength: we must be compassionate to others.
13. Happiness cannot be discovered. It is always there—we must learn how to see it.
We can’t FIND happiness. Happiness is the path we walk along in this journey of life.
14. Our anger is a punishment we give to ourselves.
Many people choose to become angry and remain that way without realizing that it is this very emotion that is destroying them. If happiness is your goal, you cannot let anger overtake your mind.
15. To truly live and exist in power, we must live without fear.
Fear can be our greatest setback or it can be a lesson in the secret to success: when we move beyond our fear, we are able to accomplish whatever we set our minds to.
16. Pain is a guarantee in life, but suffering is a choice.
In life, we are guaranteed to experience painful moments. However, we don’t have to linger in that pain.
We can move on from the suffering by letting go of these painful feelings.
17. We can use a single candle to light other candles. Sharing this flame doesn’t decrease the light of the other candle. Such is the case with happiness.
Joy and happiness are meant to be shared. When we invite others to experience these happy moments with us, we are increasing this joy within others.
18. When we transform our minds and purify our thoughts, we are cleansing our lives of wrongdoing as well.
Though transforming the mind is a lifelong process, the more we align our minds with pure and positive things, the less negativity will remain.
19. Don’t try to control anyone else—you should only seek to control yourself.
We should never aim to be in control of someone else’s thoughts, emotions, or actions. We must strive to gain control of ourselves.
20. If you are seeking Enlightenment, you must first control your mind.
The more we can control our minds, the closer we will get to Enlightenment. At that point, wisdom will be second nature to us.
21. Leading a wise life allows one to spend every moment intentionally. Leading such a life leaves no man or woman afraid of anything—even death.
We all die. Though we all have various beliefs regarding what happens after death, those of us that live our lives intentionally have nothing to fear—we will know our time on earth was spent wisely.
22. These three things will always come out: the moon, the sun, and the truth.
Just like the moon and the sun, the truth will always find a way to shine through. If you truly take this happiness quote to heart, you must make a commitment to always telling the truth.
23. Our lives are made of little moments. One perfect moment will change a day, another perfect day will change a life. One life may change the world.
Never underestimate the power of one day. Each day has its own potential and may be the day that changes your life forever.
24. The words we speak matter. We influence others to do evil or good based on our words alone.
We must remember to choose our words carefully. Even if we have no ill intentions in mind, others will always interpret our words in one way or another.
25. Hate is not snuffed out by more hate. To bring light to the dark, you have to shine something bright.
We can’t stop hate with hate. Only love can bring about positive change in our lives and the lives of others.
26. Each new morning is an opportunity to start fresh.
Each day, we have the opportunity to begin again. Whatever may have happened yesterday is in the past—today is what matters.
Discover the wisdom of Buddha.
27. We all are connected and have some influence over each other. Nothing exists in a vacuum.
This quote reminds us that no matter how alone we may feel at times, we are never truly alone in life.
28. Evil is always a choice. We are never lured to evil by anyone other than ourselves.
At times, we can be our own worst enemy. Though we may believe another person is to blame for our lack of happiness in life, the truth is that we are in control of our feelings and thoughts.
29. Our thoughts are powerful. Negative thinking can hurt us more than we know.
Buddha was a champion for positive thinking. The more we think about something, the more it affects us. With negative thinking, we invite negativity into our lives.
30. A foolish friend is no friend at all. It’s better to be alone than to befriend a fool.
Going through life alone can seem scary. Though you won’t be alone forever, taking the time to be by yourself is better than finding companionship with individuals that have negative qualities.
31. The words we say and the opinions we have don’t matter nearly as much as the actions we take.
We can say all the good things in the world, but if we only speak without taking action, our words will be nothing more than that.
Final Thoughts on Buddha’s Happiness Quotes
Buddha knew a thing or two about focusing on positive thoughts and retraining the mind. If you’ve been searching for happiness, the Buddha’s teaching can help you on your journey.
Keep each happiness quote in mind as you work to cleanse your mind and life of negativity. In your quest for happiness, remember that it’s about finding joy in the journey, not the destination.
