Throughout my life and all the hardships it’s thrown my way, I’ve often contemplated how people can find inner peace. But the more I’ve looked for it, the more elusive it became.
Recently, I tried to find answers by delving into the teachings of different religions, philosophers, and even literary authors. If you’ve been on the same journey, I hope these inner peace quotes will be as illuminating for you as they were for me.
Some people seek out spiritual sayings to use as their mantras or daily affirmations. Others turn to quotes to find some guidance on their journey to enlightenment. But ultimately, the way you use these lines will be entirely up to you.
30 Deeply Reflective Inner Peace Quotes to Read When You Feel Unsure
Christian Inner Peace Quotes
1. “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.” ― 1 Peter 3:10–11
2. “So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.” ― Romans 14:19
3. “And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and confident trust forever.” ― Isaiah 32:17
4. “Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but those who plan peace have joy.” ― Proverbs 12:20
5. “Let your life reflect the faith you have in God. Fear nothing and pray about everything. Be strong, trust God’s word, and trust the process.” ― Germany Kent
Inner Peace Quotes by Buddhist and Hindu Thinkers
6. “Those who are free of resentful thoughts surely find peace.” ― The Buddha
7. “One’s mind finds no peace, neither enjoys pleasure or delight, nor goes to sleep, nor feels secure while the dart of hatred is stuck in the heart.” ― The Buddha
8. “Resolutely train yourself to attain peace.” ― The Buddha
9. “Each one has to find his peace from within. And peace to be real must be unaffected by outside circumstances.” ― Mahatma Gandhi
10. “Give up your selfishness, and you shall find peace; like water mingling with water, you shall merge in absorption.” ― Sri Guru Granth Sahib
11. “Unless and until we have peace deep within us, we can never hope to have peace in the outer world. You and I create the world by the vibrations that we offer to it. If we can invoke peace and then offer it to somebody else, we will see how peace expands from one to two persons, and gradually to the world at large. Peace will come about in the world from the perfection of individuals. If you have peace, I have peace, he has peace, and she has peace, then automatically universal peace will dawn.” ― Sri Chinmoy
12. “The peace of God is with them whose mind and soul are in harmony, who are free from desire and wrath, who know their own soul.” ― Vyasa, Bhagavad Gita
Inner Peace Quotes and Practical Tips for Attaining Serenity
13. “Spirituality is not to be learned by flight from the world, or by running away from things, or by turning solitary and going apart from the world. Rather, we must learn an inner solitude wherever or with whomsoever we may be. We must learn to penetrate things and find God there.” ― Meister Eckhart
14. “When you do the right thing, you get the feeling of peace and serenity associated with it. Do it again and again.” ― Roy T. Bennett
15. “Learning to distance yourself from all the negativity is one of the greatest lessons to achieve inner peace.” ― Roy T. Bennett
16. “Have patience with everything that remains unsolved in your heart. Live in the question.” ― Rainer Maria Rilke
17. “Peace of mind comes from not wanting to change others.” ― Gerald G. Jampolsky
18. “Having inner peace means committing to letting go of self-criticism and self-doubt.” ― Sanaya Roman
19. “Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset. What is anything in life compared to peace of soul?” ― Francis de Sales
20. “The quickest way to experiencing the peace inside is to learn to recognize when I am not at peace.” ― Jim McDonald
Inner Peace Quotes That Explain What It Should Feel Like
21. “Peace is not a result inside us from everything around us. Peace is not submissive nor passive. On the contrary, peace is an overwhelming force which comes from within us, disrespectful of everything around us, a firm coalition of spirit and soul standing against all the unrest that abounds.” ― C. JoyBell C.
22. “I am content; that is a blessing greater than riches; and he to whom that is given need ask no more.” ― Henry Fielding
23. “Pleasure is always derived from something outside you, whereas joy arises from within.” ― Eckhart Tolle
24. “I don’t know whether it is beautiful or sad, that I find such blissful happiness within the confines of my own mind, more so than I do in the reality that surrounds me.” ― Kendal Rob
25. “A balanced inner calmness radiates from a peaceful center. It neither craves others’ approval nor rejects others’ presence. It neither pulls towards nor pushes away. It has a reverent attitude towards life and all its inhabitants.” ― Donna Goddard
26. “Nothing can disturb your peace of mind unless you allow it to.” ― Roy T. Bennett
27. “Nothing external to you has any power over you.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson
Alternative or Slightly Cynical Inner Peace Quotes
28. “I’ve made peace with myself.”
“Good for you. That’s the hardest war of all to win.”
“Didn’t say I won. Just stopped fighting.” ― Joe Abercrombie
29. “There is no such thing as inner peace. There is only nervousness and death.” ― Fran Lebowitz
30. “I often find that people confuse inner peace with some sense of insensibility whenever something goes wrong. In such cases inner peace is a permit for destruction: The unyielding optimist will pretend that the forest is not burning either because he is too lazy or too afraid to go and put the fire out.” ― Criss Jami
To Conclude
As you can see, I wanted to include a wide range of opinions on how one can go about achieving inner peace. While some religious thinkers believe that people must put their faith in God if they want to achieve that state of serenity, others maintain that everyone should look for it within themselves.
Then again, I’ve also shown some examples of people who don’t believe inner peace is an option at all.
After reading all of these inner peace quotes, I must say that my thoughts land somewhere in the middle. I believe that people should look for peace within while also actively avoiding behaviors that can stunt their growth.