To be in flow means to be totally absorbed in whatever one is doing at the moment. It occurs when one is fully present and completely focused on the task at hand...Flow can occur during any human activity, whether work or at play.
Dalai LamaWhen we develop a right attitude of compassion and gratitude, we take a giant step towards solving our personal and international problems
Dalai LamaBasically we are all the same human beings with the same potential to be a good human being or a bad human being. The important thing is to realize the positive side and try to increase that; realize the negative side and try to reduce. That's the way.
Dalai LamaLet us cultivate love and compassion, both of which give life true meaning. This is the religion I preach. It is simple. Its temple is the heart. Its teaching is love and compassion. Its moral values are loving and respecting others, whoever they may be. Whether one is a lay person or a monastic, we have no other option if we wish to survive in this world.
Dalai LamaMany problems that confront us today are created by man, whether they are violent conflicts, destruction of the environment, poverty or hunger. These problems can be resolved thanks to human efforts by understanding that we are brother and sister and by developing this sense of closeness. We must cultivate a universal responsibility toward each other and extend it to the planet that we have to share.
Dalai LamaIf I were to die today, I would have some concern for Tibet. But I know that I have personally done as much as I can to use my existence for others. So I have no regret.
Dalai LamaIf indeed the qualities such as love, patience, tolerance, and forgiveness are what happiness consists in, and if it is also true that compassion, defined as concern for others, is both the source and the fruit of these qualities, then the more we are compassionate, the more we provide for our own happiness.
Dalai LamaUnfortunate events though potentially a source of anger and despair have equal potential to be a source of spiritual growth. Whether or not this is the outcome depends on your response.
Dalai LamaI believe that at every level of society the key to a happier world is the growth of compassion. We do not need to become religious, nor do we need to believe in an ideology. All that is necessary is for each of us to develop our good human qualities.
Dalai LamaIn the modern world, the interests of a particular community can no longer be considered to lie within the confines of its own boundaries.
Dalai LamaThere are five billion human beings and in a certain way I think we need five billion different religions.
Dalai LamaRight from the moment of our birth, we are under the care and kindness of our parents, and then later on in our life when we are oppressed by sickness and become old, we are again dependent on the kindness of others. Since at the beginning and end of our lives we are so dependent on other's kindness, how can it be in the middle that we would neglect kindness towards others?
Dalai LamaLike the lotus which thrives in mud, the potential for realization grows in the rich soil of everyday life
Dalai LamaI am a firm believer in the importance of democracy, not only as the ultimate goal, but also as an essential part of the process.
Dalai LamaLearning to forgive is much more useful than merely picking up a stone and throwing it at the object of one's anger, the more so when the provocation is extreme. For it is under the greatest adversity that there exists the greatest potential for doing good, both for oneself and others.
Dalai LamaThe most important benefit of patience consists in the way it acts as a powerful antidote to the affliction of anger - the greatest threat to our inner peace, and therefore our happiness. The mind, or spirit, is not physical, it cannot be touched or harmed directly. Only negative thoughts and emotions can harm it. Therefore, only the corresponding positive quality can protect it.
Dalai LamaHuman beings will continue to deceive and overpower one another. Basically, everyone exists in the very nature of suffering, so to abuse or mistreat each other is futile. The foundation of all spiritual practice is love. That you practice this well is my only request.
Dalai LamaI'm nothing special, just an ordinary human being. That's why I always describe myself as a simple Buddhist monk.
Dalai LamaThere is competition, but it is used in a good way. It is positive to want to go first, provided the intention is to pave the way for others, make their path more easy, help them, or show the way. Competition is negative when we wish to defeat others, to bring them down in order to lift ourselves up.
Dalai LamaYou are so anxious about the future that you do not enjoy the present. You therefore do not live in the present or the future. You live as if you are never going to die, and then die having never really lived.
Dalai LamaThe Laws of Reasoning consist of the ground, the path, and the result. ...Suffering is in the mind. How we perceive happiness determines our suffering or not.
Dalai LamaIt is important to understand that counterproducti ve actions of body, speech and mind do not arise of their own accord, but spring up in dependence on our motivation. Faulty states of mind give rise to faulty actions. To control negative physical and verbal actions, we need to tame our minds.
Dalai LamaIf you can do something about a situation, why worry? And if you can't do something about a situation, why worry?
Dalai LamaBecause we all share an identical need for love, it is possible to feel that anybody we meet, in whatever circumstances, is a brother or sister.
Dalai LamaTherefore we have to make effort through well through every corner, media people, education sort of institution, and family, parents, everywhere. It is our common goal, common interest promote more compassion toward the world.
Dalai LamaWealth is not necessarily a bad thing when it has been earned in an honest manner and neither other individuals nor the environment suffered for it.
Dalai LamaIf you concern yourself mainly with others, the broader your thinking becomes, and life’s inevitable difficulties disturb you less.
Dalai LamaWith realization of one's own potential and self-confidence in one's ability, one can build a better world.
Dalai LamaBecause of the great differences in our ways of thinking, it is inevitable that we have different religions and faiths. Each has its own beauty. And it is much better that we live together on the basis of mutual respect and mutual admiration.
Dalai LamaEach of us has the potential to contribute... You have a great opportunity to make a new shape of the world.
Dalai LamaThe great benefit of science is that it can contribute tremendously to the alleviation of suffering at the physical level, but it is only through the cultivation of the qualities of the human heart and the transformation of our attitudes that we can begin to address and overcome our mental suffering...
Dalai LamaWe should reflect on the idea that since the beginning of time sentient beings have been mentally unstable because they have been slaves of delusion, they lack the eye of wisdom to see the path leading to nirvana and enlightenment, and they lack the necessary guidance of a spiritual teacher. Moment by moment they are indulging in negative actions, which will eventually bring about their downfall.
Dalai LamaA calm mind is good for our physical health, but it also enables us to see things more realistically.
Dalai LamaWorld belongs to humanity, not this leader, that leader or that king or prince or religious leader. World belongs to humanity.
Dalai LamaI feel like my life is something purposeful. Many people have told me that after they listen to my talk, some point which I made, they got certain ideas and their whole life is changed. They are happier.
Dalai Lama