--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I discovered Buddha did not set out to…" description: "\"“I discovered Buddha did not set out to found a world religion. He set out to understand why one suffers. I learned that only through living life’s ups..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e1/satya-nadella-2082_buddha_i-discovered-buddha-did-not-set-out-to-f_1515245.png" --- # I discovered Buddha did not set out to found a world… ![“I discovered Buddha did not set out to found a world religion. He set out to understand why one suffers. I learned that only through living life’s ups and downs can you develop empathy; that in order not to suffer, or at least not to suffer so much, one must become comfortable with impermanence.” quote by Satya Nadella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e1/satya-nadella-2082_buddha_i-discovered-buddha-did-not-set-out-to-f_1515245.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e1/satya-nadella-2082_buddha_i-discovered-buddha-did-not-set-out-to-f_1515245.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e1/satya-nadella-2082_buddha_i-discovered-buddha-did-not-set-out-to-f_1515245.png) > ““I discovered Buddha did not set out to found a world religion. He set out to understand why one suffers. I learned that only through living life’s ups and downs can you develop empathy; that in order not to suffer, or at least not to suffer so much, one must become comfortable with impermanence.”” [Satya Nadella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/satya-nadella/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Buddha sought to understand suffering, not to create a religion; embracing impermanence builds empathy and reduces suffering. **In simple terms:** Buddha studied pain, not religion; accepting change helps empathy. Key Takeaway Embrace change to foster empathy and lessen pain. Themes philosophy mindfulness impermanence Mood thoughtful inspirational Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - personal loss - career setbacks - health challenges Key Concepts spiritual growth psychology Questions to Reflect On - How can impermanence improve daily interactions? - What practices cultivate empathy? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex religious histories. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddha/) [Empathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empathy/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Ups and downs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ups-and-downs/) ## Related quotes > [DMT was a gaseous wax that you could smoke that gave you a 20-minute psychedelic high. You'd inhale it. 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Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/) > [There is absolutely no single aspect of one's personality that is more important to develop than empathy, which is not a skill at which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-ware/there-is-absolutely-no-single-aspect-of-one-s-personality-that-is/) [Chris Ware](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-ware/) > [Other species help children develop empathy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-louv/other-species-help-children-develop-empathy/) [Richard Louv](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-louv/) > [Once you find someone to share your ups and downs, downs are almost as good as ups.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/once-you-find-someone-to-share-your-ups-and-downs-downs-are-almost-as/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [When people suffer, their relationships usually suffer as well. Period. 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I read 'Confession of a Buddhist Atheist' by Stephen Batchelor and Karen Armstrong's biography of Buddha, which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-o-hare/i-went-on-a-buddha-jag-i-read-confession-of-a-buddhist-atheist-by/) [Denis O'Hare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-o-hare/) > [The Buddha gave his first talks, and three or four ascetics became his first disciples. They recognized his enlightenment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-buddha-gave-his-first-talks-and-three-or-four-ascetics-became-his/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [The birds fly in the sky but they don't leave any footmarks. That's what Buddha says, that the man who is awakened lives in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-birds-fly-in-the-sky-but-they-don-t-leave-any-footmarks-that-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Of course the Dharma-body of the Buddha was the hedge at the bottom of the garden. At the same time, and no less obviously,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/of-course-the-dharma-body-of-the-buddha-was-the-hedge-at-the-bottom/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) ## More by Satya Nadella > [Microsoft is the productivity and platform company for the mobile-first and cloud-first world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/satya-nadella/microsoft-is-the-productivity-and-platform-company-for-the-mobile/) [Satya Nadella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/satya-nadella/) > [“The bigger a company, the more responsibility its leader has to think about the world, its citizens and their long term opportunities.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/satya-nadella/the-bigger-a-company-the-more-responsibility-its-leader-has-to-think/) [Satya Nadella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/satya-nadella/) > [If you are going to have a risk-taking culture, you can't really look at every failure as a failure, you've got to be able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/satya-nadella/if-you-are-going-to-have-a-risk-taking-culture-you-can-t-really-look/) [Satya Nadella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/satya-nadella/) > [“anyone who feels like an outsider can be successful, but it requires both an enlightened management and a dedicated employee.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/satya-nadella/anyone-who-feels-like-an-outsider-can-be-successful-but-it-requires/) [Satya Nadella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/satya-nadella/) > [I think the combination of graduate education in a field like Computer Science and the opportunity to apply this in a work environment like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/satya-nadella/i-think-the-combination-of-graduate-education-in-a-field-like/) [Satya Nadella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/satya-nadella/) > [There are always going to be people who are experts in security or end-user devices or collaboration or databases. 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That’s both because of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/satya-nadella/in-the-post-snowden-world-you-need-to-enable-others-to-build-their/) [Satya Nadella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/satya-nadella/) > [I believe men and women should get equal pay for equal work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/satya-nadella/i-believe-men-and-women-should-get-equal-pay-for-equal-work/) [Satya Nadella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/satya-nadella/) > [When we think about even the PC market and what is required in the student as well as in the consumer market, we want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/satya-nadella/when-we-think-about-even-the-pc-market-and-what-is-required-in-the/) [Satya Nadella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/satya-nadella/) > [“Success can cause people to unlearn the habits that made them successful in the first place.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/satya-nadella/success-can-cause-people-to-unlearn-the-habits-that-made-them/) [Satya Nadella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/satya-nadella/) > [The opportunity ahead for Microsoft is vast, but to seize it, we must focus clearly, move faster and continue to transform. A big part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/satya-nadella/the-opportunity-ahead-for-microsoft-is-vast-but-to-seize-it-we-must/) [Satya Nadella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/satya-nadella/) > [“the importance of putting your team first, ahead of your personal statistics and recognition.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/satya-nadella/the-importance-of-putting-your-team-first-ahead-of-your-personal/) [Satya Nadella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/satya-nadella/) [Explore all 185 Satya Nadella quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/satya-nadella/) ## More Buddha quotes > [Of course the Dharma-body of the Buddha was the hedge at the bottom of the garden. At the same time, and no less obviously,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/of-course-the-dharma-body-of-the-buddha-was-the-hedge-at-the-bottom/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [The birds fly in the sky but they don't leave any footmarks. That's what Buddha says, that the man who is awakened lives in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-birds-fly-in-the-sky-but-they-don-t-leave-any-footmarks-that-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The Buddha gave his first talks, and three or four ascetics became his first disciples. They recognized his enlightenment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-buddha-gave-his-first-talks-and-three-or-four-ascetics-became-his/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [I went on a Buddha jag. I read 'Confession of a Buddhist Atheist' by Stephen Batchelor and Karen Armstrong's biography of Buddha, which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-o-hare/i-went-on-a-buddha-jag-i-read-confession-of-a-buddhist-atheist-by/) [Denis O'Hare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-o-hare/) > [The Buddha, the Godhead, resides quite as comfortably in the circuits of a digital computer or the gears of a cycle transmission as he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-pirsig/the-buddha-the-godhead-resides-quite-as-comfortably-in-the-circuits/) [Robert M. Pirsig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-pirsig/) > [Why don't the names of Buddha, Mohammed, Confucius offend people? The reason is that these others didn't claim to be God, but Jesus did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdowell/why-don-t-the-names-of-buddha-mohammed-confucius-offend-people-the/) [Josh McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdowell/) > [When people suffer, their relationships usually suffer as well. Period. And we all suffer because, as the Buddha says, that's the nature of being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-karr/when-people-suffer-their-relationships-usually-suffer-as-well-period/) [Mary Karr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-karr/) > [The real power of the Buddha was that he had so much love. He saw people trapped in their notions of small separate self,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/the-real-power-of-the-buddha-was-that-he-had-so-much-love-he-saw/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) > [“Then Maitreya Bodhisattva thought: “Now the World-Honored One has displayed a marvelous sign. But what is the cause or reason for this auspicious sign?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-reeves/then-maitreya-bodhisattva-thought-now-the-world-honored-one-has/) Gene Reeves > [It is possible that the next Buddha will not take the form of an individual. The next Buddha may take the form of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/it-is-possible-that-the-next-buddha-will-not-take-the-form-of-an/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) > [“The foundational Vajrakilaya is the sun shining in the sky behind the clouds. The path Vajrakilaya is the removal of the clouds from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyatrul-rinpoche/the-foundational-vajrakilaya-is-the-sun-shining-in-the-sky-behind-the/) Gyatrul Rinpoche > [Inside we are all Golden Buddha's, but we grew to believe we were made of clay. 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Hence, whenever anyone enters that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/i-hold-that-all-the-teachers-of-the-world-have-attained-that-life/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) [Browse all 411 Buddha quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddha/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I discovered Buddha did not set out to found a world religion. He set out to understand why one suffers. 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