All good qualities must be sown and cultivated. We can’t expect to change overnight from an ordinary person into one with high realizations.

On occasions when u feel most hopeless, u must take powerful effort. We must persist in face of failure.

The essence of Buddhism is if you can, help others. If not, then at least refrain from hurting others.

...it becomes clear that, given our diversity, no single religion satisfies all humanity. ... And since the majority does not practice religion, I am concerned to try to find a way to serve all humanity without appealing to religious faith.

We believe in self creation. That's why Buddhists believe in the Four Noble Truths.

All forms of violence, especially war, are totally unacceptable as means to settle disputes between and among nations, groups and persons.

We need to employ a secular approach to ethics, secular in the Indian sense of respecting all religious traditions and even the views of non-believers in an unbiased way. Secular ethics rooted in scientific findings, common experience and common sense can easily be introduced into the secular education system. If we can do that there is a real prospect of making this 21st century an era of peace and compassion.