Peace isn't the mere absence of violence; peace must come from inner peace. And inner peace comes from taking others’ interests into account.

My enemy is my greatest teacher.

On the philosophical level, both Buddhism and modern science share a deep suspicion of any notion of absolutes, whether conceptualize as a transcendent being, as an eternal, unchanging principle such as soul, or as a fundamental substratum of reality. ... In the Buddhist investigation of reality, at least in principle, empirical evidence should triumph over scriptural authority, no matter how deeply venerated a scripture may be.

Happiness mainly comes from our own attitude, rather than from external factors.

Life does not wait: Whether we spend our lives meaningfully or not, the time will be used up moment by moment.

Those who like myself, consider themselves to be followers of Buddha, should practice as much as we can. To followers of other religious traditions, I would like to say, 'Please practice your own religion seriously and sincerely.' And to non-believers, I request you to try to be warm-hearted. I ask this of you because these mental attitudes actually bring us happiness.

I really do not want to carry some kind of party function.