Happiness is a skill, emotional balance is a skill, compassion and altruism are skills, and like any skill they need to be developed. That's what education is about.
Matthieu RicardThe basic root of happiness lies in our minds; outer circumstances are nothing more than adverse or favourable.
Matthieu RicardGood and evil exist only in terms of the happiness or suffering they create in ourselves and others
Matthieu RicardEmpathy is the faculty to resonate with the feelings of others. When we meet someone who is joyful, we smile. When we witness someone in pain, we suffer in resonance with his or her suffering.
Matthieu RicardWe deal with our mind from morning until evening. This mind can be our best friend or our worst enemy. We should do everything we can to improve outer circumstances - remedying poverty, inequalities, conflicts, and so on - while also doing our best to achieve a state of mind that give us the inner resources to deal with the ups and downs of life.
Matthieu Ricard