To be aware of a single shortcoming within oneself is more useful than to be aware of a thousand in somebody else.

An affectionate disposition not only makes the mind more peaceful and calm, but it affects our body in a positive way too.

Although it is difficult to pinpoint the physical base or location of awareness, it is perhaps the most precious thing concealed within our brains. And it is something that the individual alone can feel and experience. Each of us cherishes it highly, yet it is private.

Compassion and love constitute non-violence in action. They are the source of all spiritual qualities: forgiveness, tolerance, all the virtues. They give meaning to our activities and makes them constructive. There is nothing amazing about being rich or highly educated; only when the individual has a warm heart do these attributes become worthwhile.

Happiness that depends mainly on physical pleasure is unstable; one day it's there, the next day it may not be.

In some respects I have been the most unlucky because I have spent more time living as a refugee outside my country than I have spent in Tibet. On the other hand, it has been very rewarding for me to live in a democracy and to learn about the world in a way that we Tibetans had never known before.

Friends, genuine friends, have much more to do with whether we have a warm heart, not money or power.