Kelsang Gyatso Quotes

Powerful Kelsang Gyatso for Daily Growth

About Kelsang Gyatso

Kelsang Gyatso (1931-2017), born as Geshe Kelsang Gyatso in Tibet, was a highly influential Buddhist teacher and founder of the New Kadampa Tradition - International Kadampa Buddhism (NKT-IKBU). Born in a nomadic family, his spiritual path began at an early age when he met his root guru, Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche. At 15, he entered the famous Ganden Monastery and eventually studied under Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Gyume Khensur Rinpoche. In 1959, following the Tibetan uprising against China, Kelsang Gyatso fled to India, where he continued his studies. In 1977, he moved to England, becoming one of the first Tibetan Buddhist teachers to establish a center in the West. He founded several centers around the world, aiming to spread Buddha's teachings and create a modern Buddhist community. His teachings emphasize a practical approach to Buddhism, focusing on the cultivation of inner peace and happiness. Kelsang Gyatso authored numerous books, including "Introduction to Buddhism," "The New Meditation Handbook," and "Universal Compassion." He is renowned for his series of books called "The Modern Buddhist" and "The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment," which present Tibetan Mahayana Buddhism in a modern context. Kelsang Gyatso's teachings have inspired countless individuals worldwide, encouraging spiritual growth, peace, and happiness through an understanding and practice of Buddha's teachings. His legacy continues through the NKT-IKBU community he founded.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Every day misses an opportunity to learn compounds a future mistake."

This quote emphasizes the importance of learning from each day, as every missed opportunity to acquire knowledge or wisdom potentially contributes to future errors. It encourages us to seize the present moment for growth, understanding that our actions today shape our future outcomes. Thus, it's crucial to learn continuously and be mindful of daily opportunities in order to minimize mistakes in the future.

"The purpose of our life is to be happy."

This quote by Kelsang Gyatso highlights that the fundamental objective in life is to attain happiness, both subjective well-being and inner peace. It suggests that personal fulfillment, joy, and contentment should serve as the primary guiding principles for our actions and decisions. In essence, it encourages an emphasis on individual happiness as a means to promote overall wellness and harmonious living in society.

"To find inner peace, we must learn to let go of our attachment to being right and wrong."

Kelsang Gyatso's quote emphasizes the importance of detaching from the need to be 'right' or 'wrong' for achieving inner peace. This suggests that holding onto these labels, often associated with ego and personal biases, can cause stress, conflict, and impede personal growth. By letting go of the attachment to these labels, we allow ourselves to see different perspectives, foster understanding, and cultivate a more harmonious existence, ultimately finding peace within ourselves.

"A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes."

This quote suggests that happiness is not solely dependent on one's external circumstances or conditions, but more so on one's internal attitude or perspective towards those circumstances. In other words, a happy person is someone who can find contentment and joy regardless of the situations they face, because their mindset allows them to appreciate life as it is and find happiness within it.

"Peace of mind is a result of tranquility of heart, which comes from living according to nature's laws."

Kelsang Gyatso's quote emphasizes that inner peace stems from harmonious living with natural law. This suggests that adhering to the natural balance and order of life can lead to a tranquil heart, which in turn cultivates a state of mental peace. In simpler terms, it means that living in harmony with the universe brings serenity to our minds.

Every living being has the potential to become a Buddha: someone who has completely purified his or her mind of all faults and limitations and has brought all good qualities to perfection.

- Kelsang Gyatso

Mind, Living, Brought, Purified

Usually, we find it difficult to control our mind. It seems as if our mind is like a balloon in the wind - blown here and there by external circumstances.

- Kelsang Gyatso

Mind, Balloon, Here, External

The purpose of meditation is to make our mind calm and peaceful. If our mind is peaceful, we will be free from worries and mental discomfort, and so we will experience true happiness. But if our mind is not peaceful, we will find it very difficult to be happy, even if we are living in the very best conditions.

- Kelsang Gyatso

Happy, True Happiness, Very, Discomfort

We will discover through our own experience that this precious mind of love is the real wish-granting jewel, because it fulfills the pure wishes of both ourself and all living beings.

- Kelsang Gyatso

Love, Discover, Through, Fulfills

Due to mistakenly believing that outer problems are their own problems, most people seek ultimate refuge in the wrong objects. As a result, their suffering and problems never end.

- Kelsang Gyatso

Suffering, Own, Ultimate, Mistakenly

To meditate is to familiarise our mind constantly and thoroughly with a virtuous object.

- Kelsang Gyatso

Mind, Thoroughly, Virtuous, Object

Some people believe I am the third Buddha, but this is people's choice. From me, never. I have never pretended I am special.

- Kelsang Gyatso

Believe, Some, Pretended, Buddha

Our mind is like a cloudy sky: in essence clear and pure, but overcast by clouds of delusions. Just as the thickest clouds can disperse, so, too, even the heaviest delusions can be removed from our mind.

- Kelsang Gyatso

Sky, Mind, Like, Heaviest

Happiness and suffering are feelings - parts of our mind - and so their main causes are not to be found outside the mind. If we really want to be truly happy and free from suffering, we must improve our understanding of the mind.

- Kelsang Gyatso

Suffering, Mind, Want, Causes

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