14th Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso) quotes
1935 – · 20th–21st century · Buddhist monk, religious leader and former political head
About 14th Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso)
Recognized in childhood as the reincarnation of the previous Dalai Lama, he assumed political leadership in 1950 and went into exile in India after 1959. A prominent teacher of Mahayana Buddhism, he emphasizes compassion, patience, secular ethics and interfaith dialogue, and advocates for the Tibetan people.
Quotes
“Anger cannot be overcome by anger. If a person shows anger to you, and you show anger in return, the result is a disaster. In contrast, if you control your anger and show its opposite—love, compassion, tolerance, and patience—then not only will you remain in peace, but the anger of others also will gradually diminish.”
Source: no specific work is documented · Check the source
Disputed attributionWhat we know
- What is documented
- The wording is widely attributed online to the 14th Dalai Lama, but no primary source (speech, book, or dated text) for this exact phrasing has been located.
- What remains uncertain
- Attribution is disputed: the exact passage lacks verifiable sourcing and reads like a modern paraphrase of older Buddhist teachings.
The line points out that meeting anger with anger fuels escalation rather than resolution. Commonly credited to the 14th Dalai Lama, it reflects a lived Buddhist ethic: regulate your response and apply patience and compassion so conflict can cool rather than flare.