Dalai Lama is a title given by the Tibetan people to the foremost spiritual leader of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. The current Dalai Lama is Tenzin Gyatso.
Jump ahead to these sections:
- Dalai Lama Quotes About Gratitude and Inner Strength
- Short Dalai Lama Quotes About Gratitude
- Dalai Lama Quotes About Gratitude to Share on Social Media
- Dalai Lama Quotes About Gratitude to Share in a Card
The current Dalai Lama has written many books, including The Art of Happiness; The Art of Practice: The Way to a Meaningful Life; and Ethics for a New Millenium. Here are some quotes that have been attributed to the Dalai Lama regarding gratitude.
Dalai Lama Quotes About Gratitude and Inner Strength
The Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 and the US Congressional Gold Medal in 2006. Here’s what he has to say about inner strength and gratitude.
1. “Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.” – Dalai Lama XIV
The Dalai Lama was born to a farming family in Tibet.
2. “There is a saying in Tibetan, ‘Tragedy should be utilized as a source of strength.’ No matter what sort of difficulties, how painful the experience is, if we lose our hope, that’s our real disaster.” – Dalai Lama XIV
It takes a great deal of inner strength not to lose hope.
3. “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 XIV
These are great words to live by no matter your religious faith.
4. “Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.” – Dalai Lama XIV
Studies have shown that empathy and gratitude are linked to the same region of the brain.
5. “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 XIV
The current Dalai Lama was born Lhamo Thondup on 6 July 1935.
6. “Choose to be optimistic, it feels better.” – Dalai Lama XIV
Having an optimistic outlook is similar to looking at the world with gratitude.
Short Dalai Lama Quotes About Gratitude
The current Dalai Lama was selected in 1937. He was formally recognized as the 14th Dalai Lama in a public declaration in 1939.
Here are some additional quotes about living a positive-minded life by the current Dalai Lama.
7. “Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck.” – Dalai Lama XIV
We understand how hard this may be to accept.
8. “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” – Dalai Lama XIV
This quote can be found in The Art of Happiness, written by the Dalai Lama in 1998.
9. “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 XIV
We know how difficult it is to show gratitude in the face of a real tragedy in life. However, the Dalai Lama challenges others to use their inner strength to avoid self-destructive habits.
10. “We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.” – Dalai Lama XIV
Even though the current Dalai Lama is one of Tibet’s most important spiritual leaders, he has lived as a refugee in India since the Tibetan uprising.
11. “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 XIV
Perhaps we should be grateful for our enemies if their existence can teach us patience and understanding.
12. “Only the development of compassion and understanding for others can bring us the tranquility and happiness we all seek.” ― Dalai Lama XIV
The current Dalai Lama is said to be the reincarnation of the previous Dalai Lama.
Dalai Lama Quotes About Gratitude to Share on Social Media
Remind others in your inner circle about the importance of gratitude on your mental health. Here are some quotes about gratitude, inner peace, and compassion.
13. “World peace must develop from inner peace. Peace is not just mere absence of violence. Peace is, I think, the manifestation of human compassion.” – Dalai Lama XIV
One way to feel inner peace is to practice gratitude daily through meditation or prayer.
14. “There is only one important point you must keep in your mind and let it be your guide. No matter what people call you, you are just who you are. Keep to this truth. You must ask yourself how is it you want to live your life. We live and we die, this is the truth that we can only face alone. No one can help us, not even the Buddha. So consider carefully, what prevents you from living the way you want to live your life?” – Dalai Lama XIV
The Dalai Lama writes a lot about personal choice.
15. “Give the ones you love wings to fly, roots to come back and reasons to stay.” – Dalai Lama XIV
Also, show gratitude for the important people in your life.
16. “To be kind, honest and have positive thoughts; to forgive those who harm us and treat everyone as a friend; to help those who are suffering and never to consider ourselves superior to anyone else: even if this advice seems rather simplistic, make the effort of seeing whether by following it you can find greater happiness.” – Dalai Lama XIV
Sometimes the simplest advice is the best advice.
17. “True change is within; leave the outside as it is.” – Dalai Lama XIV
This thought came from How to Practice: The Way to a Meaningful Life.
18. “A disciplined mind leads to happiness, and an undisciplined mind leads to suffering.” – Dalai Lama XIV
The quote is from the Dalai Lama’s work The Art of Happiness.
Dalai Lama Quotes About Gratitude to Share in a Card
Do you wish to spread messages of hope and peace to your friends or loved ones? Consider sharing some of these quotes about thankfulness and gratitude in a card to a friend who may be hurting.
19. “In order to be happy we must first possess inner contentment; and inner contentment doesn’t come from having all we want; but rather from wanting and appreciating being grateful for all we have.” – Dalai Lama XIV
We know this is easier said than done. Regardless, it’s good advice.
20. “When we develop a right attitude of compassion and gratitude, we take a giant step towards solving our personal and international problems.” – Dalai Lama XIV
It’s hard to think about international problems stemming from an individual’s attitude. However, there have been times throughout the history of the world in which this has happened.
21. “The fact that there is always a positive side to life is the one thing that gives me a lot of happiness.” – Dalai Lama XIV
According to his website, the Dalai Lama wakes up at 3 a.m. and begins the day with prayers, meditations, and prostrations until 5 a.m.
22. “We create most of our suffering, so it should be logical that we also have the ability to create more joy. It simply depends on the attitudes, the perspectives, and the reactions we bring to situations and to our relationships with other people. When it comes to personal happiness there is a lot that we as individuals can do.” – Dalai Lama XIV
This quote is found in The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World.
23. “I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest. I do not judge the universe.” – Dalai Lama XIV
Please understand that this message may not be appreciated when you are trying to support a friend who is grieving a loss. Instead, you might want to share a Buddhist quote about death if they are followers of the Dalia Lama.
Other Ways to Show Gratitude
Are you looking for other ways to show gratitude besides sharing a quote by the Dalai Lama? Why not schedule a few minutes each day to focus your mind on positive aspects of life. This might be done during your daily yoga or prayer session, while drinking your first cup of coffee, or when writing an entry in your gratitude journal.
As we have learned from these quotes and others, having a thankful heart may not come naturally to you. Find a method that works for you.