Transformative Spiritual Quotes That Will Empower Your Journey

Words have the power to move and change people’s lives, certain quotes throughout history contain words that contain wise and deep transformational teachings.

The following quotes are spiritual quotes that contain wisdom from enlightened masters, quotes for finding inner peace, inspiring quotes, quotes to help with being more mindful to people who have changed the world for the better. 

"The next message you need is always right where you are. "

-Ram Dass-

These quotes are broken down into different categories you can skip to by using the table below:

Whenever you’re feeling uninspired or feeling lost the following quotes full of wisdom will help you find that inspiration.

1. “Only if we understand, will we care. Only if we care, will we help. Only if we help shall all be saved."

-Jane Goodall-

2. "I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.” 

-Nelson Mandela-

3. "My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind."

 -Albert Einstein-

4. "If you believe it will work out, you’ll see opportunities, if you believe it won’t you will see obstacles."

-Wayne Dyer-

5. "Believe in your infinite potential. Your only limitations are those you set upon yourself. Roy T."

 -Bennett-

6. “It always seems impossible until it’s done.”

-Nelson Mandela-

7. "You are never alone or helpless. The force that guides the stars, guides you too."

-Shrii Shrii Anandamurti-

8. "Discontent, blaming, complaining, self-pity cannot serve as a foundation for a good future, no matter how much effort you make."

 -Eckhart Tolle-

9. "I am realistic – I expect miracles."

 -Wayne Dyer-

10. “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.”

-Nelson Mandela-

11. "When you make a choice, you change the future."

-Deepak Chopra-

12. “God will not look you over for medals, degrees or diplomas but for scars."

 -Elbert Hubbard-

13. “We can change the world and make it a better place. It is in your hands to make a difference.”

 -Nelson Mandela-

14. “It’s what you practice in private that you will be rewarded for in public.”

-Tony Robbins-

15. “Action without vision is only passing time, vision without action is merely day dreaming, but vision with action can change the world.”

 -Nelson Mandela-

16. "Physical strength can never permanently withstand the impact of spiritual force."

-Franklin D. Roosevelt-

17. "The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper."

 -William Butler Yeats-

18. "I believe in God, but not as one thing, not as an old man in the sky. I believe that what people call God is something in all of us."

-John Lennon-

19. "It does not matter how long you are spending on the earth, how much money you have gathered or how much attention you have received. It is the amount of positive vibration you have radiated in life that matters."

 -Amit Ray-

20. "It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves."

 -William Shakespeare-

21. “I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.”

-Martin Luther-

22. “The power for creating a better future is contained in the present moment: You create a good future by creating a good present.”

-Eckhart Tolle-

If you’re looking for peace these quotes contain teachings that will help you find the inner peace you’re searching for.

1. “When you get into your car, shut the door and be there for just half a minute. Breathe, feel the energy inside your body, look around at the sky, the trees. The mind might tell you, 'I don't have time. But that's the mind talking to you. Even the busiest person has time for 30 seconds of space." 

-Eckhart Tolle-

2. “Nobody can bring you peace but yourself.”

-Ralph Waldo Emerson-

3. "We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves."

-Dalai Lama-

4. "The resting place of the mind is the heart. The only thing the mind hears all day is clanging bells and noise and argument, and all it wants is quietude. The only place the mind will ever find peace is inside the silence of the heart. That’s where you need to go."

-Elizabeth Gilbert-

5. “Peace is the result of retraining your mind to process life as it is, rather than as you think it should be.”

-Wayne Dyer-

6. "Acceptance looks like a passive state, but in reality it brings something entirely new into this world. That peace, a subtle energy vibration, is consciousness."

-Eckhart Tolle-

7. "Even the most seemingly unpleasant situations - if you become aligned with it, something good will emerge from that."

-Eckhart Tolle-

8. “Do not let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace.”

-Dalai Lama-

9. “Nobody can hurt me without my permission.”

-Mahatma Gandhi-

10. “Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”

-Gautama Buddha-

There’s no greater force that can change and empower our lives than what comes from true unconditional love, the following quotes contain powerful teachings on love.

1. "If you love a flower, don’t pick it up. Because if you pick it up it dies and it ceases to be what you love. So if you love a flower, let it be. Love is not about possession. Love is about appreciation."

-Osho-

2. "He who is filled with love is filled with God himself."

-Saint Augustine-

3. "The Way is not in the sky; the Way is in the heart."

-Gautama Buddha-

4. "It is love alone that leads to right action. What brings order in the world is to love and let love do what it will."

-Jiddu Krishnamurti-

5. "If you want others to be happy, practise compassion. If you want to be happy, practise compassion."

-Dalai Lama-

6. "Wisdom says we are nothing. Love says we are everything. Between these two our life flows."

-Jack Kornfield-

7. “Only those who have learned the power of sincere and selfless contribution experience life’s deepest joy: true fulfillment.”

-Tony Robbins-

8. “If you truly loved yourself, you could never hurt another.”

-Gautama Buddha-

9. “True love is born from understanding.”

-Gautama Buddha-

10. "People hear you on the level you speak to them from. Speak from your heart, and they will hear with theirs."

-Marianne Williamson-

11. "Compassion is the wish for another being to be free from suffering; love is wanting them to have happiness."

-Dalai Lama-

12. "One of the most spiritual things you can do is embrace your humanity. Connect with those around you today. Say, “I love you”, “I’m sorry”, “I appreciate you”, “I’m proud of you”…whatever you’re feeling. Send random texts, write a cute note, embrace your truth and share it…cause a smile today for someone else…and give plenty of hugs."

-Steve Maraboli-

13. "Being love rather than giving or taking love, is the only thing that provides stability."

-Ram Dass-

14. "When there is love in your heart, everything outside of you also becomes lovable."

-Veeresh-

15. “Silence the angry man with love. Silence the ill-natured man with kindness. Silence the miser with generosity. Silence the liar with truth.”

-Gautama Buddha-

16. "It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart."

-Mahatma Gandhi-

17. "Be tolerant of those who are lost on their path. Ignorance, conceit, anger, jealousy and greed stem from a lost soul. Pray that they will find guidance."

-Elder Wisdom-

18. "The spiritual journey is the unlearning of fear and the acceptance of love."

-Marianne Williamson-

19. "Love is what we are born with. Fear is what we learn. The spiritual journey is the unlearning of fear and prejudices and the acceptance of love back in our hearts. Love is the essential reality and our purpose on earth. To be consciously aware of it, to experience love in ourselves and others, is the meaning of life. Meaning does not lie in things. Meaning lies in us."

-Marianne Williamson-

20. "All major religious traditions carry basically the same message that is love, compassion and forgiveness the important thing is they should be part of our daily lives."

-Dalai Lama-

21. "Power over others is weakness disguised as strength."

-Eckhart Tolle-

22. "In a conflict between the heart and the brain, follow your heart."

-Swami Vivekananda-

23. "I am convinced that the jealous, the angry, the bitter and the egotistical are the first to race to the top of mountains. A confident person enjoys the journey, the people they meet along the way and sees life not as a competition. They reach the summit last because they know God isn’t at the top waiting for them. He is down below helping his followers to understand that the view is glorious where ever you stand."

-Shannon L. Alder-

Death in the west is culturally seen as something to be feared off and to not think about. These quotes contain empowering perspectives on death.

1. "When something dies is the greatest teaching."

-Shunryu Suzuki-

2. "The more you live in the present moment, the more the fear of death disappears."

-Eckhart Tolle-

3. "To seek death is death's only cure."

-Attar of Nishapur-

4. "To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die."

-Thomas Campbell-

5. "Nothing kills the ego like playfulness, like laughter. When you start taking life as fun, the ego has to die, it cannot exist anymore."

-Osho-

6. "Accepting death as a part of life serves as a spur to diligence and saves us from wasting our time on vain distractions."

-Matthieu Ricard-

7. "Life is not separate from death. It only looks that way."

-Blackfoot Native American-

8. "The reason that you call it 'grief' is because you've been programmed to believe that you should feel bad about death."

-Abraham Hicks-

9. "What would life be worth if there were no death? Who would enjoy the sun if it never rained? Who would yearn for the day if there were no night?"

-Glenn Ringtved-

10. "Wait for death with a cheerful mind. For it is according to nature, and nothing is evil which is according to nature."

-Marcus Aurelius-

11. "Death is not extinguishing the light; it is only putting out the lamp because the dawn has come."

-Rabindranath Tagore-

12. "Whatever you want to do, do it now. There are only so many tomorrows."

-Michael Landon-

There are many advantages to living more mindfully including improved focus and general well being. The following quotes contain messages on how to live more mindfully.

1. "When you wash your hands, when you make a cup of coffee, when you're waiting for the elevator - instead of indulging in thinking, these are all opportunities for being there as a still, alert presence."

-Eckhart Tolle-

2. "When I admire the wonders of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in the worship of the creator."

-Mahatma Gandhi-

3. "Do one thing at a time, and while doing it put your whole soul into it to the exclusion of all else."

-Swami Vivekananda-

4. "Be patient. You’ll know when it’s time for you to wake up and move ahead."

-Ram Dass-

5. “The past is already gone, the future is not yet here. There's only one moment for you to live, and that is the present moment”

-Gautama Buddha-

6. “Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.”

-Gautama Buddha-

7. “Be where you are; otherwise you will miss your life.”

-Gautama Buddha-

8. "The real meditation is how you live your life."

-Jon Kabat-Zinn-

9. "Surrender to what is. Let go of what was. Have faith in what will be."

-Sonia Ricotti-

10. "The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it."

-Thich Nhat Hanh-

The results we get in life come from our decisions, and the quality of our decisions come from the wisdom behind those choices. The quotes contain powerful wisdom that can be used for making wise decisions.

1. "When I give I give myself."

-Walt Whitman-

2. "Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude."

-Denis Waitley-

3. “When you are grateful fear disappears and abundance appears.”

-Tony Robbins-

4. “More than those who hate you, more than all your enemies, an undisciplined mind does greater harm.”

-Gautama Buddha-

5. “Most people fail in life because they major in minor things.”

-Tony Robbins-

6. “To insist on a spiritual practice that served you in the past is to carry the raft on your back after you have crossed the river.”

-Gautama Buddha-

A personal favorite

7. "When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself."

-Wayne Dyer-

8. "Choose being kind over being right, and you’ll be right every time."

-Richard Carlson-

9. "The least of things with a meaning is worth more in life than the greatest of things without it."

-Carl Jung-

10. “The ignorant man is an ox. He grows in size, not in wisdom.”

-Gautama Buddha-

11. "Happiness is your nature. It is not wrong to desire it. What is wrong is seeking it outside when it is inside."

-Ramana Maharshi-

12. A man asked Gautama Buddha, "I want happiness."Buddha said, "First remove "I," that's Ego, then remove "want," that's Desire.See now you are left with only ".”

-Gautama Buddha-

13. "You can read books without ever stepping into a library; and practice spirituality without ever going to a temple."

-Anthony de Mello-

14. "If you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary that at least once in your life you doubt, as far as possible, all things."

-Rene Descartes-

15. "I would rather feel compassion than know the meaning of it."

-Thomas Aquinas-

16. "The truth is that the universe has been answering you all of your life, but you cannot receive the answers unless you are awake."

-Rhonda Byrne-

17. "Our prayers are answered not when we are given what we ask, but when we are challenged to be what we can be."

-Morris Adler-

18. “You only lose what you cling to.”

-Gautama Buddha-

19. “You will not be punished for your anger; you will be punished by your anger.”

-Gautama Buddha-

20. “Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.”

-Gautama Buddha-

21. “If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading”

-Gautama Buddha-

22. "There are hundreds of paths up the mountain, all leading to the same place, so it doesn’t matter which path you take. The only person wasting time is the one who runs around the mountain, telling everyone that his or her path is wrong."

-Hindu Proverb-

23. "Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world."

-C.S. Lewis-

24. "If we want greater clarity in our purpose or deeper and more meaningful spiritual lives, vulnerability is the path."

-Brené Brown-

25. "Blessed are those who can give without remembering and take without forgetting."

-Elizabeth Bibesco-

26. “What you are is what you have been. What you'll be is what you do now.”

-Gautama Buddha-

27. "People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar."

-Thich Nhat Hanh-

28. "Forgive the past. It is over. Learn from it and let go. People are constantly changing and growing. Do not cling to a limited, disconnected, negative image of a person in the past. See that person now. Your relationship is always alive and changing."

-Brian L Weiss-

29. “All that we are is the result of what we have thought: it is founded on our thoughts and made up of our thoughts. If a man speak or act with an evil thought, suffering follows him as the wheel follows the hoof of the beast that draws the wagon.... If a man speak or act with a good thought, happiness follows him like a shadow that never leaves him.”

-Gautama Buddha-

30. "Religion is for people who’re afraid of going to hell. Spirituality is for those who’ve already been there."

-Vine Deloria Jr-

31. “In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you.”

-Gautama Buddha-

32. “Accomplishments don’t erase shame, hatred, cruelty, silence, ignorance, discrimination, low self-esteem or immorality. It covers it up, with a creative version of pride and ego. Only restitution, forgiving yourself and others, compassion, repentance and living with dignity will ever erase the past.”

-Shannon L. Alder-

Certain spiritual quotes in their nature can silence the mind and cause the individual to become more aware and to raise their level of consciousness. Here are quotes to aid you towards your journey of spiritual growth.

1. "To know yourself as the Being underneath the thinker, the stillness underneath the mental noise, the love and joy underneath the pain, is freedom, salvation, enlightenment."

-Eckhart Tolle-

2. "You are awareness. Awareness is another name for you. Since you are awareness there is no need to attain or cultivate it."

-Ramana Maharshi-

3. "Knock, and He’ll open the door. Vanish, And He’ll make you shine like the sun. Fall, and He’ll raise you to the heavens. Become nothing, and He’ll turn you into everything."

-Rumi-

4. "Truth is not something outside to be discovered, it is something inside to be realized."

-Osho-

5. "To be in time is to be asleep: to be awake is to be in eternity."

-Osho-

6. "You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island of opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land; there is no other life but this."

-Henry David Thoreau-

7. "The next message you need is always right where you are."

-Ram Dass-

8. "Let what comes come. Let what goes go. Find out what remains."

-Ramana Maharshi-

9. "Realize deeply that the present moment is all you ever have. Make the Now the primary focus of your life."

-Eckhart Tolle-

10. "As long as you are trying to become, trying to get somewhere, trying to attain something, you are quite literally moving away from the Truth itself."

-Adyashanti-

11. "We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience."

-Pierre Teilhard de Chardin-

12. "The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you really are."

-Carl Jung-

13. "At any moment, you have a choice, that either leads you closer to your spirit or further away from it."

-Thich Nhat Hanh-

14. "That is the real spiritual awakening, when something emerges from within you that is deeper than who you thought you were. So, the person is still there, but one could almost say that something more powerful shines through the person."

-Eckhart Tolle-

15. "Within you there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself."

-Hermann Hesse-

16. "The answer is, who you are cannot be defined through thinking or mental labels or definitions, because it's beyond that. It is the very sense of being, or presence, that is there when you become conscious of the present moment. In essence, you and what we call the present moment are, at the deepest level, one."

-Eckhart Tolle-

17. "Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens."

-Carl Jung-

18. "Being at ease with not knowing is crucial for answers to come to you."

-Eckhart Tolle-

19. "When you connect to the silence within you, that is when you can make sense of the disturbance going on around you."

-Stephen Richards-

20. "Awakening is not changing who you are, but discarding who you are not."

-Deepak Chopra-

21. "Not thinking about anything is Zen. Once you know this, walking, sitting, or lying down, everything you do is Zen."

-Bodhidharma-

22. "The path of awakening is not about becoming who you are. Rather it is about unbecoming who you are not."

-Albert Schweitzer-

23. "The only thing you ever have is now."

-Eckhart Tolle-

24. "Everything in the world was my Guru."

-Ramana Maharshi-

25. "You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul."

-Swami Vivekananda-

26. "Don't wait to be successful at some future point. Have a successful relationship with the present moment and be fully present in whatever you are doing. That is success."

-Eckhart Tolle-

27. "Meditation is the dissolution of thoughts in eternal awareness or pure consciousness without objectification, knowing without thinking, merging finitude in infinity."

-Voltaire-

28. "Your own Self-Realization is the greatest service you can render the world."

-Ramana Maharshi-

29. "When you realize there is no lacking, the whole world belongs to you."

-Lao Tzu-

30. "If danger arises in the present moment, there may be an emotion. There may even be pain. But that's a challenge, not a problem. For a problem to exist, you need time and repetitive mind activity."

-Eckhart Tolle-

31. "You can always cope with the present moment, but you cannot cope with something that is only a mind projection - you cannot cope with the future."

-Eckhart Tolle-

32. "Forever is composed of nows."

-Emily Dickinson-

33. "Enlightenment is a destructive process. It has nothing to do with becoming better or being happier. Enlightenment is the crumbling away of untruth. It’s seeing through the facade of pretense. It’s the complete eradication of everything we imagined to be true."

-Adyashanti-

34. "People don't realize that now is all there ever is; there is no past or future except as memory or anticipation in your mind."

-Eckhart Tolle-

Let me know in the comments below which quote resonated with you the most and how you’re going to apply it or if I’ve missed a spiritual quote you think I should add in.