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At A Fundamental Level, As Human Beings, We Are All The Same; Each One Of Us Aspires To Happiness And Each One Of Us Does Not Wish To Suffer. This Is Why, Whenever I Have The Opportunity, I Try To Draw People's Attention To What As Members Of The Human Family We Have In Common And The Deeply Interconnected Nature Of Our Existence And Welfare.

-Dalai Lama

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At A Fundamental Level,

Dalai Lama

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At A Fundamental Level, As Human Beings, We Are All The Same; Each One Of Us Aspires To Happiness And Each One Of Us Does Not Wish To Suffer. This Is Why, Whenever I Have The Opportunity, I Try To Draw People's Attention To What As Members Of The Human Family We Have In Common And The Deeply Interconnected Nature Of Our Existence And Welfare.

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The Question Of Real, Lasting World Peace Concerns Human Beings, So Basic Human Feelings Are Also At Its Roots. Through Inner Peace, Genuine World Peace Can Be Achieved. In This The Importance Of Individual Responsibility Is Quite Clear; An Atmosphere Of Peace Must First Be Created Within Ourselves, Then Gradually Expanded To Include Our Families, Our Communities, And Ultimately The Whole Planet.

We Need To Learn How To Want What We Have Not To Have What We Want In Order To Get Steady And Stable Happiness

I Believe All Suffering Is Caused By Ignorance.

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.

We Forget That Despite The Superficial Differences Between Us, People Are Equal In Their Basic Wish For Peace And Happiness.

We Need To Teach People That The Environment Has A Direct Bearing On Our Own Benefit.

I Am A Firm Believer In The Importance Of Democracy, Not Only As The Ultimate Goal, But Also As An Essential Part Of The Process.

Real Change In Society Must Start From Individual Initiative.

As You Breathe In, Cherish Yourself. As You Breathe Out, Cherish All Beings.

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.

I Believe That The Time Has Come For Women To Take More Active Roles In All Domains Of Human Society, In An Age In Which Education And The Capacities Of The Mind, Not Physical Strength, Define Leadership. This Could Help Create A More Equitable And Compassionate Society.

If Scientific Analysis Were Conclusively To Demonstrate Certain Claims In Buddhism To Be False, Then We Must Accept The Findings Of Science And Abandon Those Claims.

Our Every Action Has A Universal Dimension, A Potential Impact On Others' Happiness.

Others Happiness

Yet Even The Rich Have Their Own Kind Of Suffering, Anxiety, Doubt, And Fear. So In Many Cases, Wealthy People Aren't Happy! And Once Those With Material Wealth Encounter Small Difficulties, Their Amount Of Mental Suffering Is Sometimes Bigger Than It Is For Those Who Have Faced Such Difficulties Every Day.

I Feel That A Genuine, Affectionate Smile Is Very Important In Our Day-to-day Lives. How One Creates That Smile Largely Depends On One's Own Attitude. It Is Illogical To Expect Smiles From Others If One Does Not Smile Oneself. Therefore, One Can See That Many Things Depend On One's Own Behaviour.

Sleep Is The Best Meditation.

Pain Is Inevitable,suffering Is Optional... We Have Bigger Houses,but Smaller Families. More Conveniences,but Less Time. We Have Knowledge,but Less Judgements; More Experts,but More Problems ; More Medicines But Less Health.

Along With Selfishness, Anger Is One Of The Most Serious Problems Facing The World Today

If Science Proves Facts That Conflict With Buddhist Understanding, Buddhism Must Change Accordingly. We Should Always Adopt A View That Accords With The Facts.

To Remain Indifferent To The Challenges We Face Is Indefensible. If The Goal Is Noble, Whether Or Not It Is Realized Within Our Lifetime Is Largely Irrelevant. What We Must Do Therefore Is To Strive And Persevere And Never Give Up.

Giving Material Goods Is One Form Of Generosity, But One Can Extend An Attitude Of Generosity Into All One's Behavior. Being Kind, Attentive, And Honest In Dealing With Others, Offering Praise Where It Is Due, Giving Comfort And Advice Where They Are Needed, And Simply Sharing One's Time With Someone - All These Are Forms Of Generosity, And They Do Not Require Any Particular Level Of Material Wealth.

Just Because They're Not On Your Road Doesn't Mean They've Gotten Lost.

With Genuine Love And Compassion, Another Person's Appearance Or Behavior Has No Affect On Your Attitude.

I Met An American Lady Many Years Ago, Much Distant. Then I Told Her About My Own Difficult Experiences And I Showed Some Genuine Concern. She Responded, "why Are You So Concerned About Me?" We Need More Patience. At A Fundamental Level, We Are The Same Human Brothers And Sisters. Then Forget It. The Human Mind Is Very Strange. Like That.

Genuine Concern

Unlike An External Enemy, The Inner Enemy Cannot Regroup And Launch A Comeback Once It Has Been Destroyed From Within.

Once A Year Go Someplace You've Never Been.

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.

Learning 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.

If One Assumes A Humble Attitude, One's Own Good Qualities Will Increase. Whereas If One Is Proud, One Will Become Jealous Of Others, One Will Look Down On Others, And Due To That There Will Be Unhappiness In Society.

Have No Discrepancy Between What You Say, What You Are And What You Do.

Discrepancies Between

Life Is As Dear To A Mute Creature As It Is To Man. Just As One Wants Happiness And Fears Pain, Just As One Wants To Live And Not Die, So Do Other Creatures.

Even If Only A Few Individuals Try To Create Mental Peace And Happiness Within Themselves, And Act Responsibly And Kind-heartedly Towards Others, They Will Have A Positive Influence In Their Community.

On A Certain Day, Month And Year One Should Observe The Ceremony Of Tree-planting. Thus, One Fulfils One's Responsibilities, Serves One's Fellow-beings Which Not Only Brings Happiness But Benefits All.

When We Are Caught Up In A Destructive Emotion, We Lose One Of Our Greatest Assets: Our Independence.

We Can't Blame The Entire Muslim Society Because Of The Mischievous Acts Of A Few Individuals. Therefore, At The General Public Level We Must Cultivate The Notion Of Not Just One Religion, One Truth, But Pluralism And Many Truths. We Can Change The Atmosphere, And We Can Modify Certain Ways Of Thinking.

Although You Can Find Certain Differences Among The Buddhist Philosophical Schools About How The Universe Came Into Being, The Basic Common Question Addressed Is How The Two Fundamental Principles-external Matter And Internal Mind Or Consciousness-although Distinct, Affect One Another. External Causes And Conditions Are Responsible For Certain Of Our Experiences Of Happiness And Suffering. Yet We Find That It Is Principally Our Own Feelings, Our Thoughts And Our Emotions, That Really Determine Whether We Are Going To Suffer Or Be Happy.

I Want To Show That There Are Indeed Some Universal Ethical Principles Which Could Help Everyone To Achieve The Happiness We All Aspire To.

Ethical Principles

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.

I Truly Believe That Compassion Provides The Basis Of Human Survival.

If We Looked Down At The World From Space, We Would Not See Any Demarcations Of National Boundaries. We Would Simply See One Small Planet, Just One.

The 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...

There Are Two Kinds Of Happiness - The Temporary Pleasure Derived Primarily From Material Comfort Alone And Another More Enduring Comfort That Results From The Thorough Transformation And Development Of The Mind. We Can See In Our Own Lives That The Latter Form Of Happiness Is Superior Because When Our Mental State Is Calm And Happy, We Can Easily Put Up With Minor Pains And Physical Discomforts. On The Other Hand, When Our Mind Is Restless And Upset, The Most Comfortable Physical Facilities Do Not Make Us Happy.

The More You Nurture A Feeling Of Loving Kindness, The Happier And Calmer You Will Be.

Freedom Is The Real Source Of Human Happiness And Creativity. Irrespective Of Whether You Are A Believer Or Nonbeliever, Whether Buddhist, Christian, Or Jew, The Important Thing Is To Be A Good Human Being.

Know The Rules Well, So You Can Break Them Effectively.

I Believe That The Very Purpose Of Our Life Is To Seek Happiness. That Is Clear. Whether One Believes In Religion Or Not, Whether One Believes In This Religion Or That Religion, We All Are Seeking Something Better In Life. So, I Think, The Very Motion Of Our Life Is Towards Happiness.

We Must Live Harmoniously With Our Neighbors.

Many People And Companies Only Have One Goal: Money, Money, And More Money. Greed Is Ok When You Let Others Profit From It, But Greed For Oneself Is Bad, It Makes You Ill.

Passion Is What Gives Sense To Our Life.

There Needs To Be Understanding That Anger Never Helps To Solve A Problem. It Destroys Our Peace Of Mind And Blinds Our Ability To Think Clearly. Anger And Attachment Are Emotions That Distort Our View Of Reality.

Depression Seems To Be Related To Fear, Anger And Frustration. When You're In A Bad Mood, Even If You Meet With Your Friends, You Don't Take Pleasure In Their Company. But When You're In A Good Mood, Even If Things Go Wrong, You Can Cope With Them Without Difficulty. This Is Why Putting Yourself In A Good Mood, Making A Point Of Developing A Sense Of Loving Kindness Gives You Greater Inner Strength.

If Our Tears Do Not Lead Us To Act Then We Have Lost The Reason Of Our Humanity, Which Is Compassion.

I Am Confident That The Next Century Will Be Better Than This One.

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.

Morally Speaking, We Should Be Concerned For Our Whole Environment.

It Is My Fundamental Conviction That Compassion - The Natural Capacity Of The Human Heart To Feel Concern For And Connection With Another Human Being - Constitutes A Basic Aspect Of Our Nature Shared By All Human Beings, As Well As Being The Foundation Of Our Happiness. All Ethical Teachings, Whether Religious Or Nonreligious, Aim To Nurture This Innate And Precious Quality, To Develop It And To Perfect It.

When We Consider Reality Itself We Quickly Become Aware Of Its Infinite Complexity, And We Realize That Our Habitual Perception Of It Is Often Inadequate. If This Were Not So, The Concept Of Deception Would Be Meaningless.

No Matter What Part Of The World We Come From, We Are All Basically The Same Human Beings. We All Seek Happiness And Try To Avoid Suffering. We Have The Same Basic Human Needs And Concerns. All Of Us Human Beings Want Freedom And The Right To Determine Our Own Destiny As Individuals And As Peoples. That Is Human Nature.

If You Wish To Experience Peace, Provide Peace For Another. If You Wish To Know That You Are Safe, Cause Another To Know That They Are Safe. If You Wish To Better Understand Seemingly Incomprehensible Things, Help Another To Better Understand. If You Wish To Heal Your Own Sadness Or Anger, Seek To Heal The Sadness Or Anger Of Another.

Mutual Respect Is The Foundation Of Genuine Harmony.

As Human Beings We All Want To Be Happy And Free From Misery. We Have Learned That The Key To Happiness Is Inner Peace. The Greatest Obstacles To Inner Peace Are Disturbing Emotions Such As Anger And Attachment, Fear And Suspicion, While Love And Compassion, A Sense Of Universal Responsibility Are The Sources Of Peace And Happiness.

When We Are Angry We Are Blind To Reality. Anger May Bring Us A Temporary Burst Of Energy, But That Energy Is Blind And It Blocks The Part Of Our Brain That Distinguishes Right From Wrong. To Deal With Our Problems, We Need To Be Practical And Realistic. If We Are To Be Realistic, We Need To Use Our Human Intelligence Properly, Which Means We Need A Calm Mind.

The 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.

Basically, The Buddhist Attitude Is That You Should Not Accept Certain Things Through Sheer Faith. And For That You Need A Skeptical Attitude. Buddha Himself Made This Clear To His Followers. He Said You Should Not Accept Those Things I Taught Out Of Respect For Me, But Rather Through Investigation By Yourself.

Meditation Is Valuable For All Of Humanity Because It Involves Looking Inward. People Don't Have To Be Religious To Look Inside Themselves More Carefully. It Is Constructive And Worthwhile To Analyze Our Emotions, Including Compassion And Our Sense Of Caring, So That We Can Become More Calm And Happy.

Just Give Food Without Showing Affection, [animals] Might Not Get Sort Of 100% Satisfaction. So They Also, You See, When We Human Beings, We Show Affection, The Poor Animal Also Respond To Us.

I Think The Problem Is These Basic Sort Of Human Values From Our - From The Beginning, From Birth, Are Not Sort Of Properly Nurtured. So Then Our Mind, Our Brain, Through Education And Also Difference Of Experiences, That Eventually, These Basic Values Or What Are Called Dominant, Not Have The Catching Up Our Intelligence, Experience Growth, That Also Should Grow. Then Our Life Become More Human.

"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."

When We Encounter Suffering, It Is Important To Respond W/ Compassion Rather Than To Question The Politics Of Those We Help.

True Compassion Is Not Just An Emotional Response, But A Firm Commitment Founded On Reason. Therefore, A Truly Compassionate Attitude Toward Others Does Not Change, Even If They Behave Negatively. Through Universal Altruism, You Develop A Feeling Of Responsibility For Others: The Wish To Help Them Actively Overcome Their Problems.

Our World Is Increasingly Interdependent, But I Wonder If We Truly Understand That Our Interdependent Human Community Has To Be Compassionate; Compassionate In Our Choice Of Goals, Compassionate In Our Means Of Cooperation And Our Pursuit Of These Goals.

Buddha Urged People To Investigate Things - He Didn't Just Command Them To Believe.

I Am Like A Wounded Animal In A Remote Isolated Place - How Wonderful! - How Happy!

The Essence Of All Religions Is Love, Compassion, And Tolerance. Kindness Is My True Religion. The Clear Proof Of A Person's Love Of God Is If That Person Genuinely Shows Love To Fellow Human Beings.

Once You Have A Genuine Sense Of Concern For Others, There’s No Room For Cheating, Bullying Or Exploitation.

Concern For Others

Basically 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.

I Have Been Clear In My Position For Quite A While, But The Chinese Have Not Responded. Therefore, We Are Now In The Process Of Holding A Referendum On Our Policy Among All The Tibetan Community In Exile And Even Inside Tibet, To Check Whether The Majority Thinks We Are On The Right Track.

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.

Happiness Mainly Comes From Our Own Attitude, Rather Than From External Factors.

Without Mutual Tolerance Emerging As The Foundation, Terrible Situations Like Those Of Tibet And Sri Lanka, Bosnia And Rwanda, Can Never Be Effectively Improved.

Open Your Arms To Change But Don't Let Go Of Your Values.

The Right Way To Deal With Mental Unhappiness Must Be Within The Mind Too. On An Emotional Level, Anger, Fear And Worry Bring Unhappiness. Scientists Say They Eat Into Our Immune System. On The Other Hand, We Are Also Equipped With A Sense Of Affection And Compassionate Concern For The Well-being Of Others.

As People Alive Today, We Must Consider Future Generations: A Clean Environment Is A Human Right Like Any Other. It Is Therefore Part Of Our Responsibility Toward Others To Ensure That The World We Pass On Is As Healthy, If Not Healthier, Than We Found It.

In Most Cases, My Visits To The West Are For Promotion Of Human Values And Religious Harmony.

Rulers Come And Go. It's The People Who Are The Real Rulers Of The Country.

If You Develop A Pure And Sincere Motivation, If You Are Motivated By A Wish To Help On The Basis Of Kindness, Compassion, And Respect, Then You Can Carry On Any Kind Of Work, In Any Field, And Function More Effectively.

An Eye For An Eye....we Are All Blind

A Compassionate Attitude Opens Our Inner Door, And As A Result It Is Much Easier To Communicate With Others. If There Is Too Much Self-centered Attitude, Then Fear, Doubt And Suspicion Come And As A Result Our Inner Door Closes. Then It Is Very Difficult To Communicate With Others.

If You Make Your Best Effort To Be Kinder, Nurture Compassion, Make The World A Better Place, Then You Can Say 'at Least I've Done My Best.

Do Something That Scares You Every Day. You Have Nothing To Lose But Fear Itself.

Nothing To Lose

...there Is An Intense Delight In Abandoning Faulty States Of Mind And In Cultivating Helpful Ones In Meditation.

Don't Let A Little Dispute Injure A Great Relationship.

May I Examine My Mind In All Actions And As Soon As A Negative State Occurs, Since It Endangers Myself And Others, May I Firmly Face And Avert It.

If We Make Consistent Effort, Based On Proper Education, We Can Change The World.

Through Money Or Power You Cannot Solve All Problems. The Problem In The Human Heart Must Be Solved First.

My Desire To Devolve Authority Has Nothing To Do With A Wish To Shirk Responsibility.

One Has To Try To Develop One's Inner Feelings, Which Can Be Done Simply By Training One's Mind. This Is A Priceless Human Asset And One You Don't Have To Pay Income Tax On!

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.

Even A Small Act Of Compassion Grants Meaning And Purpose To Our Lives.

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.

It's Unrealistic To Think That The Future Of Humanity Can Be Achieved Only On The Basis Of Prayer; What We Need Is To Take Action.

When We Are Motivated By Compassion And Wisdom, The Results Of Our Actions Benefit Everyone, Not Just Our Individual Selves.

Our Planet Is Blessed With Vast Natural Treasures. If We Use Them Wisely, Beginning With The Elimination Of Militarism And War, Every Human Being Will Be Able To Live A Healthy, Prosperous Existence.

I Think When Religions Such As Hinduism And Buddhism - As Well As Christianity And Judaism - Were Founded, At That Time Societies Were Generally Male-dominated. So, Therefore This Social Notion Also Influenced Religion.

Consciousness Will Always Be Present, Though A Particular Consciousness May Cease. For Example, The Particular Tactile Consciousness That Is Present Within This Human Body Will Cease When The Body Comes To An End. Likewise, Consciousnesses That Are Influenced By Ignorance, By Anger Or By Attachment, These Too Will Cease. But The Basic, Ultimate, Innermost Subtle Consciousness Will Always Remain. It Has No Beginning, And It Will Have Not End.

If We Can Refrain From Harming Others In Our Actions & Words, We Can Start To Give Serious Attention To Actively Doing Good.

Happiness Is Determined More By One's State Of Mind Than By External Events.

We All Have The Potential To Show Others Love And Affection, But As We Progress In Our Materialistic World, These Values Tend To Remain Dormant. We Can Develop Them On The Basis Of Common Sense, Common Experience And Scientific Findings. The Response To The Recent Tragedy In The Philippines Is An Example Of How Such Values Are Awakened; People Helped Simply Because Others Are Suffering And In Need Of Support.

Compassion Is The Wish For Another Being To Be Free From Suffering; Love Is Wanting Them To Have Happiness.

We Don't Need To Respond With Desperate Violence.

The Greater The Level Of Calmness Of Our Mind, The Greater Our Peace Of Mind, The Greater Our Ability To Enjoy A Happy And Joyful Life.

The Basis Of Human Rights Is Happy Life. Everyone Wants To Lead A Happy Life For Which We Need To Have A Holistic Approach.

‎in Today's Materialistic World There Is A Risk Of People Becoming Slaves To Money, As Though They Were Simply Cogs In A Huge Money-making Machine. This Does Nothing For Human Dignity, Freedom, And Genuine Well-being. Wealth Should Serve Humanity, And Not The Other Way Around.

People Once Considered That Religions Were Obsolete And That Material Science Would Solve All Human Problems. Then They Have Become Disillusioned With Materialism And Machinery And Have Realized That Spiritual Sciences Are Also Indispensable For Human Welfare.

Compassion Is The Radicalism Of Our Time.

Compassion Can Be Roughly Defined In Terms Of A State Of Mind That Is Nonviolent, Nonharming, And Nonaggressive. It Is A Mental Attitude Based On The Wish For Others To Be Free Of Their Suffering And Is Associated With A Sense Of Commitment, Responsibility, And Respect Towards Others.

If You Become More Concerned For The Welfare Of Others, You Will Experience A Sense Of Calm, Inner-strength, And Self Confidence.

Self Confidence

Meet Hostility And Suspicion With Kindness. Helping Others Out Of Love Is Always The Best Option.

Appearance Is Something Absolute, But Reality Is Not That Way - Everything Is Interdependent, Not Absolute.

In Some Places, There's The Concept Of One Religion, One Truth. In The Muslim World, There's The Notion Of Allah. The Western, Multireligious Modern Society Is Some Kind Of A Challenge To This. These, I Feel, Are The Main Causes [for Terrorism], And, When Combined With Lots Of Anger And Frustration, Cause A Huge Amount Of Hate.

There Is No Need To Mention The Great Difference Between The Amount Of Satisfaction There Is In Just Oneself Being Happy And The Amount Of Satisfaction There Is In An Infinite Number Of People Being Happy.

I Call The Light And High Aspects Of My Being Spirit And The Dark And Heavy Aspects Soul.

It Is Not Only Our Right As Members Of The Global Human Family To Protest When Our Brothers And Sisters Are Being Treated Brutally, But It Is Also Our Duty To Do Whatever We Can To Hep Them.

This We Can All Bear Witness To, Living As We Do Plagued By Unremitting Anxiety . It Becomes More And More Imperative That The Life Of The Spirit Be Avowed As The Only Firm Basis Upon Which To Establish Happiness And Peace.

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.

Give The Ones You Love Wings To Fly, Roots To Come Back And Reasons To Stay.

Wisdom Is The Best Guide And Faith Is The Best Companion.

If You Concern Yourself Mainly With Others, The Broader Your Thinking Becomes, And Life’s Inevitable Difficulties Disturb You Less.

To A Large Extent, Whether You Suffer Depends On How You Respond To A Given Situation.

I 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.

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.

If An Individual Has A Calm State Of Mind, That Person's Attitudes And Views Will Be Calm And Tranquil Even In The Presence Of Great Agitation.

I Think Many People Knows What I Am Thinking. The Whole World Knows I Am Not Seeking Independence, Therefore Is Many Tibetan Disappointed, And Also Some Of Our Supporters - Many Indians, Many Europeans, Many Americans Are Also Disappointed Because I Am Not Seeking Independence.

The Important Thing Is That Men Should Have A Purpose In Life. It Should Be Something Useful, Something Good.

Although Under Particular Circumstances, The Violence Method - Any Method - Can Be Justified, Nevertheless Once You Commit Violence, Then Counterviolence Will Be Returned.

Love And Kindness Are The Very Basis Of Society. If We Lose These Feelings, Society Will Face Tremendous Difficulties; The Survival Of Humanity Will Be Endangered.

Don't Try To Use What You Learn From Buddhism To Be A Buddhist; Use It To Be A Better Whatever-you-al Ready-are.

Historically, The East Was More Concerned With Understanding The Mind And The West Was More Involved In Understanding Matter.

One Thing I Want To Make Clear, As Far As My Own Rebirth Is Concerned, The Final Authority Is Myself And No One Else, And Obviously Not China's Communists.

Dangerous Consequences Will Follow When Politicians And Rulers Forget Moral Principles. Whether We Believe In God Or Karma, Ethics Is The Foundation Of Every Religion.

The More We Take The Welfare Of Others To Heart And Work For Their Benefit, The More Benefit We Derive For Ourselves. This Is A Fact That We Can See.

I Am A Simple Buddhist Monk.

(because) The Notion Of Absolute Truth Is Difficult To Sustain Outside The Context Of Religion, Ethical Conduct Is Not Something We Engage In Because It Is Somehow Right In Itself But Because, Like Ourselves, All Others Desire To Be Happy And To Avoid Suffering. Given That This Is A Natural Disposition, Shared By All, It Follows That Each Individual Has A Right To Pursue This Goal. Accordingly, I Suggest That One Of The Things Which Determines Whether An Act Is Ethical Or Not Is Its Effect On Others' Experience Or Expectation Of Happiness.

There Is A Saying In Tibetan, 'tragedy Should Be Utilized As A Source Of Strength.' No Matter What Sort Of Difficulties, How Painful Experience Is, If We Lose Our Hope, That's Our Real Disaster.

A Sense Of Contentment Is A Key Factor For Attaining Happiness

Attaining Happiness

If One's Life Is Simple, Contentment Has To Come. Simplicity Is Extremely Important For Happiness. Having Few Desires, Feeling Satisfied With What You Have, Is Very Vital: Satisfaction With Just Enough Food, Clothing, And Shelter To Protect Yourself From The Elements.

I One Individual Human Being. One Of The Seven Billion Human Being. I Believe Each Of Us, Our Future Depends On The Rest Of Humanity.

Sometimes, Whether A Desire Is Excessive Or Negative Depends On The Circumstances Or Society In Which You Live In.

We Have To Adopt A Wider Perspective, And Always Find Common Things Between The People Of North, East, South, And West. Conflict Comes From The Basis Of Differencs.

Genuine Peace Is Based On Inner Peace, Because You Cannot Build Peace On The Basis Of Anger

In Order To Lead A Meaningful Life, You Need To Cherish Others, Pay Attention To Human Values And Try To Cultivate Inner Peace.

When Seen From Outer Space, Our Beautiful Blue Planet Has No National Boundaries.

For Change To Happen In Any Community, The Initiative Must Come From The Individual.

The Buddha Gave Equal Opportunities To Women. But We, Even As Followers Of Buddha, Neglected That.

A Heart Full Of Love And Compassion Is The Main Source Of Inner Strength, Willpower, Happiness, And Mental Tranquility

You Need Self-confidence And Determination: Feeling Depressed And Losing Hope Will Never Really Help To Correct Any Situation.

Self Confidence

I Always Tell My Western Friends That It Is Best To Keep Your Own Tradition. Changing Religion Is Not Easy And Sometimes Causes Confusion. You Must Value Your Tradition And Honor Your Own Religion.

I Believe That To Meet The Challenge Of Our Times, Human Beings Will Have To Develop A Greater Sense Of Universal Responsibility. We Must All Learn To Work Not Just For Our Own Self, Family, Or Nation But For The Benefit Of All Humankind. Universal Responsibility Is The Key To Human Survival. It Is The Best Foundation For World Peace, The Equitable Use Of Natural Resources, And Through Concern For Future Generations, The Proper Care Of The Environment.

Once Your Mind Is Calm And Full Of Love, There Is No Room For Hatred Or Fear. Others Will Trust You Because Of Your Open Heart.

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.

A Truly Compassionate Attitude Toward Others Does Not Change Even If They Behave Negatively Or Hurt You.

In Dealing With Those Who Are Undergoing Great Suffering, If You Feel "burnout" Setting In, If You Feel Demoralized And Exhausted, It Is Best, For The Sake Of Everyone, To Withdraw And Restore Yourself. The Point Is To Have A Long-term Perspective.

The More We Are Concerned For The Well Being Of Others, The Closer We Will Feel To Each Other.

Constructiveness Is The Human Way.

I Don't Know Whether The Universe, With Its Countless Galaxies, Stars And Planets, Has A Deeper Meaning Or Not, But At The Very Least, It Is Clear That We Humans Who Live On This Earth Face The Task Of Making A Happy Life For Ourselves. Therefore, It Is Important To Discover What Will Bring About The Greatest Degree Of Happiness.

I Always Have The Feeling That I'm Just Another Human Being.

I Always Believed In Love, Compassion And A Sense Of Universal Respect. Every Human Being Has That Potential.

The Way To Overcome Negative Thoughts And Destructive Emotions Is To Develop Opposing, Positive Emotions That Are Stronger And More Powerful.

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

Meaning Of Life

Wisdom And Inner Peace Must Be Created By Yourself.

In Some Cases, Lack Of Full Knowledge Or Holistic View, That Is Also Part Of The Problem. But Mainly Lack Of Moral Principle. So Long You Have This Genuine Sort Of Concern, Well Being Of Other. That's The Foundation Of Moral Principle.

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.

While People Are Often Content To Criticize And Blame Others For What Goes Wrong, Surely We Should At Least Attempt To Put Forward Constructive Ideas. One Thing Is For Certain: Given Human Beings' Love Of Truth, Justice, Peace, And Freedom, Creating A Better, More Compassionate World Is A Genuine Possibility. The Potential Is There.

Forgiveness Doesn't Mean Forget What Happened. If Something Is Serious And It Is Necessary To Take Counter-measures, You Have To Take Counter-measures.

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.

Hatred, Jealousy, And Fear Hinder Peace Of Mind. When You're Angry Or Unforgiving, For Example, Your Mental Suffering Is Constant. It Is Better To Forgive Than To Spoil Your Peace Of Mind With Ill Feelings.

Even Modern Medical Researchers Have Come To The Conclusion That Peace Of Mind Is Vital For Good Health.

I Believe That We Are Fundamentally The Same And Have The Same Basic Potential.

Compassion And Tolerance Are Not A Sign Of Weakness, But A Sign Of Strength.

Death And Dying Provide A Meeting-point Between The Tibetan Buddhist And Modern Scientific Traditions. I Believe Both Have A Great Deal To Contribute To Each Other On The Level Of Understanding And Of Practical Benefit.

If We Can Cultivate A Concern For Others, Keeping In Mind The Oneness Of Humanity, We Can Build A More Compassionate World.

Concern For Others

Happiness Is A State Of Mind. With Physical Comforts If Your Mind Is Still In A State Of Confusion And Agitation, It Is Not Happiness. Happiness Means Calmness Of Mind.

People Often Expect The Other Person To Respond First In A Positive Way, Instead Of Taking The Initiative To Create That Possibility. I Feel That's Wrong; It Can Act As A Barrier That Just Promotes A Feeling Of Isolation From Others. To Overcome Feelings Of Isolation And Loneliness, Your Underlying Attitude Makes A Tremendous Difference - Approaching Others With The Thought Of Compassion In Your Mind Is The Best Way.

Inner Peace Is The Key: If You Have Inner Peace, The External Problems Do Not Affect Your Deep Sense Of Peace And Tranquility... Without This Inner Peace, No Matter How Comfortable Your Life Is Materially, You May Still Be Worried, Disturbed Or Unhappy Because Of Circumstances.

Our World And Our Lives Have Become Increasingly Interdependent, So When Our Neighbour Is Harmed, It Affects Us Too. Therefore We Have To Abandon Outdated Notions Of 'them' And 'us' And Think Of Our World Much More In Terms Of A Great 'us', A Greater Human Family.

The Realization That We Are All Basically The Same Human Beings Who Seek Happiness And Try To Avoid Suffering Is Very Helpful In Developing A Sense Of Brotherhood And Sisterhood; A Warm Feeling Of Love And Compassion For Others.

Although It Is Difficult To Pinpoint The Physical Base Or Location Of Awareness, It Is Perhaps The Most Precious Thing Concealed Within Our Brains. And It Is Something That The Individual Alone Can Feel And Experience. Each Of Us Cherishes It Highly, Yet It Is Private.

Because The Existing Education System Is Oriented Towards Materialistic Goals We Need To Pay Special Attention To Inner Values Such As Tolerance, Forgiveness, Love And Compassion.

When You Encounter Some Problems, If You Point Your Finger At Yourself And Not At Others, This Gives You Control Over Yourself And Calmness In A Situation, Where Otherwise Self-control Becomes Problematic.

Developing Inner Values Is Much Like Physical Exercise. The More We Train Our Abilities, The Stronger They Become. The Difference Is That, Unlike The Body, When It Comes To Training The Mind, There Is No Limit To How Far We Can Go.

In Pluralistic, Democratic Societies, There Is The Freedom To Adopt The Religion Of Your Choice. This Is Good. This Lets Curious People Like You Run Around On The Loose!

From Adversity We Can Learn The Value Of Patience.

Once We Have A Firm Practice Of Compassion Our State Of Mind Becomes Stronger Which Leads To Inner Peace, Giving Rise To Self-confidence, Which Reduces Fear. This Makes For Constructive Members Of The Community. Self-centredness On The Other Hand Leads To Distance, Suspicion, Mistrust And Loneliness, With Unhappiness As The Result.

Self Confidence

If A Person's Basic State Of Mind Is Serene And Calm, Then It Is Possible For This Inner Peace To Overwhelm A Painful Physical Experience.

Pursuit Of Happiness

Because Past Environmental Destruction Was The Result Of Ignorance, We Can Easily Forgive It. Today, We Are Better Informed. Therefore, It's Essential That We Make An Ethical Examination Of What We Have Inherited, What We Are Responsible For, And What We Will Pass On To Coming Generations. Ours Is Clearly A Pivotal Generation. We Have Global Communication And Yet Confrontation Is More Common Than Dialogue.

A Mind That Is Characterized By Unrest Will Not Be Tranquil Even In The Presence Of Great Calm.

I Do Not See Any Reason Why Animals Should Be Slaughtered To Serve As Human Diet When There Are So Many Substitutes. After All, Man Can Live Without Meat. It Is Only Some Carnivorous Animals That Have To Subsist On Flesh. Killing Animals For Sport, For Pleasure, For Adventures, And For Hides And Furs Is A Phenomenon Which Is At Once Disgusting And Distressing. There Is No Justification In Indulging In Such Acts Of Brutality . . . Life Is As Dear To A Mute Creature As It Is To A Man. Just As One Wants Happiness And Fears Pain, Just As One Wants To Live And Not To Die, So Do Other Creatures.

You 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.

Live In The Present

If You The Owner Of The Dog, Really Showing Not Just Food But Real Affection, Then Dog Very Much Appreciate. Isn't It?

In The Buddha's Life Story We See The Three Stages Of Practice: Morality Comes First, Then Concentrated Meditation, And Then Wisdom. And We See That The Path Takes Time.

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