Dalai Lama Quotations | Page 2

As our own peace of mind grows, so the atmosphere around us becomes more peaceful.

If we want to save the world, we must have a plan. But no plan will work unless we meditate.

Human use, population, and technology have reached that certain stage where mother Earth no longer accepts our presence with silence.

Follow the three R's: - Respect for self. - Respect for others. - Responsibility for all your actions.

There is nothing I can't live without. I learned this attitude when I was a child.

I do not judge the universe.

When something needs to be done in the world to rectify the wrongs, if one is really concerned with benefiting others, one needs to be engaged, involved. This is action out of compassion.

The more we think of others, the happier we are. The more we think of ourselves, the more suffering we feel.

A genuine, affectionate smile is very important in our day-to-day lives.

Responsibility does not only lie with the leaders of our countries or with those who have been appointed or elected to do a particular job. It lies with each of us individually.

We human beings are social beings. We come into the world as the result of others’ actions. We survive here in dependence on others. Whether we like it or not, there is hardly a moment of our lives when we do not benefit from others’ activities. For this reason, it is hardly surprising that most of our happiness arises in the context of our relationships with others.

In this century we have made remarkable material progress, but basically we are the same as we were thousands of years ago. Our spiritual needs are still very great.

Whether you believe in God or not does not matter much, whether you believe in Buddha or not does not matter so much; as a Buddhist, whether you believe in reincarnation or not does not matter so much. You must lead a good life.

Without technology humanity has no future, but we have to be careful that we don’t become so mechanised that we lose our human feelings.

If I am only happy for myself, many fewer chances for happiness. If I am happy when good things happen to other people, billions more chances to be happy!

Concern yourselves more with the needs of others, with the needs of all humanity, and you'll have peace of mind.

If there is no solution to the problem then don't waste time worrying about it. If there is a solution to the problem then don't waste time worrying about it.

Along with selfishness, anger is one of the most serious problems facing the world today

I don't want to convert people to Buddhism — all major religions, when understood properly, have the same potential for good.

The more we are concerned for the well being of others, the closer we will feel to each other.

I believe compassion to be one of the few things we can practice that will bring immediate and long-term happiness to our lives. I'm not talking about the short-term gratification of pleasures like sex, drugs or gambling (though I'm not knocking them), but something that will bring true and lasting happiness. The kind that sticks.

Compassion is the wish for another being to be free from suffering; love is wanting them to have happiness.

The goal is not to be better than the other man, but your previous self.

I have come to the conclusion that whether or not a person is a religious believer does not matter. Far more important is that they be a good human being.

True change is within; leave the outside as it is.

Happiness mainly comes from our own attitude, rather than from external factors.

Just one small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day.

When you think everything is someone else's fault, you will suffer a lot. When you realize that everything springs only from yourself, you will learn both peace and joy.

We have a responsibility to look after our planet. It is our only home.

Because we all share this planet earth, we have to learn to live in harmony and peace with each other and with nature. This is not just a dream, but a necessity.

Do not let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace.

When educating the minds of our youth, we must not forget to educate their hearts.

A sense of concern for others gives our lives meaning; it is the root of all human happiness

A great rock is not disturbed by the wind; the mind of a wise man is not disturbed by either honor or abuse.

Don't ever mistake my silence for ignorance, my calmness for acceptance or my kindness for weakness. Compassion and tolerance are not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength.

My message is always the same: to cultivate and practice love, kindness, compassion and tolerance.

If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.

We cannot learn real patience and tolerance from a guru or a friend. They can be practiced only when we come in contact with someone who creates unpleasant experiences. According to Shantideva, enemies are really good for us as we can learn a lot from them and build our inner strength.

Compassion is not religious business, it is human business, it is not luxury, it is essential for our own peace and mental stability, it is essential for human survival.

When you talk you are only repeating something you already know. But, if you listen you may learn something new.

Just as ripples spread out when a single pebble is dropped into water, the actions of individuals can have far-reaching effects.

Man surprised me most about humanity.Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health.And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.

The way to overcome negative thoughts and destructive emotions is to develop opposing, positive emotions that are stronger and more powerful.

Live a good, honourable life. Then when you get older and look back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time.

Give the ones you love wings to fly, roots to come back and reasons to stay.

Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them.

Never give up. No matter what is happening, no matter what is going on around you, never give up.

Foolish, selfish people are always thinking of themselves and the result is always negative. Wise persons think of others, helping them as much as they can, and the result is happiness. Love and compassion are beneficial both for you and others. Through your kindness to others, your mind and heart will open to peace.

If there is love, there is hope that one may have real families, real brotherhood, real equanimity, real peace. If the love within your mind is lost and you see other beings as enemies, then no matter how much knowledge or education or material comfort you have, only suffering and confusion will ensue

We need to understand how destructive emotions affect us and constructive emotions can help us, so that we can maintain our peace of mind.

The way to change others' minds is with affection, and not anger.

Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck.

When we are caught up in a destructive emotion, we lose one of our greatest assets: our independence.

This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.

A positive state of mind is not merely good for you, it benefits everyone with whom you come into contact, literally changing the world.

If your heart has peace, nothing can disturb you.

As you breathe in, cherish yourself. As you breathe out, cherish all Beings.

If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you, it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun.

You must not hate those who do wrong or harmful things; but with compassion, you must do what you can to stop them — for they are harming themselves, as well as those who suffer from their actions.

Today, as we wish each other a Happy New Year, let us determine to be more sincere, compassionate, warm-hearted human beings, trying to make our world a more equal place. That way we'll actually make it a happy year.

Instead of wondering WHY this is happening to you, consider why this is happening to YOU.

When reason ends, then anger begins. Therefore, anger is a sign of weakness.

If you wish to heal your own sadness or anger, seek to heal the sadness or anger of another. Those others are waiting for you now. They are looking to you for guidance, for help, for courage, for strength, for understanding, and for assurance at this hour. Most of all, they are looking to you for love.

A good friend who points out mistakes and imperfections and rebukes evil is to be respected as if he reveals the secret of some hidden treasure.

I'd rather be kind than right. You can always be kind.

The more we care for the happiness of others, the greater is our own sense of well-being.

If you have peace of mind, when you meet with problems and difficulties they won’t disturb your inner peace. You’ll be able to employ your human intelligence more effectively. But, if your mental state is disturbed, full of emotion, it is very difficult to cope with problems, because the mind that is full of emotion is biased, unable to see reality. So whatever you do will be unrealistic and naturally fail.

Giving up attachment to the world does not mean that you set yourself apart from it. Generating a desire for others to be happy increases your humanity. As you become less attached to the world, you become more humane. As the very purpose of spiritual practice is to help others, you must remain in society.

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

My overriding belief is that it is always possible for criminals to improve and that by its very finality the death penalty contradicts this.

It is the state of mind of the person wielding the instrument that determines to what end it will be put.

If you can do something about a situation, why worry? And if you can't do something about a situation, why worry?

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.

It is natural that we face obstacles in pursuit of our goals. But if we remain passive, making no effort to solve the problems we meet, conflicts will arise and hindrances will grow. Transforming these obstacles into opportunities is a challenge to our human ingenuity.

Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it. I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others; to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. I am going to have kind thoughts towards others, I am not going to get angry or think badly about others. I am going to benefit others as much as I can.

The period of greatest gain in knowledge and experience is the most difficult period in one's life.

If you are honest, truthful, and transparent, people trust you. If people trust you, you have no grounds for fear, suspicion or jealousy.

My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.

We often add to our pain and suffering by being overly sensitive, over-reacting to minor things, and sometimes taking things too personally.

If you don't love yourself, you cannot love others. You will not be able to love others. If you have no compassion for yourself then you are not able of developing compassion for others.

The challenge today is to convince people of the value of truth, honesty, compassion and a concern for others.

If every 8 year old in the world is taught meditation, we will eliminate violence from the world within one generation

Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.

If it can be solved, there's no need to worry, and if it can't be solved, worry is of no use.

Whether one is rich or poor, educated or illiterate, religious or nonbelieving, man or woman, black, white, or brown, we are all the same. Physically, emotionally, and mentally, we are all equal. We all share basic needs for food, shelter, safety, and love. We all aspire to happiness and we all shun suffering. Each of us has hopes, worries, fears, and dreams. Each of us wants the best for our family and loved ones. We all experience pain when we suffer loss and joy when we achieve what we seek. On this fundamental level, religion, ethnicity, culture, and language make no difference.

In the practice of tolerance, one's enemy is the best teacher.

"The true essence of humankind is kindness. There are other qualities which come from education or knowledge, but it is essential, if one wishes to be a genuine human being and impart satisfying meaning to one's existence, to have a good heart."

The problems we face today, violent conflicts, destruction of nature, poverty, hunger and so on, are human-created problems which can be resolved through human effort, understanding and the development of a sense of brotherhood and sisterhood. We need to cultivate a universal responsibility for one another and the planet we share.

A tree with strong roots can withstand the most violent storm, but the tree can't grow roots just as the storm appears on the horizon.

People think of animals as if they were vegetables, and that is not right. We have to change the way people think about animals. I encourage the Tibetan people and all people to move toward a vegetarian diet that doesn’t cause suffering.

A truly peaceful mind is very sensitive, very aware.

We can reject everything else: religion, ideology, all received wisdom. But we cannot escape the necessity of love and compassion. This, then, is my true religion, my simple faith. In this sense, there is no need for temple or church, for mosque or synagogue, no need for complicated philosophy, doctrine, or dogma. Our own heart, our own mind, is the temple. The doctrine is compassion. Love for others and respect for their rights and dignity, no matter who or what they are: ultimately these are all we need.

Every single being, even those who are hostile to us, is just as afraid of suffering as we are, and seeks happiness in the same way we do. Every person has the same right as we do to be happy and not to suffer. So let's take care of others wholeheartedly, of both our friends and our enemies. This is the basis for true compassion.

Good human qualities-honesty, sincerity, a good heart-cannot be bought with money, nor can they be produced my machines, but only by the mind itself. We can call this the inner light, or God's blessing, or human qualitity. This is the essence of mankind.

The point of life is happiness.

You have to start giving first and expect absolutely nothing.

Choose to be optimistic, it feels better.

We begin from the recognition that all beings cherish happiness and do not want suffering. It then becomes both morally wrong and pragmatically unwise to pursue only one's own happiness oblivious to the feelings and aspirations of all others who surround us as members of the same human family. The wiser course is to think of others when pursuing our own happiness.

Forget the failures. Keep the lessons.

We forget that despite the superficial differences between us, people are equal in their basic wish for peace and happiness.