A genuine transformation that results from sustained concerted effort is long lasting because it has a firm foundation.

We can solve many problems in an appropriate way, without any difficulty, if we cultivate harmony, friendship and respect for one another.

I don't think human affection and compassion are just religious concerns; they're indispensable factors in our day-to-day lives.

We know that to wage a nuclear war today, for example, would be a form of suicide; or that to pollute the air or the oceans in order to achieve some short-term benefit would be to destroy the very basis for our survival.

When I look at birds and animals, their survival is without rules, without conditions, without organization. But mothers take good care of their offspring. That's nature. In human beings also, parents - particularly mothers - and children have a special bond. Mother's milk is a sign of this affection. We are created that way. The child's survival is entirely dependent on someone else's affection. So, basically, each individual's survival or future depends on society. We need these human values.

China can keep her troops on the external frontiers of Tibet, and Tibetans will pledge to accept the appropriate form of union with China.

From adversity we can learn the value of patience.