The Dalai Lama acknowledges that he's met Westerners who to some extent are clearly Easterners at heart, and he would never want them not to become Buddhists just because they happened to be born in California.
Pico IyerDalai Lama is very interested in learning from and sharing tips with people in other traditions, but he always stresses that we shouldn't underestimate the important differences between them.
Pico IyerGandhi or Bishop Tutu or the Dalai Lama. I think they're really embodiments of what we aspire to and, by keeping them in our heads, we're reminding ourselves of who we could be. That's what we're hoping to climb up towards.
Pico IyerQuitting, for me, means not giving up, but moving on; changing direction not because something doesnโt agree with you, but because you donโt agree with something. Itโs not a complaint, in other words, but a positive choice, and not a stop in oneโs journey, but a step in a better direction. Quitting-whether a job or a habit-means taking a turn so as to be sure youโre still moving in the direction of your dreams.
Pico IyerI take very seriously the sense of our living these days in a global neighborhood. And the first sensible thing to do in such circumstances, as well as one of the most rewarding things, is to go and meet the neighbors, find out who they are, and what they think and feel. So travel for me is an act of discovery and of responsibility as well a grand adventure and a constant liberation.
Pico Iyer