If I had not been a monk, I would have become an engineer.

Instead of wondering WHY this is happening to you, consider why this is happening to YOU.

I'm now nearly 79. At 16 I took responsibility for Tibet and lost my freedom. At 24 I lost my country and became a refugee. I've met difficulties, but as the saying goes: 'Wherever you're happy, you can call home, and whoever is kind to you is like your parents.' I've been happy and at home in the world at large. Living a meaningful life isn't just a matter of money; it's about dedicating your life to helping others.

The important thing is that men should have a purpose in life. It should be something useful, something good.

I only escaped from Tibet because I feared my people would resort to desperate violence if the Chinese took me as their prisoner.

My message is always the same: to cultivate and practice love, kindness, compassion and tolerance.

One of the expressions of Western over-reliance on technology can be seen in the lack of patience in industrial society. When you deal with technology, everything happens at the touch of a button. This conditions you to become so impatient that when you have an emotional or personal crisis, you don't allow time for the solution to take effect. This leads to all sorts of rash responses, like quarrels, fights and so on.