If the work is worthwhile, then whether we can complete it or not, it's worth making the attempt. That's why courage is important.

We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.

We consider that the lives of all beings are just as precious as our own, and through this we develop a sense of concern for others.

After I handed over all my authority, I feel now our struggle [for Tibet ] become much, much safer. And me personally, the day I officially handed over, that night, very unusual sound. I am quite free now.

We don’t need more money, we don’t need greater success or fame, we don’t need the perfect body or even the perfect mate-right now, at this very moment, we have a mind, which is all the basic equipment we need to achieve complete happiness.

People assume that happiness stems from collecting things outside of yourself, whereas true happiness stems from removing things from inside of yourself

We need an approach to ethics which makes no recourse to religion and can be equally acceptable to those with faith and those without.