--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: we bring nothing with us from our former…" description: "\"“we bring nothing with us from our former lives except suffering and delusions.”\" — Kelsang Gyatso" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b5/kelsang-gyatso-22811_delusions_we-bring-nothing-with-us-from-our-former_2902333.jpg" --- # we bring nothing with us from our former lives except… ![“we bring nothing with us from our former lives except suffering and delusions.” quote by Kelsang Gyatso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b5/kelsang-gyatso-22811_delusions_we-bring-nothing-with-us-from-our-former_2902333.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b5/kelsang-gyatso-22811_delusions_we-bring-nothing-with-us-from-our-former_2902333.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b5/kelsang-gyatso-22811_delusions_we-bring-nothing-with-us-from-our-former_2902333.jpg) > ““we bring nothing with us from our former lives except suffering and delusions.”” [Kelsang Gyatso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsang-gyatso/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human existence is burdened by suffering and illusion inherited from past lives, preventing true freedom. **In simple terms:** We carry only pain and false views from past lives. Key Takeaway Recognize and release suffering and delusion. Themes suffering illusion spirituality Mood reflective serene Type philosophical spiritual When to use this quote - personal meditation - therapy - spiritual counseling Key Concepts Buddhist philosophy impermanence Questions to Reflect On - How do you identify your own delusions? - What practices help release suffering? A Different Perspective Suffering may also stem from external conditions, not just internal delusion. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bring Lives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bring-lives-4133573/) [Delusions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delusions/) [Lives Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lives-suffering-265302/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [Suffering Delusions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering-delusions-1347210/) ## Related quotes > [“He is suffering from delusions of adequacy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-kerr/he-is-suffering-from-delusions-of-adequacy/) [Walter Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-kerr/) > [Gratitude will bring more into our lives immediately.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-byrne/gratitude-will-bring-more-into-our-lives-immediately/) [Rhonda Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhonda-byrne/) > [Death remains about the one certain fact in the lives of each one of us, and there will be suffering, sorrow, and sadness next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/basil-hume/death-remains-about-the-one-certain-fact-in-the-lives-of-each-one-of/) [Basil Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/basil-hume/) > [The cost in human lives and suffering is so high that we all have to work to end violence and oppression once and for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/federico-mayor-zaragoza/the-cost-in-human-lives-and-suffering-is-so-high-that-we-all-have-to/) [Federico Mayor Zaragoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/federico-mayor-zaragoza/) > [As you look at many people's lives, you see that their suffering is in a way gratifying, for they are comfortable in it. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/as-you-look-at-many-people-s-lives-you-see-that-their-suffering-is-in/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [Almost all people suffer some form of intense inner pain at some times in their lives. The suffering might be depression, anxiety, substance abuse,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-c-hayes/almost-all-people-suffer-some-form-of-intense-inner-pain-at-some/) [Steven C. Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-c-hayes/) > [We are hardwired to connect with others, it's what gives purpose and meaning to our lives, and without it there is suffering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/we-are-hardwired-to-connect-with-others-it-s-what-gives-purpose-and/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [Doubt is the big machine. It grinds up the delusions of women and men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-lavalle/doubt-is-the-big-machine-it-grinds-up-the-delusions-of-women-and-men/) [Victor LaValle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-lavalle/) > [One of the most persistent of all delusions is the conviction that the source of our dissatisfaction lies outside ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-alan-wallace/one-of-the-most-persistent-of-all-delusions-is-the-conviction-that/) [B. Alan Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-alan-wallace/) > [Through our senses the world appears. Through our reactions we create delusions.Without reactions the world becomes clear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/through-our-senses-the-world-appears-through-our-reactions-we-create/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [When someone is delusional, there is no point wasting time responding to their delusions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kourtney-kardashian/when-someone-is-delusional-there-is-no-point-wasting-time-responding/) [Kourtney Kardashian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kourtney-kardashian/) > [Paranoia is a state of heightened awareness. Most people are persecuted beyond their wildest delusions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-steiner/paranoia-is-a-state-of-heightened-awareness-most-people-are/) [Claude Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-steiner/) > [“Thinking no more about it, he stepped off into that cool space, that fast descent to her, with nothing in his mind but a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-highsmith/thinking-no-more-about-it-he-stepped-off-into-that-cool-space-that/) [Patricia Highsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-highsmith/) > [The religions of mankind must be classed among the mass-delusions of this kind. No one, needless to say, who shares a delusion ever recognizes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/the-religions-of-mankind-must-be-classed-among-the-mass-delusions-of/) [Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/) > [“From what I can see of humans, you often destroy wonderful things in the pursuit of something that your delusions make you think is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-l-davroe/from-what-i-can-see-of-humans-you-often-destroy-wonderful-things-in/) [A.L. Davroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-l-davroe/) ## More by Kelsang Gyatso > [“If we want to be truly happy and free from suffering, we must learn how to control our mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsang-gyatso/if-we-want-to-be-truly-happy-and-free-from-suffering-we-must-learn/) [Kelsang Gyatso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsang-gyatso/) > [“You, a human being, who possess an animal’s mind, please listen to my song. Normally”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsang-gyatso/you-a-human-being-who-possess-an-animal-s-mind-please-listen-to-my/) [Kelsang Gyatso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsang-gyatso/) > [“In Sutra of the Four Noble Truths Buddha says: ‘You should know sufferings.’ In saying this Buddha is advising us that we should know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsang-gyatso/in-sutra-of-the-four-noble-truths-buddha-says-you-should-know/) [Kelsang Gyatso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsang-gyatso/) > [“Buddha has great compassion that is completely impartial, embracing all living beings without discrimination.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsang-gyatso/buddha-has-great-compassion-that-is-completely-impartial-embracing/) [Kelsang Gyatso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsang-gyatso/) > [“Si estimamos a todos los seres sintientes como nos estimamos a nosotros mismos, generaremos la profunda compasión universal”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsang-gyatso/si-estimamos-a-todos-los-seres-sintientes-como-nos-estimamos-a/) [Kelsang Gyatso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsang-gyatso/) > [“Whenever we have a problem, it is easy to think that it is caused by our particular circumstances, and that if we were to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsang-gyatso/whenever-we-have-a-problem-it-is-easy-to-think-that-it-is-caused-by/) [Kelsang Gyatso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsang-gyatso/) > [“is no benefit in denying the sufferings of future lives; when they actually descend upon me it will be too late to protect myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsang-gyatso/is-no-benefit-in-denying-the-sufferings-of-future-lives-when-they/) [Kelsang Gyatso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsang-gyatso/) > [“Problems arise only if we respond to difficulties with a negative state of mind. Therefore, if we want to be free from problems, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsang-gyatso/problems-arise-only-if-we-respond-to-difficulties-with-a-negative/) [Kelsang Gyatso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsang-gyatso/) > [“By doing this, when his or her wisdom of superior seeing directly realizes the emptiness of all phenomena, the Bodhisattva advances from the path…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsang-gyatso/by-doing-this-when-his-or-her-wisdom-of-superior-seeing-directly/) [Kelsang Gyatso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsang-gyatso/) > [“Happiness and suffering are states of mind and so their main causes are not to be found outside the mind. If we want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsang-gyatso/happiness-and-suffering-are-states-of-mind-and-so-their-main-causes-2/) [Kelsang Gyatso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsang-gyatso/) > [“want to protect and liberate myself permanently from the sufferings of this life and countless future lives. I can accomplish this only by receiving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsang-gyatso/want-to-protect-and-liberate-myself-permanently-from-the-sufferings/) [Kelsang Gyatso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsang-gyatso/) > [“may die today’ is the realization of death. It is this realization that directly eliminates our laziness of attachment and opens the door to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsang-gyatso/may-die-today-is-the-realization-of-death-it-is-this-realization-that/) [Kelsang Gyatso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsang-gyatso/) > [“When things go wrong in our life and we encounter difficult situations, we tend to regard the situation itself as our problem, but in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsang-gyatso/when-things-go-wrong-in-our-life-and-we-encounter-difficult/) [Kelsang Gyatso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsang-gyatso/) > [“When our wishes are not fulfilled we usually experience unpleasant feelings, such as unhappiness or depression; this is our own problem because we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsang-gyatso/when-our-wishes-are-not-fulfilled-we-usually-experience-unpleasant/) [Kelsang Gyatso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsang-gyatso/) > [“Moreover, painful feelings can only arise and remain in our mind because of our present self-grasping.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsang-gyatso/moreover-painful-feelings-can-only-arise-and-remain-in-our-mind/) [Kelsang Gyatso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsang-gyatso/) [Explore all 26 Kelsang Gyatso quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsang-gyatso/) ## More Delusions quotes > [“From what I can see of humans, you often destroy wonderful things in the pursuit of something that your delusions make you think is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-l-davroe/from-what-i-can-see-of-humans-you-often-destroy-wonderful-things-in/) [A.L. Davroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-l-davroe/) > [The religions of mankind must be classed among the mass-delusions of this kind. No one, needless to say, who shares a delusion ever recognizes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/the-religions-of-mankind-must-be-classed-among-the-mass-delusions-of/) [Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/) > [“Thinking no more about it, he stepped off into that cool space, that fast descent to her, with nothing in his mind but a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-highsmith/thinking-no-more-about-it-he-stepped-off-into-that-cool-space-that/) [Patricia Highsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-highsmith/) > [Paranoia is a state of heightened awareness. Most people are persecuted beyond their wildest delusions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-steiner/paranoia-is-a-state-of-heightened-awareness-most-people-are/) [Claude Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-steiner/) > [When someone is delusional, there is no point wasting time responding to their delusions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kourtney-kardashian/when-someone-is-delusional-there-is-no-point-wasting-time-responding/) [Kourtney Kardashian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kourtney-kardashian/) > [Through our senses the world appears. Through our reactions we create delusions.Without reactions the world becomes clear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/through-our-senses-the-world-appears-through-our-reactions-we-create/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [One of the most persistent of all delusions is the conviction that the source of our dissatisfaction lies outside ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-alan-wallace/one-of-the-most-persistent-of-all-delusions-is-the-conviction-that/) [B. Alan Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-alan-wallace/) > [Doubt is the big machine. It grinds up the delusions of women and men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-lavalle/doubt-is-the-big-machine-it-grinds-up-the-delusions-of-women-and-men/) [Victor LaValle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-lavalle/) > [“If you're completely off your rocker and have delusions of grandeur in which your personal existence is of special significance to the rest of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-m-wolfe/if-you-re-completely-off-your-rocker-and-have-delusions-of-grandeur/) [Edward M. Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-m-wolfe/) > [“In many ways, life is about managing your delusions; keeping the ones that nourish and eliminating the ones that poison.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-maraboli/in-many-ways-life-is-about-managing-your-delusions-keeping-the-ones/) [Steve Maraboli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-maraboli/) > [“Fear cripples our minds and breeds delusions”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meredith-duran/fear-cripples-our-minds-and-breeds-delusions/) [Meredith Duran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meredith-duran/) > [“Neurotics, proceed with delusions of grandeur. Napoleon Bonaparte, take the lead. Jesus Christ, bring up the rear. Simulate severe depression. Non-communicative with repressed hostility.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-r-delany/neurotics-proceed-with-delusions-of-grandeur-napoleon-bonaparte-take/) [Samuel R. Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-r-delany/) > [“If you're going to have delusions, you might as well go for the really satisfying ones.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-michael-straczynski/if-you-re-going-to-have-delusions-you-might-as-well-go-for-the-really/) [J. Michael Straczynski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-michael-straczynski/) > [The Enlightenment attacked religion - Christianity, mainly - for two reasons: that it was a set of ideological delusions, and that it was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ali/the-enlightenment-attacked-religion-christianity-mainly-for-two/) [Tariq Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ali/) > [Respect the delicate ecology of your delusions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-kushner/respect-the-delicate-ecology-of-your-delusions/) [Tony Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-kushner/) [Browse all 213 Delusions quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delusions/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“we bring nothing with us from our former lives except suffering and delusions.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kelsang Gyatso" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsang-gyatso/we-bring-nothing-with-us-from-our-former-lives-except-suffering-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Delusions" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsang-gyatso/we-bring-nothing-with-us-from-our-former-lives-except-suffering-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b5/kelsang-gyatso-22811_delusions_we-bring-nothing-with-us-from-our-former_2902333.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b5/kelsang-gyatso-22811_delusions_we-bring-nothing-with-us-from-our-former_2902333.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b5/kelsang-gyatso-22811_delusions_we-bring-nothing-with-us-from-our-former_2902333.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“we bring nothing with us from our former lives except suffering and delusions.” — Kelsang Gyatso", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Kelsang Gyatso", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsang-gyatso/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“we bring nothing with us from...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsang-gyatso/we-bring-nothing-with-us-from-our-former-lives-except-suffering-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsang-gyatso/we-bring-nothing-with-us-from-our-former-lives-except-suffering-and/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```