"We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves"
About this Quote
The subtext is a challenge to the era’s usual spiritual economy. In a culture thick with ritual, caste obligation, and metaphysical speculation, the quote re-centers authority inward. No priest can purify your mind for you; no ceremony can outvote your habits of attention. That’s why the rhetoric stays plain and physical: “pure” mind, “joy” that “follows.” Purity here isn’t prudishness; it’s clarity uncluttered by craving, ill will, and delusion - the mental pollutants Buddhist teaching treats as upstream causes of downstream pain.
The shadow image is the masterstroke. It makes joy sound non-negotiable, not as a reward for virtue signaling but as a natural byproduct of mental hygiene. Shadows don’t have to be chased; they appear when conditions are right. The intent is both empowering and unsentimental: change the conditions, and the emotional weather changes. Keep feeding distorted thoughts, and you’re not just thinking - you’re building a life.
Quote Details
| Topic | Wisdom |
|---|---|
| Source | Dhammapada (attributed to the Buddha), cf. verses 1 and 3; common English renderings combine the lines “Mind precedes all mental states…” and “If with a pure mind a person speaks or acts, happiness follows him like his never-departing shadow.” |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Buddha. (2026, January 17). We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/we-are-shaped-by-our-thoughts-we-become-what-we-25711/
Chicago Style
Buddha. "We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/we-are-shaped-by-our-thoughts-we-become-what-we-25711/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/we-are-shaped-by-our-thoughts-we-become-what-we-25711/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.








