• Digital Nomad Resources
  • Train Travel
  • Urban Rail Transit
  • Where To Stay

Nomadic Notes

Travel blog and weekly travel newsletter

  • Blog
  • Travel Newsletter

52 inspiring Buddhist quotes and sayings on life

December 29, 2010 By James Clark 45 Comments

52 inspiring Buddhist quotes and sayings on life

Wat Phra Singh in Chiang Mai is one of the biggest Buddhist temples in the city and houses the Phra Buddha Sihing, an important Buddha statue.

In the Wat compound there are famous Buddhist quotes and sayings attached to trees throughout the garden, which makes for an enlightened walk around the Wat. On my walks around the old city of I would often make a detour to this garden to ponder these Buddhist quotes on life.

If everything is gotten dreamily, it will go away dreamily too
[If everything is gotten dreamily, it will go away dreamily too.]

Dhamma is systematic practice for a man at every stage of his life
[Dhamma is systematic practice for a man at every stage of his life.]

Flattering words are but honey-coated poison
[Flattering words are but honey-coated poison.]

Light dispels darkness. Wisdom dispels ignorance
[Light dispels darkness. Wisdom dispels ignorance.]

With Dhamma established in the mind, even bare rice is delicious enough
[With Dhamma established in the mind, even bare rice is delicious enough.]

Those with good eye are inclined to fall into deep well
[Those with good eye are inclined to fall into deep well.]

As you sow so you reap
[As you sow so you reap.]

Until death there is nothing enough
[Until death there is nothing enough.]

There is no glory for a lazy person however good looking
[There is no glory for a lazy person however good looking.]

Without recognition of death, how can there be any knowledge of it
[Without recognition of death, how can there be any knowledge of it.]

Mans death is the least of all things material. What is left to the world is virtues and vices
[Mans death is the least of all things material. What is left to the world is virtues and vices.]

The simplicity of the good man is hard to follow. The simplicity of the evil man is easy to follow
[The simplicity of the good man is hard to follow. The simplicity of the evil man is easy to follow.]

Physical charms attract the eyes, goodness attracts the mind
[Physical charms attract the eyes, goodness attracts the mind.]

Failure teaches a man how to succeed
[Failure teaches a man how to succeed.]

Poverty with dignity is better than wealth based on shame
[Poverty with dignity is better than wealth based on shame.]

Never is there any effect like that of merit
[Never is there any effect like that of merit.]

Without a beginning, there is nothing to worry about the end
[Without a beginning, there is nothing to worry about the end.]

The most valuable service is one rendered to our fellow humans
[The most valuable service is one rendered to our fellow humans.]

Do not neglect recollection of death
[Do not neglect recollection of death.]

Don't escape when you have a problem because there always is a way to solve it
[Don’t escape when you have a problem because there always is a way to solve it.]

Ignorance is the real evil
[Ignorance is the real evil.]

If there nothing that you like, you must like the things that you have
[If there nothing that you like, you must like the things that you have.]

Better is to speak unpleasant truth than to tell lies
[Better is to speak unpleasant truth than to tell lies.]

It is easy to know man's face, but it is difficult to know his thought
[It is easy to know man’s face, but it is difficult to know his thought.]

Peace is the highest bliss
[Peace is the highest bliss.]

Eat to live but don't live to eat
[Eat to live but (don’t) live to eat.]

In time of suffering, only dhamma is real friend of the mind
[In time of suffering, only dhamma is real friend of the mind.]

Merit making calculated to impress is not real merit
[Merit making calculated to impress is not real merit.]

Do try to do good but not to be great, otherwise you will be in danger
[Do try to do good but not to be great, otherwise you will be in danger.]

Everyone may be a fool but nobody is a fool forever
[Everyone may be a fool but nobody is a fool forever.]

No other foes are greater than birth and death. No other friends are greater than merits
[No other foes are greater than birth and death. No other friends are greater than merits.]

With mindfulness, a person always prospers
[With mindfulness, a person always prospers.]

There is no saturating the fire with fuel
[There is no saturating the fire with fuel.]

The skilled man does not show off, but the man without knowledge usually show off
[The skilled man does not show off, but the man without knowledge usually show off.]

Crying with the wise is better than laughing with the fool
[Crying with the wise is better than laughing with the fool.]

Anxiety shortens life
[Anxiety shortens life.]

Not only to be receiver, but also to be provider
[Not only to be receiver, but also to be provider.]

Time and tide wait for no man
[Time and tide wait for no man.]

Living without hope is like burying oneself
[Living without hope is like burying oneself.]

Education is a guide, knowledge is a key
[Education is a guide, knowledge is a key.]

Selfishness is the father of all evil
[Selfishness is the father of all evil.]

To defeat others is the starting point of hatred and vengeance
[To defeat others is the starting point of hatred and vengeance.]

Constant dripping wears away the stone
[Constant dripping wears away the stone.]

Every honest work is honourable work
[Every honest work is honourable work.]

Clean, clear, calm; these are characteristics of a noble person.
[Clean, clear, calm; these are characteristics of a noble person.]

Good to forgive, the best to forget.
[Good to forgive, the best to forget.]

It is flooded water that makes mud; it is clean water that wipes away mud.
[It is flooded water that makes mud; it is clean water that wipes away mud.]

Merit is to accumulated, evil is to be abandoned.
Merit is to accumulated, evil is to be abandoned.

Selfishness is the real enemy of peace
Selfishness is the real enemy of peace

Today is better than two tomorrows.
[Today is better than two tomorrows.]

To do good and evil unseen by others are always seen by oneself.
[To do good and evil unseen by others are always seen by oneself.]

A man who will be the public leader, must know how to be the public follower.
[A man who will be the public leader, must know how to be the public follower.]

For more Buddha quotes check out 365 Days of Inspirational Quotes and Sayings in Buddhism.

If you are considering to visit Chiang Mai read the guide on where to stay in Chiang Mai.

Filed Under: Travel Blog Tagged With: chiang mai, religion, signs, temple, thailand

Comments

  1. eddy says

    December 29, 2010 at 10:19 pm

    I just went for a really great walk. thanks

    P.S happy happy joy joy, new year rabbit
    Mr. james.

    Reply
    • Barbara Whitmer says

      March 27, 2017 at 5:53 pm

      Can someone complete: Three things cannot be easily hidden …. ? thanks

      Reply
      • Sudip Rout says

        July 2, 2017 at 4:45 pm

        i. The Sun
        ii. The Moon and
        iii. The Truth

        Reply
  2. Claire McFarlane says

    December 31, 2010 at 8:32 am

    I really enjoyed this James, so uplifting, thanks for having the correct meanings typed underneath….
    One can but endeavour to follow all and thereby feel elated…
    Thank you…..Happy New Year, hope 2011 is safe, happy and healthy for you…Claire

    Reply
  3. James Clark says

    December 31, 2010 at 6:18 pm

    Eddy and Claire, thanks for that.

    Happy New Year!

    Reply
  4. Tasha says

    January 4, 2011 at 4:01 pm

    Oh I love these quotes! What a great and inspiring walk it must have been for you… thanks for sharing… love it!!

    Reply
  5. Sarah harman says

    September 26, 2011 at 9:14 pm

    thank you so much for taking these wonderful photos, ive been looking for deep an meaningful buddhist tattoos to get an i have finally found them.

    thanks so much James..
    you have the life so many of us could only dream of
    sarah

    Reply
    • James Clark says

      September 29, 2011 at 6:46 pm

      Hi Sarah, thanks for the comment – it is a life I don’t take for granted.

      Glad you enjoyed the sayings as much as I did 🙂

      Reply
  6. Ghip says

    November 17, 2011 at 3:14 pm

    So inspiring. I feel soOooso much better than yesterday. I will liev  to eat!

    Reply
  7. Howibkk says

    December 15, 2011 at 9:17 am

    I am very thankful to bumped into inspiring Buddhist quotes.  Thank you, thank you James.

    Reply
  8. Rohitsrivastava8788 says

    December 17, 2011 at 3:31 pm

    Fantastic thought ever seen in my life!

    Reply
  9. Neeranjana says

    January 9, 2012 at 4:26 am

    Its really the fact of life”  really inspired ”

    Reply
  10. Marcella Velasco says

    March 11, 2012 at 4:08 pm

    James thank you for sharing. Namaste.

    Reply
    • James Clark says

      March 12, 2012 at 10:41 am

       You’re welcome, Marcella 🙂

      Reply
  11. Andy Gandhi says

    March 14, 2012 at 5:48 pm

    These quotes really help fill me with peace, keep them coming, keep the faith

    Reply
  12. Sreejith K B says

    July 11, 2012 at 2:00 am

    Great post. thanks

    Reply
  13. Nat says

    September 5, 2012 at 5:17 am

    What language is at the top of these signs?

    Reply
    • James Clark says

      September 5, 2012 at 7:21 am

      This is Thai language.

      Reply
  14. mike uhlenhake says

    February 25, 2013 at 1:13 pm

    I saw these also in Chiang Mai & was compelled to read them all.
    I’d like to put them all over my neighborhood (or at least the alleyways).
    Thanks for posting

    Reply
  15. Galio says

    May 19, 2013 at 12:04 pm

    So cool picture with amazing message, love it 🙂

    Reply
  16. Dustin says

    May 28, 2013 at 7:29 am

    Great photos, great quotes. This one, “Eat to live but (don’t) live to eat” reminded me of a quote I read in Benjamin Franklin’s biography, “eat not to dullness”. Basically saying the same thing, food is fuel and nothing more. This is especially applicable these days when extravagance is difficult to ignore. Thanks again!

    Reply
  17. corey says

    June 20, 2013 at 3:34 pm

    Thanks for the inspiration.

    Reply
  18. Kirk Cooper says

    August 5, 2013 at 3:19 pm

    Thanks for the quotes I downloaded the mediation app but seeing it and look at it fromt perspective has been a blessing and an inspiration.

    Thanks

    Reply
  19. Sarah says

    August 7, 2013 at 1:39 am

    I love these quotes. Thanks 🙂

    Reply
  20. นิชคุณ Buck หรเวชกุล (@viaoctr) says

    January 24, 2014 at 10:38 am

    what a positive place, too inspiring… nice

    Reply
  21. subbaiah says

    April 11, 2014 at 10:59 am

    marvelous and exordinary quotes for human life in the universe with global peace, my heartly congratulate for james for acquiring these quotes from buddha literature. thank u very much.

    Reply
  22. Carmen says

    October 20, 2014 at 4:27 am

    hey i was wondering if anyone here knows how to write out the saying “Today is better than two tomorrows” in Thai. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Mamuaygang says

      December 29, 2017 at 4:18 am

      Do you mean how to say in thai then it is,
      wan nee wan deaw dee kwa prung nee song wan
      wan nee = today
      wan deaw = 1 day
      dee kwa = better than
      prung nee = tomorrow
      song wan = 2 day

      Reply
  23. Bhagat shankar says

    April 23, 2015 at 4:10 pm

    Really these are the maxims for life.Following these will make life meaningful,one filled with values and it becomes worthful.

    Reply
  24. John says

    January 17, 2016 at 12:43 am

    Great post! It’s as if I walked with you looking at the quotes.

    Reply
  25. 정윤회 says

    January 21, 2016 at 2:20 am

    Keep up the great work.

    Reply
  26. Justin says

    June 19, 2016 at 7:52 am

    Love the qotes.

    Reply
  27. Jennifer says

    February 21, 2017 at 7:09 am

    These are excellent words to live by 🙂

    Reply
  28. Nelly says

    March 6, 2017 at 9:03 am

    Hi there, just wanted to tell you, I enjoyed this post. Keep on posting!

    Reply
  29. Pat says

    April 10, 2017 at 7:19 pm

    I am so grateful for your blog post. Really Great.

    Reply
  30. Jared says

    April 15, 2017 at 9:51 pm

    I am so grateful for your post. Cool.

    Reply
  31. Kate M says

    June 9, 2017 at 1:00 pm

    My Favourite: A man once told Buddha “I want happiness”. Buddha replied, “first remove the ‘I’, that’s ego. Then remove ‘want’, that’s desire. And now all you’re left with is Happiness”

    Reply
  32. Concetta Modzelewski says

    March 2, 2018 at 12:17 pm

    None of this sounds familiar from my upbringing. Not even an little.

    Reply
  33. Randall Chiariello says

    November 14, 2018 at 3:57 pm

    The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary. -Vidal Sassoon

    Reply
  34. Christophe Vendator Sampath says

    March 13, 2019 at 6:42 am

    I recall some of the quotes back from my time in Sri Lanka. It was just amazing. Wonderful religion indeed.

    Reply
  35. Kal says

    August 9, 2019 at 1:06 am

    Hey, glad that i saw on this in google. Thanks!

    Reply
  36. June says

    January 13, 2020 at 7:02 pm

    Hi James,

    I just went there, the song they played in this garden is so beautifuL. Do you know what song is it? I am trying to download it.

    Thanks,
    June.

    Reply
    • James Clark says

      January 14, 2020 at 1:29 am

      Hi June, sorry I don’t know it.

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. The 55 Greatest Quotes About Traveling says:
    December 5, 2011 at 11:19 am

    […] 52 Inspiring Buddhist Quotes and Sayings on Life […]

    Reply
  2. 10 Buddhist Maxims For Business « Mannaismayaadventure's Blog says:
    April 30, 2012 at 1:09 pm

    […] The most valuable service is one rendered to our fellow humans.This phrase is found, along with more than 50 others, in Wat Phra Singh, a large Buddhist temple in Chiang Mai, Thailand. In the temple, you can view an illustrious statue called the Phra Buddha Sihing. If you take a walk around the temple, you can find Buddhist aphorisms on signs nailed to trees that line the temple grounds. This adage tells you that your work is valuable only inasmuch as it helps other people. […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Weekly Travel Newsletter

Sign up for the weekly travel newsletter for the latest posts, and a roundup of best travel reads from around the web.
Subscribe For Free Here [No spam, unsubscribe anytime.]

About Nomadic Notes

James Clark from Nomadic Notes

Hi, I’m James Clark, and I've been travelling the world since 2003 while running a location independent travel business. Nomadic Notes is a travel blog featuring travel guides and notes from my travels.

More about me and Nomadic Notes.

Follow Nomadic Notes

Recent Posts

  • Don Muang Airport Train: Getting the train from DMK to Central Bangkok
  • Bangkok to Pattaya by train
  • Notes on Udon Thani
  • Where to stay in Singapore: The best areas and notable hotels (2023)
  • Ornamental street signs of Thailand
  • Where to stay in Georgetown, Penang – The best area to stay and the pick of the hotels (2023)
  • Notes on Nakhon Phanom: Down by the river, and hanging out at Uncle Ho’s House
  • Where to stay in Da Nang – the best areas and most notable hotels (2023)
  • Where to stay in Hanoi: The best areas for first-time visitors
  • Where to stay in Dubai: The best areas and most iconic hotels

European Rail Travel

Eurail Pass Travel Guide

Europe Rail News – The new newsletter for train travel in Europe

Southeast Asia Rail Travel

Southeast Asia current and proposed railways

A complete guide to train travel in Southeast Asia

Featured Posts

Top 200 Travel Books
How to find cheap flights
Best new banks for travellers, expats, and nomads

About Nomadic Notes

About
Advertise
Contact
Contribute
Press/Media Mentions
Where I've Been

Search Nomadic Notes

Travel Notes

Travel Notes

Travel Resources

Long-term Travel
Travel Blog Directory
Travel Gear
Travel Insurance
Travel Sites

Where To Stay In…

Bangkok
Chiang Mai
Da Nang
Ho Chi Minh City
Hong Kong
Jakarta
Kuala Lumpur
Macau
Penang
Singapore

Travel Newsletter

Sign up for the weekly travel newsletter for the latest posts and a roundup of best travel reads from around the web.

Copyright © 2023 Nomadic Notes · Site Map | Privacy · Log in