Gautama Buddha quotes
563 – 483 BC · Ancient South Asia, 6th–5th century BCE · Founder of Buddhism; spiritual teacher and teacher of the Dharma
About Gautama Buddha
Born in Lumbini around the 6th–5th century BCE, Siddhartha Gautama taught a practical path emphasizing ethical conduct, mental discipline and insight into impermanence (anicca) and the causes of suffering (dukkha). His teachings became the foundation for diverse Buddhist traditions across Asia.
Works: Teachings preserved in the Pali Canon (Tipitaka); the Dhammapada (collection of verses attributed to his teachings)
Quotes
“Change is never painful, only the resistance to change is painful.”
Source: no specific work is documented · Check the source
Disputed attributionWhat we know
- What is documented
- The wording is widely circulated with Gautama Buddha’s name, but searches do not locate it in canonical or primary sources.
- What remains uncertain
- Attribution is disputed and likely apocryphal: the saying appears in modern quote collections rather than verifiable early Buddhist texts.
The line distills a Buddhist insight: change itself isn't the problem—clinging is. It points to how mental resistance turns natural flux into suffering and urges a practice of letting go. The saying is commonly credited to Gautama Buddha but lacks verification in primary Buddhist texts.