An Introduction to Buddhism Quotes

“It is by gaining insight into the truth of dependent origination [that] one will bring about the cessation of delusion.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, An Introduction to Buddhism

“The true Dharma jewel is the true cessation. The term “cessation” here refers to the genuine freedom we gain from continuously applying the antidotes to our negative aspects of mind. So the ultimate fruit of our spiritual practice is to prevent our afflictions (our negative thoughts and emotions) from ever arising again. This ending of the afflictions is the true cessation, namely the true Dharma; and the path that leads to that true cessation is also known as the true Dharma.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, An Introduction to Buddhism

“The first is known as the egoistic grasping at self-existence, within which there is the grasping at the thought “I am” or “me” on the one hand, and the grasping at “mine” as the possessions of that self on the other. Working from this basis we then extend the sense of self onto our belongings and so forth, such as “my house,” “my body,” and “my mind.” Afflictions like attachment and anger arise on the basis of these possessive thoughts. This is the causal dynamic process through which our afflictions—the cause of our suffering—come into being.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, An Introduction to Buddhism

“At a subtle level, even our grasping at the intrinsic existence of things is considered to be a form of mundane concern. We must ensure that all the practices of cultivating the altruistic mind of awakening remain free from any form of mundane concern, including this subtle grasping onto the inherent existence of our own self or other phenomena. This is why the cultivation of the wisdom of emptiness is crucial.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, An Introduction to Buddhism

“A genuine understanding of the nature of full enlightenment occurs on the basis of a deep understanding of emptiness.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, An Introduction to Buddhism

“According to worldly norms of human behavior, when we help someone and place great trust in them and they mistreat us in return, it is seen as reasonable to be angry with them because we have been hurt. However, practitioners of bodhicitta must not give in to this type of conventional thinking. Instead, we should learn to view such people in a special way, as objects for our practice of forbearance and loving kindness. We must in fact recognize these people as our spiritual teachers.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, An Introduction to Buddhism

“When we contemplate the diversity of spiritual traditions on this planet we can understand that each addresses the specific needs of different human beings, because there is so much diversity in human mentality and spiritual inclination. Yet, fundamentally, all spiritual traditions perform the same function, which is to help us tame our mental state, overcome our negativities and perfect our inner potential.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, An Introduction to Buddhism

“This leads us to realize that all the mental afflictions that pollute our mind, such as attachment and anger, are in principle separable from the mind. What this suggests is that these afflictions of the mind are in some sense adventitious. Since these pollutants are separable or removable from the mind, they cannot together constitute its essential nature. Rather, the essential nature of our mind is the potential for buddhahood which is inherent in us all.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, An Introduction to Buddhism

“Generally, all these mental afflictions arise from the three basic poisons of mind—attachment, anger, and delusion. Delusion is the foundation of the other two and of all our afflictions; and, in the context of Mahayana Buddhist thought, delusion refers to our mistaken notion of grasping at the real existence of things and events. So it is through the eradication of delusion—which lies at the root of all afflictions—that we strive to bring about an end to suffering and thereby attain true liberation (moksha in Sanskrit).”
― Dalai Lama XIV, An Introduction to Buddhism

“As Dharmakirti points out in his Exposition of Valid Cognition, if we were given the chance to exchange our imperfect physical body with the perfect body of a celestial being, we would be wholeheartedly willing to make that exchange. This indicates that, even in our innate intuitions about self, we do not identify ourselves entirely with our body. For if we did, this instinctive, wholehearted willingness on our part to make the exchange would not make sense.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, An Introduction to Buddhism