What we do and think in our own lives, then, becomes of extreme importance as it effects everything we're connected to.

Too strong a media emphasis on death and violence can lead to despair.

Easy times are the enemy, they put us to sleep. Adversity is our friend, it wakes us up

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.

We cannot learn real patience and tolerance from a guru or a friend. They can be practiced only when we come in contact with someone who creates unpleasant experiences. According to Shantideva, enemies are really good for us as we can learn a lot from them and build our inner strength.

So the first step in seeking happiness is learning. We first have to learn how negative emotions and behaviors are harmful to us and how positive emotions are helpful.

It is our basic right to be a happy person, happy family, and eventually a happy world. That should be our goal.