Top 60 Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Quotes (2025 Update)

1. “Without inner peace, outer peace is impossible.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

Featured in: Inner Peace Quotes, Serenity Quotes, Peace of Mind Quotes, Mindfulness Quotes, Practice Quotes

2. “Patience is a mind that is able to accept fully and happily, whatever occurs. It is much more than just gritting our teeth and putting up with things. Being patient means to welcome wholeheartedly whatever arises, having given up the idea that things should be other than what they are.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

3. “We all wish for world peace, but world peace will never be achieved unless we first establish peace within our own minds.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

4. “We are all interconnected in a web of kindness from which it is impossible to separate ourself.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

5. “In reality, our mind is the creator of all the things we experience.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

6. “All the happiness there is in the world arises from wishing others to be happy.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

7. “Love is the real nuclear bomb that destroys all our enemies, because when we love all living beings, we have no enemies.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

8. “Happiness and suffering are states of mind, and so their main causes cannot be found outside the mind.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

9. “When the turbulence of distracting thoughts subside and our mind becomes still, a deep happiness and contentment naturally arises from within.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

10. “When we learn to accept difficult circumstances patiently, the real problem disappears.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

11. “Without improving our mind there is no way to solve our human problems.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

12. “Happiness is a state of mind, so the real source of happiness must lie within the mind, not in external conditions.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

13. “Developing compassion and wisdom and helping those in need is the true meaning of life.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

14. “Since inner peace is the source of all happiness, we can see how important meditation is.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

15. “There is no situation so bad that it cannot be accepted patiently, with an open, accommodating, and peaceful heart.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

16. “If we transform our ordinary mind into love and compassion we will naturally act in a positive way.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

17. “All objects whether pleasant, unpleasant or neutral, are mere appearances to the mind just like things experienced in a dream.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

18. “I have not met one living being that has not been the mother of all the rest.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

19. “One of the most common ways of not acknowledging our faults is to blame others.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

20. “Learning to cherish others is the best solution to our daily problems, and it is the source of all our future happiness and good fortune.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

21. “The more we control our mind, the more our inner peace increases and the happier we become.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

22. “The moment we let go of our obsessive concern for our own welfare, our mind naturally relaxes and becomes lighter.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

23. “Practicing Dharma is the supreme method for improving the quality of our human life.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

24. “Patience is a strength, not a weakness; and if by practicing patience we stop retaliating to harm and criticism, people will gradually come to understand that our real nature is very special.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

25. “Only by creating peace within our own mind and helping others to do the same can we hope to achieve peace in this world.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

26. “The solution to all the problems of daily life is to cherish others.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

27. “Pure happiness can only be attained through developing our mind.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

28. “When we understand clearly that inner peace is the real source of happiness, and how, through spiritual practice, we can experience progressively deeper levels of inner peace, we will develop tremendous enthusiasm to practice.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

29. “There is no greater method for experiencing peace of mind and happiness than to understand and meditate on Emptiness.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

30. “Our mental attitude transforms a situation into either a problem or an opportunity.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

31. “We need modern ideas, but we also need ancient wisdom. If we deny ancient wisdom we are making a big mistake.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

32. “We need to keep a constant watch over our mind and learn to distinguish between the beneficial and harmful thoughts that are arising moment by moment. Those who are able to do this are truly wise.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

33. “Enlightenment is the inner light of wisdom that is permanently free from all mistaken appearance, and whose function is to bestow mental peace upon each and every living being every day.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

34. “The cause of happiness and the solution to our problems do not lie in knowledge of material things. Happiness and suffering are states of mind, and so their main causes cannot be found outside the mind. If we want to be truly happy and free from suffering, we must learn how to control our mind.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

35. “Right now we have obtained a human rebirth and have the opportunity to attain enlightenment through Dharma practice, so if we waste this precious opportunity in meaningless activities there is no greater loss and no greater foolishness.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

36. “Love is the great protector, protecting us from anger and jealousy.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

37. “Everything we now enjoy has been provided through the kindness of other beings, past or present.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

38. “We do not need to become unhappy just because things don’t go our way.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

39. “By meditating on affectionate love and wishing love for just one moment we accumulate greater merit than we would by giving food three times every day to all those who are hungry in the world.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

40. “Today we can see many different forms of Buddhism, such as Zen and Theravada Buddhism. All these different aspects are practices of Buddha’s teachings, and all are equally precious; they are just different presentations.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

41. “Whenever we see anyone in a high or low position, male or female, they differ only in appearance, dress, behavior, and status. In essence they are all equal – they all experience problems in their lives.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

42. “It is through our anger and hatred that we transform people into enemies.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

43. “Whenever we strive to make progress in our meditations, contemplations and so forth we are practicing effort.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

44. “When we look at external things, we can usually distinguish those that are useful and valuable from those that are not. We must learn to look at our mind in the same way.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

45. “Listening is a lamp that dispels the darkness of ignorance.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

46. “Buddha’s teachings are scientific methods to solve the problems of all living beings permanently.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

47. “If everyone practiced cherishing others, many of the major problems of the world would be solved in a few years.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

48. “Faith is like pure eyes that enable us to see a pure and perfect world beyond the suffering world of samsara.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

49. “We should understand that our problems do not exist outside of ourself, but are part of our mind that experiences unpleasant feelings.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

50. “When a fully qualified Mahayana disciple relies completely upon a fully qualified Mahayana Spiritual Guide the attainment of enlightenment is easy.”

— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso