Dalai Lama Quotes

The training of the mind is an art. If this can be considered art, one's life is art.

We are working as hard as we can; we are preparing ourselves as carefully as we can; we fully intend to make our contribution to the world in the coming century.

Responsibility - moral responsibilities, responsibilities regarding society - these are things that come from the heart.

The point of life is happiness.

The motivation of all religious practice is similar: love, sincerity, honesty. The way of life of practically all religious persons is consistent. The teachings of tolerance, love, and compassion are the same.

Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

Compassion and love is the source of external and internal peace and is also the root of racial survival.

Nothing comes into being without a cause and when all the conditions are created, there is nothing that can prevent the consequence.

Passion is what gives sense to our life.

Nowadays, we are confronted by a huge gap between rich and poor. This is not only morally wrong, but practically a mistake. It leads to the rich living in anxiety and the poor living in frustration, which has the potential to lead to more violence. We have to work to reduce this gap. It's truly unfair that some people should have so much while others go hungry.

We consider that the lives of all beings are just as precious as our own, and through this we develop a sense of concern for others.

Looking at the pattern of our existence from birth to death, we can see the way in which we are fundamentally nurtured by other's affection.

Unlike an external enemy, the inner enemy cannot regroup and launch a comeback once it has been destroyed from within.

With a basic understanding of all humans as brothers and sisters, we can appreciate the usefulness of different systems and ideologies that can accommodate different individuals and groups with different cultural heritages, having different dispositions and tastes. Each person has the right to choose whatever is most suitable, on the basis of a deep understanding of all others as brothers and sisters.

From one point of view we can say that we have human bodies and are practicing the Buddha's teachings and are thus much better than insects. But we can also say that insects are innocent and free from guile, where as we often lie and misrepresent ourselves in devious ways in order to achieve our ends or better ourselves. From this perspective, we are much worse than insects.

Even secular humanism has great spiritual resources; it is almost like a religion to me.

Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.""Laughter is good for thinking because when people laugh, it is easier for them to admit new ideas to their minds.

We all need basic human values rooted in trust and affection.

Under no circumstances should you lose hope.

Compassion and love give meaning to our activities and makes them constructive.

We can make this a more peaceful century if we cherish non-violence and concern for others’ well-being. It is possible. If the individual is happier, his or her family is happier; if families are happy, neighborhoods and nations will be happy. By transforming ourselves we can change our human way of life and make this a century of compassion.

His Holiness Pope John Paul II was a determined and deeply spiritual minded person for whom I had great respect and admiration. His experience in Poland, then a communist country, and my own difficulties with communists, gave us an immediate common ground

An eye for an eye....we are all blind

A mind wishing to benefit other people and other sentient beings is the very basis of peace and happiness.

Nothing is permanent.

I think mischievous people always there, ... Some kind of perfect world, that is impossible. Accept that reality. (For) those people who have genuine concern about humanity, make some effort-better than none.

If we want spiritual development, the practice of patience is essential.

In my childhood, I had a religious assistant who always told me, if you can really laugh with full abandonment, it's very good for your health.

Don't compare me with Jesus. He is a great master, a great master.

Action for Happiness encourages each of us to live more compassionately and put the happiness of others at the centre of our lives. This is the path to lasting peace and happiness

Moving towards better rather than moving away from bad is an attitude of embracing life rather than rejecting it.

Compassion seems to be the greatest power.

If you contribute to other peoples happiness, you will find the true meaning of life. The key point is to have a genuine sense of universal responsibility

If the basic human nature was aggressive, we would have been born with animal claws & huge teeth -- but ours are very short, very pretty, very weak! That means we are not well equipped to be aggressive beings. Even the size of our mouth is very small. So I think the basic nature of human beings should be gentle.

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

Within the framework of the Buddhist Path, reflecting on suffering has tremendous importance because -realizing the nature of suffering, you will develop greater resolve to put an end to the causes of suffering and the unwholesome deeds which lead to suffering. And it will increase your enthusiasm for engaging in the wholesome actions and deeds which lead to happiness and joy.

Every sort of seven billion human being have to think about the well-being of humanity.

As human beings we are all the same. We have this marvelous intelligence, which sometimes creates problems for us, but when influenced by warm-heartedness can be very constructive. In this context we need to appreciate the value of having moral principles.

I believe that the destructive nature of society that now threatens the existence of the entire human world has much to do with human intelligence. The way to overcome all human suffering-that also is through human intelligence.

World peace must develop from inner peace. Peace is not just mere absence of violence. Peace is, I think, the manifestation of human compassion.

What I believe, according to my own experience, is that a calm, peaceful mind is a very important element for sustaining the body in a balanced way.

The purpose of all the major religious traditions is not to construct big temples on the outside, but to create temples of goodness and compassion inside, in our hearts.

Once a year go someplace you've never been.

I believe compassion to be one of the few things we can practice that will bring immediate and long-term happiness to our lives.

True happiness comes from having a sense of inner peace and contentment, which in turn must be achieved by cultivating altruism, love and compassion, and by eliminating anger, selfishness and greed.

Not only can I not recall my experiences in my previous lives, sometimes I can't even remember what I did yesterday.

Buddhahood is a state free of all obstructions to knowledge and disturbing emotions. It is the state in which the mind is fully evolved.

We are all basically the same human beings, who seek happiness and try to avoid suffering. Everybody is my peer group. Your feeling "I am of no value" is wrong. Absolutely wrong.