No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We

The Buddha, the Enlightened One, spoke with eternal clarity when he declared: “No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.” These words are not the counsel of despair, but of liberation. They proclaim that the key to freedom does not rest in the hands of kings, priests, or teachers, but in the heart of each human being. The path to awakening, to truth, to peace, cannot be walked by proxy. It is the sacred journey of the self, and only the self.

When the Buddha says no one saves us but ourselves, he reminds us that salvation is not granted like a gift bestowed from above. Others may guide, inspire, or point the way, but no one can breathe for us, no one can think for us, no one can live our lives for us. The great teachers of the world can show the door, but it is we who must step across the threshold. In this teaching lies both the burden and the power of responsibility: each soul must rise on its own strength.

Yet these words are not harsh—they are filled with hope. For if no one can save us, then equally, no one can prevent us. Not our enemies, not our critics, not even the weight of our past. The Buddha hands the power of transformation back to the individual. To say “you must walk the path” is to say, “you are capable of walking it.” And in this recognition, the ordinary man or woman finds the dignity of a hero.

History offers us the luminous example of Mahatma Gandhi. He learned from sages, studied scriptures, and drew inspiration from many faiths, but in the end, it was he himself who chose to walk the path of nonviolence. No master forced him, no savior carried him. He bore his trials, his imprisonments, his fasts with his own strength. His journey became a beacon, but it was still his path, walked by his own feet. And in this, he embodied the Buddha’s truth: guides may show the way, but only the self can walk it.

This teaching strikes at the heart of human longing for easy deliverance. Many wait for rescue, for someone stronger to lift their burdens, for destiny to arrive like a ship at the harbor. But the Buddha shatters illusion: there is no rescue ship. There is only the path, and your own feet upon it. To delay is to waste precious time. To walk, however faltering, is already to begin the journey toward freedom.

The deeper wisdom is this: the path itself is not punishment, but transformation. By walking it, the soul grows. By enduring it, the spirit awakens. The struggles we face upon the path are not barriers, but the very ground upon which our strength is built. The act of walking, of striving, of refusing to remain idle—this is the victory that leads to liberation.

The lesson is clear: take responsibility for your own soul. Do not wait for others to live for you. Seek teachers, yes, honor guides, but remember always that their wisdom is the lamp—you are the one who must walk by its light. Begin where you are. Take one step today, however small, toward the life you know you are called to live. For every step, however humble, is a declaration that you have chosen the path.

So let us remember the Buddha’s words: “We ourselves must walk the path.” Let no one deceive you with promises of easy salvation. Let no one convince you that you are powerless. The path belongs to you, and the strength to walk it lies within. Rise, therefore, and begin. Walk with courage, walk with patience, walk with faith. And as you walk, you will discover the truth the Buddha himself found beneath the Bodhi tree: the soul that dares to walk becomes free.