Background Image

...

The Lessons We Have Begun To Learn Make Me Hopeful, That Human Beings Will Become Friendlier, More Harmonious, Less Harmful. Compassion And The Seeds Of Peace Will Be Able To Flourish. At The Same Time, Every Individual Is Responsible To Help Guide Our Global Family In The Right Direction. Good Wishes Alone Are Not Enough; We Have To Take Responsibility. Large Human Movements Spring From Individual Human Initiatives

-Dalai Lama

...

Please Wait....
Translating....

The Lessons We Have

Dalai Lama

...

The Lessons We Have Begun To Learn Make Me Hopeful, That Human Beings Will Become Friendlier, More Harmonious, Less Harmful. Compassion And The Seeds Of Peace Will Be Able To Flourish. At The Same Time, Every Individual Is Responsible To Help Guide Our Global Family In The Right Direction. Good Wishes Alone Are Not Enough; We Have To Take Responsibility. Large Human Movements Spring From Individual Human Initiatives

Views: 9

Topic

More From Dalai Lama

Initially, Terrorism Was A Certain Mixture Of Politics, Economics, And Religion. Now, It Seems That Terrorism Is More Individual And Done To Avenge Personal Grudges. So There Are Two Kinds Of Terrorism.

What Is The Purpose Of Life? I Believe That The Purpose Of Life Is To Be Happy.

If 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.

To Be Extremely Self-centred, Only Interested In Your Own Satisfaction, Always Brings Negative Consequences In The Long Run.

We Need To Understand How Destructive Emotions Affect Us And Constructive Emotions Can Help Us, So That We Can Maintain Our Peace Of Mind.

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.

When, From The Depths Of Your Heart, You Spontaneously Wish All Beings To Find True, Lasting Happiness, This Is Great Love.

Lasting Happiness

A Thousand Candles Can Be Lit From One Candle, However The Life Of The Original Candle Is Not Shortened In The Least.

If You Are Showing Love To Your Fellow Human Beings, You Are Showing Love To Your God.

Delusions Are States Of Mind Which, When They Arise Within Our Mental Continuum, Leave Us Disturbed, Confused And Unhappy. Therefore, Those States Of Mind Which Delude Or Afflict Us Are Called 'delusions.'

I Am Confident I Will Set Foot Again In Tibet In My Lifetime.

When The Only Bond Between Close Friends Is Attachment, Then Even A Minor Issue May Cause One's Projections To Change. As Soon As Our Projections Change, The Attachment Disappears, Because That Attachment Was Based Solely On Projection And Expectation. It Is Possible To Have Compassion Without Attachment, And Similarly, To Have Anger Without Hatred.

The Question Of World Peace, The Question Of Family Peace, The Question Of Peace Between Wife And Husband, Or Peace Between Parents And Children, Everything Is Dependent On That Feeling Of Love And Warmheartedness.

The Source Of Peace Is Within Us; So Also The Source Of War. And The Real Enemy Is Within Us, And Not Outside. The Source Of War Is Not The Existence Of Nuclear Weapons Or Other Arms. It Is The Minds Of Human Beings Who Decide To Push The Button And To Use Those Arms Out Of Hatred, Anger Or Greed.

Only Through The Development Of Mutual Respect, And In A Spirit Of Truth, Can Friendship Come About. By These Means It Is Possible To Move Human Minds, But Never By Force.

If There Were Really Serious Consequences If I Did Not Accept, Then Of Course I Would Do Whatever Was Necessary. But In General I Really Prefer Some Freedom.

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.

Different Religions Meet The Needs Of Different People

Anger, Hatred And Jealousy Never Solve Problems, Only Affection, Concern And Respect Can Do That.

It Is Important Not To Allow Ourselves To Be Put Off By The Magnitude Of Others' Suffering. The Misery Of Millions Is Not A Cause For Pity. Rather It Is A Cause For Compassion.

In Daily Practice, Reflect On The Benefits Of Love, Compassion And Kindness, Then Reflect On The Disadvantages Of Anger. Such Continuous Contemplation, The Growing Appreciation Of Love, Has The Effect Of Reducing Our Inclination Towards Hatred And Increasing Our Respect For Love. By This Means Even Anger Can Be Diminished.

Inspirational Love

One Mongolian Leader Became A Very, Very Brutal Dictator And Eventually Became A Murderer. Previously, He Was A Monk, And Then He Became A Revolutionary. Under The Influence Of His New Ideology, He Actually Killed His Own Teacher. Pol Pot's Family Background Was Buddhist. Whether He Himself Was A Buddhist At A Young Age, I Don't Know. Even Chairman Mao's Family Background Was Buddhist. So One Day, If The Dalai Lama Becomes A Mass Murderer, He Will Become The Most Deadly Of Mass Murderers.

Our Visit To This Planet Is Short, So We Should Use Our Time Meaningfully, Which We Can Do By Helping Others Wherever Possible. And If We Cannot Help Others, At Least We Should Try Not To Create Pain And Suffering For Them.

Of Course, There Are Different Truths On Different Levels. Things Are True Relative To Other Things; "long" And "short" Relate To Each Other, "high" And "low," And So On. But Is There Any Absolute Truth? Something Self-sufficient, Independently True In Itself? I Don't Think So.

Not Only Can I Not Recall My Experiences In My Previous Lives, Sometimes I Can't Even Remember What I Did Yesterday.

Other Human Beings Have A Right To Peace And Happiness That Is Equal To Our Own; Therefore We Have A Responsibility To Help Those In Need.

If Your Own Mental Attitude Is Correct, Even If You Remain In A Hostile Atmosphere, You Feel Happy.

When We Talk About Global Crisis, Or A Crisis Of Humanity, We Cannot Blame A Few Politicians, A Few Fanatics, Or A Few Troublemakers. The Whole Of Humanity Has A Responsibility Because It Is Our Business, Human Business. I Call This A Sense Of Universal Responsibility. That Is A Crucial Point.

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

God Exists Or God Does Not Exist. Leave It For Us. Your Task Is To Learn How To Live Peacefully.

Every Noble Work Is Bound To Face Problems And Obstacles. It Is Important To Check Your Goal And Motivation Thoroughly. One Should Be Very Truthful, Honest, And Reasonable. One's Actions Should Be Good For Others, And For Oneself As Well. Once A Positive Goal Is Chosen, You Should Decide To Pursue It All The Way To The End. Even If It Is Not Realized, At Least There Will Be No Regret.

When We Have Inner Peace, We Can Be At Peace With Those Around Us. When Our Community Is In A State Of Peace, It Can Share That Peace With Neighboring Communities.

Even Without A Religion, We Can Become A Good Human Being.

Good Human Being

Even When A Person Has All Of Life's Comforts - Good Food, Good Shelter, A Companion - He Or She Can Still Become Unhappy When Encountering A Tragic Situation.

We Can't Be Useful To Ourselves Unless We're Useful To Others .... Anyone Concerned Only By His Own Well-being Will Suffer Eventually. Anyone Concerned With The Well-being Of Others Takes Care Of Himself Without Even Thinking About It. Even If We Decide To Remain Selfish. Let Us Be Intelligently Selfish - Let Us Help Others.

Once You Encourage The Thought Of Compassion In Your Mind, Once It Becomes Active, Then Your Attitude Towards Others Changes Automatically.

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.

From That Viewpoint, America, Free Country, Democratic Country, So More Opportunity. Still Is More Sort Of Alive. This Is My Feeling.

The Development Of Our Minds And Our Destination In Future Lives Is In Our Hands. No One Else Can Help Us. It Is Very Important That We Each Take Responsibility For Ourselves. Sustain Mindfulness 24 Hours A Day. Thank You. That Is All.

If There Is A Solution To A Problem, There Is No Need To Worry. And If There Is No Solution, There Is No Need To Worry.

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.

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.

Is This What You Have In Mind,' I Asked The Dalai Lama, 'when You Say In Teachings That The Buddhas And Bodhisattvas Of The World Are The Most Selfish Beings Of All, That By Cultivating Altruism They Actually Achieve Ultimate Happiness For Themselves?' Yes. That's Wise Selfish,' He Replied. 'helping Others Not Means We Do This At Our Own Expense. Not Like This. Buddhas And Bodhisattvas, These People Very Wise. All Their Lives They Only Want One Thing: To Achieve Ultimate Happiness. How To Do This? By Cultivating Compassion, By Cultivating Altruism.

Our Greatest Duty And Our Main Responsibility Is To Help Others. But Please, If You Can't Help Them, Would You Please Not Hurt Them.

I Try To Treat Whoever I Meet As An Old Friend. This Gives Me A Genuine Feeling Of Happiness. It Is The Practice Of Compassion.

I Don't Think Generally Politician Come From Democratic Country. I Think Not That Thinking. But Sometimes Little Bit Short-sighted. They Are Mainly Looking For Their Next Vote.

Ketika Kita Masih Kecil Dan Setelah Kita Lanjut Usia, Kita Sangat Tergantung Kepada Orang-orang Lain. Di Antara Masa Itu, Kita Merasa Bisa Melakukan Segala Sesuatu Tanpa Bantuan Orang Lain, Sehingga Menganggap Perhatian Sesama Tidak Penting. Padahal Dalam Tahap Ini Perlu Sekali Bagi Kita Untuk Memelihara Cinta Kasih Yang Mendalam Antar Sesama Manusia.

If We Are Demoralized, Sad And Only Complain, We’ll Not Solve Our Problems. If We Only Pray For A Solution, We’ll Not Solve Our Problems. We Need To Face Them, To Deal With Them Without Violence, But With Confidence - And Never Give Up. If You Adopt A Non-violent Approach, But Are Also Hesitant Within, You’ll Not Succeed. You Have To Have Confidence And Keep Up Your Efforts - In Other Words, Never Give Up.

A Wider Of More Altruistic Attitude Is Very Relevant In Today's World. If We Look At The Situation From Various Angles, Such As The Complexity And Inter-connectedness Of The Nature Of Modern Existence, Then We Will Gradually Notice A Change In Our Outlook, So That When We Say 'others' And When We Think Of Others, We Will No Longer Dismiss Them As Something That Is Irrelevant To Us. We Will No Longer Feel Indifferent.

Without Changing One's Self, Without Peace In One's Self, World Peace Is Not Possible.

‎interdependence Is A Fundamental Law Of Nature. Even Tiny Insects Survive By Mutual Cooperation Based On Innate Recognition Of Their Interconnectedness. It Is Because Our Own Human Existence Is So Dependent On The Help Of Others That Our Need For Love Lies At The Very Foundation Of Our Existence. Therefore We Need A Genuine Sense Of Responsibility And A Sincere Concern For The Welfare Of Others.

If Some People Have The Belief Or View That The Dalai Lama Has Some Miracle Power, That's Totally Nonsense.

Artists Have The Responsibility To Serve Humanity Give People Hope.

As Human Beings, We Are Only Able To Survive In Dependence Upon The Co-operation, Help And Kindness Of Other Fellow Humans.

For A Better, Happier, More Stable And Civilized Future, Each Of Us Must Develop A Sincere, Warm-hearted Feeling Of Brotherhood And Sisterhood.

As Free Human Beings We Can Use Our Unique Intelligence To Try To Understand Ourselves And Our World. But If We Are Prevented From Using Our Creative Potential, We Are Deprived Of One Of The Basic Characteristics Of A Human Being.

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.

Number Of People Have Said To Me, After Hearing Your Thinking, Their Mind Becomes Much More Happier.

Contemplating The Suffering Which Is Unbearable To Us, And Is Unbearable To Others, Too, Can Produce Awake Mind, Which Arises From The Compassion That Wishes To Free All Living Beings From Suffering.

My Enemy Is My Greatest Teacher.

Do Not Think Only Of Your Own Joy, But Vow To Save All Beings From Suffering. This Is Sharing In Its Highest Form And Purity Beyond All Poisons Of This World.

The Compassion We Feel Normally Is Biased And Mixed With Attachment. Genuine Compassion Flows Towards All Living Beings, Particularly Your Enemies. If I Try To Develop Compassion Towards My Enemy, It May Not Benefit Him Directly, He May Not Even Be Aware Of It. But It Will Immediately Benefit Me By Calming My Mind. On The Other Hand, If I Dwell On How Awful Everything Is, I Immediately Lose My Peace Of Mind.

I Believe Each Human Being Has The Potential To Change, To Transform One’s Own Attitude, No Matter How Difficult The Situation.

Without Your Own Effort It Is Impossible For Blessings To Come.

I Pray For A More Friendly, More Caring, And More Understanding Human Family On This Planet. To All Who Dislike Suffering, Who Cherish Lasting Happiness, This Is My Heartfelt Appeal.

Lasting Happiness

Friends, Genuine Friends, Have Much More To Do With Whether We Have A Warm Heart, Not Money Or Power.

Genuine Friends

The Best Way Of Fulfilling Your Own Interest Is To Take Care Of Others.

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

We Must Have A Pure, Honest, And Warm-hearted Motivation, And On Top Of That, Determination, Optimism, Hope, And The Ability Not To Be Discouraged. The Whole Of Humanity Depends On This Motivation.

Everyone Wants A Happy Life Without Difficulties Or Suffering. We Create Many Of The Problems We Face. No One Intentionally Creates Problems, But We Tend To Be Slaves To Powerful Emotions Like Anger, Hatred And Attachment That Are Based On Misconceived Projections About People And Things. We Need To Find Ways Of Reducing These Emotions By Eliminating The Ignorance That Underlies Them And Applying Opposing Forces.

If One's Life Is Simple, Contentment Has To Come.

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.

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.

On A Daily Basis, You Must Take More Care Of Your Mind Than Just Money, Money, Money!

The Universe That We Inhabit And Our Shared Perception Of It Are The Results Of A Common Karma. Likewise, The Places That We Will Experience In Future Rebirths Will Be The Outcome Of The Karma That We Share With The Other Beings Living There. The Actions Of Each Of Us, Human Or Nonhuman, Have Contributed To The World In Which We Live. We All Have A Common Responsibility For Our World And Are Connected With Everything In It.

Today We Face Many Problems. Some Are Created Essentially By Ourselves Based On Divisions Due To Ideology, Religion, Race, Economic Status, Or Other Factors. Therefore, The Time Has Come For Us To Think On A Deeper Level, On The Human Level, And From That Level We Should Appreciate And Respect The Sameness Of Others As Human Beings.

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.

Without Love We Could Not Survive. Human Beings Are Social Creatures, And A Concern For Each Other Is The Very Basis Of Our Life Together.

I Consider Non-violence To Be Compassion In Action. It Doesn’t Mean Weakness, Cowering In Fear, Or Simply Doing Nothing. It Is To Act Without Violence, Motivated By Compassion, Recognising The Rights Of Others.

If Through Practice Of Insight You Develop A Sense Of Ease, Then Time Has No Relevance. If You're Miserable, Time Does Matter. It's So Unbearable, So Enormous You Want To Get Out Of It As Soon As Possible.

External Circumstances Can Contribute To One's Happiness And Well-being, But Ultimately Happiness And Suffering Depend On The Mind.

When You Realize You've Made A Mistake, Take Immediate Steps To Correct It.

Compassion, Forgiveness, These Are The Real, Ultimate Sources Of Power For Peace And Success In Life

Success In Life

We Can Never Obtain Peace In The Outer World Until We Make Peace With Ourselves.

If You Have Religious Faith, Very Good, You Can Add On Secular Ethics, Then Religious Belief, Add On It, Very Good. But Even Those People Who Have No Interest About Religion, Okay, It's Not Religion, But You Can Train Through Education.

I Have Never Been Any Place Where I Was Not First Invited. And Upon Invitation, If I Feel That There Is Potential For Making Some Contribution To Humanity, I Will Comply In Spite Of Being Tired.

In My Childhood, And Particularly When I Take The Responsibility, I Already Have Sort Of Keen Desire, We Must Change Our System. Then As Soon As We Reach India, 1959, At Once We Start Working For Democratization. Now Here If Remain In A Political Sort Of Field, Supreme Leader, At The Same Time Religious Leader, That May Become Hindrance Of Proper Democracy.

World Peace Begins With Inner Peace.

The Key Point Is Kindness. With Kindness One Will Have Inner Peace. Through Inner Peace, World Peace Can One Day Be A Reality.

When We Meet Real Tragedy In Life, We Can React In Two Ways - Either By Losing Hope And Falling Into Self-destructive Habits, Or By Using The Challenge To Find Our Inner Strength.

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.

Democratic Institutions Are Necessary And Very Important, And If I Remained At The Head Of Government, It Could Be An Obstacle To Democratic Practice. Also, If I Were To Remain, Then I Would Have To Join One Of The Parties. If The Dalai Lama Joins One Party, Then That Makes It Hard For The System To Work.

I Request You To Try To Be Warm-hearted. I Ask This Of You Because These Mental Attitudes Actually Bring Us Happiness.

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.

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

Others Happiness

Scientists Are Discovering That While Anger And Hatred Eat Into Our Immune System, Warm-heartedness And Compassion Are Good For Our Health.

Conservation Is Not Merely A Question Of Morality, But A Question Of Our Own Survival.

Each One Of Us Is Responsible For The Whole Of Humankind. We Need To Think Of Each Other Really As Brothers And Sisters And To Be Concerned For Each Other’s Welfare. Rather Than Working Solely To Acquire Wealth, We Need To Do Something Meaningful, Something Directed Seriously Towards The Welfare Of Humanity As A Whole.

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.

On Occasions When U Feel Most Hopeless, U Must Take Powerful Effort. We Must Persist In Face Of Failure.

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

I Believe All Suffering Is Caused By Ignorance. People Inflict Pain On Others In The Selfish Pursuit Of Their Happiness Or Satisfaction. Yet True Happiness Comes From A Sense Of Inner Peace And Contentment, Which In Turn Must Be Achieved Through The Cultivation Of Altruism, Of Love And Compassion And Elimination Of Ignorance, Selfishness And Greed.

First One Must Change. I First Watch Myself, Check Myself, Then Expect Changes From Others.

World Peace Must Develop From Inner Peace.

Human Compassion

We Cannot Overcome Anger And Hatred Simply By Suppressing Them. We Need To Actively Cultivate The Antidotes: Patience And Tolerance.

In My Mind Of Course Natural Disaster Like Tsunami, And These Things, Also I Think Indirectly May Relate To Human Behavior. But Then Major Sort Of Problems Actually They're Due To A Lack Of Moral Principle.

Wisdom And Inner Peace Must Be Created By Yourself.

From The Scientific View, The Theory Of Karma May Be A Metaphysical Assumption -- But It Is No More So Than The Assumption That All Of Life Is Material And Originated Out Of Pure Chance

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

If You Serve Others As Fully As You Can, What You Do Will Be A Source Of Inner Joy.

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

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

My Religion Is Kindness.

Developing Love And Compassion And Reducing Anger And Spite Is A Universal Activity Which Requires No Faith In Any Religion Whatsoever

"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."

It Is Also Possible Within This Lifetime To Enhance The Power Of The Mind, Enabling One To Reaccess Memories From Previous Lives. Such Recollection Tends To Be More Accessible During Meditative Experiences In The Dream State. Once One Has Accessed Memories Of Previous Lives In The Dream State, One Gradually Recalls Them In The Waking State.

Awareness Of Death Is The Very Bedrock Of The Entire Path. Until You Have Developed This Awareness, All Other Practices Are Obstructed.

Love Is The Absence Of Judgment.

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.

It Is Lack Of Love For Ourselves That Inhibits Our Compassion Toward Others. If We Make Friends With Ourselves, Then There Is No Obstacle To Opening Our Hearts And Minds To Others.

Cultivating A Close, Warmhearted Feeling For Others Automatically Puts The Mind At Ease.

Education Is The Proper Way To Promote Compassion And Tolerance In Society. Compassion And Peace Of Mind Bring A Sense Of Confidence That Reduce Stress And Anxiety, Whereas Anger And Hatred Come From Frustration And Undermine Our Sense Of Trust. Because Of Ignorance, Many Of Our Problems Are Our Own Creation. Education, However, Is The Instrument That Increases Our Ability To Employ Our Own Intelligence.

Through Constant Familiarity, We Can Definitely Establish New Behavior Patterns, Using Our Tendency To Form Habits To Our Advantage. If We Make A Steady Effort, I Think We Can Overcome Any Form Of Negative Conditioning And Make Positive Changes In Our Lives. But We Need To Remember That Genuine Change Doesn't Happen Overnight.

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

Anger Cannot Be Overcome By Anger. If Someone Is Angry With You, And You Show Anger In Return, The Result Is A Disaster. On The Other Hand, If You Control Your Anger And Show Its Opposite - Love, Compassion, Tolerance And Patience - Not Only Will You Remain Peaceful, But The Other Person's Anger Will Also Diminish.

Today Is The Right Day To Love, Believe, Do, And Mostly, Live.

We Must Recognize That All Beings Want The Same Thing We Want. This Is The Way To Achieve A True Understanding, Unfettered By Artificial Consideration.

True Friends Share Genuine Closeness And Remain Friends Irrespective Of Fluctuating Fortunes.

The Problem Isn't Materialism As Such. Rather It Is The Underlying Assumption That Full Satisfaction Can Arise From Gratifying The Senses Alone. Unlike Animals Whose Quest For Happiness Is Restricted To Survival And To The Immediate Gratification Of Sensory Desires, We Human Beings Have The Capacity To Experience Happiness At A Deeper Level Which, When Achieved, Can Overwhelm Unhappy Experiences.

From Adversity We Can Learn The Value Of Patience.

We Need To Find Secular Ways To Cultivate Warm-heartedness. We Need Secular Ways To Educate Ourselves About Inner Values. The Source Of A Happy Life Is Within Us. Trouble Makers In Many Parts Of The World Are Often Quite Well Educated, So It Is Not Just Education That We Need. We Need To Pay Attention To Inner Values.

One Great Question Underlies Our Experience, Whether We Think About It Or Not: What Is The Purpose Of Life? From The Moment Of Birth Every Human Being Wants Happiness And Does Not Want Suffering. Neither Social Conditioning Nor Education Nor Ideology Affects This. >from The Very Core Of Our Being, We Simply Desire Contentment. Therefore, It Is Important To Discover What Will Bring About The Greatest Degree Of Happiness.

There Is Nothing That Does Not Get Easier Through Cultivation. The Buddhas Of The Past Started Out As Ordinary Beings. They Were Not Buddhas In The Beginning. The Path To Buddhahood Is Traversed Only Through Gradually Developing More And More Courage And Determination -then It Is Attained.

It Is Worthwhile For One To Make An Effort To Achieve Happiness. Just As The Purpose Of A Plant Is To Grow, So It Is That The Main Purpose Of Every Human Being Is To Survive And To Grow Until Death.

The Deep Root Of Failure In Our Lives Is To Think, 'oh How Useless And Powerless I Am.' It Is Essential To Think Strongly And Forcefully, 'i Can Do It,' Without Boasting Or Fretting.

The Most Compassionate Form Of Giving Is Done With No Thought Or Expectation Of Reward, And Grounded In Genuine Concern For Others.

Genuine Concern

Concern For Others

According To Buddhist Practice, There Are Three Stages Or Steps. The Initial Stage Is To Reduce Attachment Towards Life. The Second Stage Is The Elimination Of Desire And Attachment To This Samsara. Then In The Third Stage, Self-cherishing Is Eliminated

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.

I Believe That The Destructive Nature Of Society That Now Threatens The Existence Of The Entire Human World Has Much To Do With Human Intelligence. The Way To Overcome All Human Suffering-that Also Is Through Human Intelligence.

Happiness Is Not Something Ready Made. It Comes From Your Own Actions.

Compassion Is Something Really Worthwhile. It Is Not Just A Religious Or Spiritual Subject, Not A Matter Of Ideology. It Is Not A Luxury, It Is A Necessity.

Indulgence In Resentment And Vengeance Will Only Further Increase Miseries To Oneself And Others In This Life And In Lives To Come.

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

If The Work Is Worthwhile, Then Whether We Can Complete It Or Not, It's Worth Making The Attempt. That's Why Courage Is Important.

I Believe That The Very Purpose Of Life Is To Be Happy. From The Very Core Of Our Being, We Desire Contentment. In My Own Limited Experience I Have Found That The More We Care For The Happiness Of Others, The Greater Is Our Own Sense Of Well-being.

I Have Observed That Religious Practice Is Not A Precondition Either Of Ethical Conduct Or Of Happiness Itself. I Have Also Suggested That, Whether A Person Practices Religion Or Not, The Spiritual Qualities Of Love And Compassion, Patience, Tolerance, Forgiveness, Humility And So On Are Indispensable.

A Compassionate Attitude Helps You Communicate More Easily With Your Fellow Human Beings. As A Result, You Make More Genuine Friends And The Atmosphere Around You Is More Positive, Which Gives You Greater Inner Strength. This Inner Strength Helps You Spontaneously Concern Yourself With Others, Instead Of Thinking Only About Yourself.

Genuine Friends

I Call The Light And High Aspects Of My Being Spirit And The Dark And Heavy Aspects Soul. Soul Is At Home In The Deep, Shaded Valleys. Heavy Torpid Flowers Saturated With Black Grow There. The Rivers Flow Like Warm Syrup. They Empty Into Huge Oceans Of Soul. Spirit Is A Land Of High White Peaks And Glittering Jewel-like Lakes And Flowers. Life Is Sparse And Sounds Travel Great Distances. There Is Soul Music, Soul Food, And Soul Love... People Need To Climb The Mountain Not Simple Because It Is There But Because The Soulful Divinity Needs To Be Mated With The Spirit.

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

Happiness Is The Highest Form Of Health.

I Feel That The Essence Of Spiritual Practice Is Your Attitude Toward Others. When You Have A Pure, Sincere Motivation, Then You Have Right Attitude Toward Others Based On Kindness, Compassion, Love And Respect.

What Is The Relationship Between Spirituality And Ethical Practice? Since Love And Compassion And Similar Qualities All, By Definition, Presume Some Level Of Concern For Others' Well-being, They Presume Ethical Restraint. We Cannot Be Loving And Compassionate Unless At The Same Time We Curb Our Own Harmful Impulses And Desires.

Concern For Others

We Have To Make A Sustained Effort, Again And Again, To Cultivate The Positive Aspects Within Us.

Again And Again

It Helps Remove Whatever Fears Or Insecurities We May Have And Gives Us The Strength To Cope With Any Obstacles We Encounter. It Is The Principal Source Of Success In Life. Since We Are Not Solely Material Creatures, It Is A Mistake To Place All Our Hopes For Happiness On External Development Alone. The Key Is To Develop Inner Peace.

When We Face Problems With Compassion, Sincerity, And Good Motivation, Our Solutions May Take Longer, But Ultimately They Are Better.

If We Want Spiritual Development, The Practice Of Patience Is Essential.

So Long As Space Remains, So Long Sentient Beings' Suffering Remain, I Will Remain, In Order To Help, In Order To Serve... I Am Nothing But A Servant To Provide To Others. So If You Provide Some Happiness, Some Comfort To Others, Then Your Life Becomes Meaningful. If Your Life Creates Problems Or Suffering To Others, Then There's No Meaning To Your Existence.

A Spoon Cannot Taste Of The Food It Carries. Likewise, A Foolish Man Cannot Understand The Wise Man´s Wisdom Even If He Associates With A Sage.

People Should Not Rush To Change Religions. There Is Real Value In Finding The Spiritual Resources You Need In Your Home Religion. Even Secular Humanism Has Great Spiritual Resources; It Is Almost Like A Religion To Me.

Peace Starts Within Each One Of Us. When We Have Inner Peace, We Can Be At Peace With Those Around Us. When Our Community Is In A State Of Peace, It Can Share Peace With Neighboring Communities, And So On. When We Feel Love And Kindness Towards Others, It Not Only Makes Others Feel Loved And Cared For, But It Helps Us Also To Develop Inner Happiness And Peace.

Because The Twentieth Century Was A Century Of Violence, Let Us Make The Twenty-first A Century Of Dialogue.

Like Anyone Else, I Too Have The Potential For Violence; I Too Have Anger In Me. However, I Try To Recall That Anger Is A Destructive Emotion. I Remind Myself That Scientists Now Say That Anger Is Bad For Our Health; It Eats Into Our Immune System. So, Anger Destroys Our Peace Of Mind And Our Physical Health. We Shouldn’t Welcome It Or Think Of It As Natural Or As A Friend.

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 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

Universal Responsibility Is The Key To Human Survival. It Is The Best Foundation For World Peace.

When Reason Ends, Then Anger Begins. Therefore, Anger Is A Sign Of Weakness.

In Order To Be Happy We Must First Possess Inner Contentment; And Inner Contentment Doesn't Come From Having All We Want; But Rather From Wanting And Appreciating Being Grateful For All We Have.

In Our Daily Life A Certain Way Of Thinking Makes Us Happy, And A Certain Way Of Thinking Makes Us Unhappy. In Other Words, There Are Certain States Of Mind Which Bring Us Problems, And They Can Be Removed.

True Happiness Comes From Having A Sense Of Inner Peace And Contentment, Which In Turn Must Be Achieved By Cultivating Altruism, Love And Compassion, And By Eliminating Anger, Selfishness And Greed.

Under The Bright Sun, Many Of Us Are Gathered Together With Different Languages, Different Styles Of Dress, Even Different Faiths. However, All Of Us Are The Same In Being Humans, And We All Uniquely Have The Thought Of 'i' And We're All The Same In Wanting Happiness And In Wanting To Avoid Suffering.

Old Friends Pass Away, New Friends Appear. It Is Just Like The Days. An Old Day Passes, A New Day Arrives. The Important Thing Is To Make It Meaningful: A Meaningful Friend - Or A Meaningful Day.

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.

Compassion Is Something We Can Count On. Even If We Face Economic Problems And Our Fortunes Decline, We Can Still Share Our Compassion With Our Fellow Human Beings. National And Global Economies Are Subject To Many Ups And Downs, But Through Them All We Can Retain A Compassionate Attitude That Will Carry Us Through.

Neither A Space Station Nor An Enlightened Mind Can Be Realized In A Day.

Some People Automatically Associate Morality And Altruism With A Religious Vision Of The World. But I Believe It Is A Mistake To Think That Morality Is An Attribute Only Of Religion. We Can Imagine Two Types Of Spirituality: One Tied To Religion, While The Other Arises Spontaneously In The Human Heart As An Expression Of Love For Our Neighbors And A Desire To Do Them Good.

There Is Only One Important Point You Must Keep In Your Mind And Let It Be Your Guide. No Matter What People Call You, You Are Just Who You Are. Keep To This Truth. You Must Ask Yourself How Is It You Want To Live Your Life. We Live And We Die, This Is The Truth That We Can Only Face Alone. No One Can Help Us, Not Even The Buddha. So Consider Carefully, What Prevents You From Living The Way You Want To Live Your Life?

Non-violence Means Dialogue, Using Our Language, The Human Language. Dialogue Means Compromise; Respecting Each Other’s Rights; In The Spirit Of Reconciliation There Is A Real Solution To Conflict And Disagreement. There Is No Hundred Percent Winner, No Hundred Percent Loser—not That Way But Half-and-half. That Is The Practical Way, The Only Way.

We May Now Have Reached A Point Where This Gap In Our Make-up Has Become Unsustainable; Partly Because What In The Past Would Have Counted As Material Plenty Has Become The Norm For The Majority In Much Of The World; And Partly Because The Slow Retreat Of Religion That Coincided With The Spread Of A Capitalist Economy Has Left A Gaping Hole In Millions Of People's Lives. (geoff Mulgan)

Capitalist Economy

Ultimately, The Reason Why Love And Compassion Bring The Greatest Happiness Is Simply That Our Nature Cherishes Them Above All Else. The Need For Love Lies At The Very Foundation Of Human Existence.

It Is Under The Greatest Adversity That There Exists The Greatest Potential For Doing Good, Both For Oneself And Others.

The Cultivation Of Compassion Is No Longer A Luxury, But A Necessity, If Our Species Is To Survive.

Americans Are Interested Because They Are Open-minded. They Have An Education System That Teaches Them To Find Out For Themselves Why Things Are The Way They Are. Open-minded People Tend To Be Interested In Buddhism Because Buddha Urged People To Investigate Things - He Didn't Just Command Them To Believe.

An Important Distinction Can Be Made Between Religion And Spirituality. Religion [is] Concerned With Faith In The Claims To Salvation Of One Faith Tradition... Spirituality Is Concerned With Qualities Of The Human Spirit, Love And Compassion, Patience, Tolerance, Forgiveness, Contentment, A Sense Of Responsibility, A Sense Of Harmony, That Bring Happiness Both To Self.

There Are Only Two Days In The Year That Nothing Can Be Done. One Is Called Yesterday And The Other Is Called Tomorrow. Today Is The Right Day To Love, Believe, Do And Mostly Live.

Happiness Arises As A Result Of Different Causes And Conditions. If You Harm Someone Out Of Anger, You May Feel Some Superficial Satisfaction, But Deep Down You Know It Was Wrong. Your Confidence Will Be Undermined. However, If You Have An Altruistic Attitude, You’ll Feel Comfortable And Confident In The Presence Of Others.

My Earnest Request Is That You Practice Love And Kindness Whether You Believe In A Religion Or Not

Only Through Kindness And Love Can Peace Of Mind Be Achieved.

How Can We Eliminate The Deepest Source Of All Unsatisfactory Experience? Only By Cultivating Certain Qualities Within Our Mindstream.

When A Problem First Arises, Try To Remain Humble And Maintain A Sincere Attitude, And Be Concerned That The Outcome Is Fair.

The Most Important Thing Is Transforming Our Minds, For A New Way Of Thinking, A New Outlook: We Should Strive To Develop A New Inner World.

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.

We Must Recognize That The Suffering Of One Person Or One Nation Is The Suffering Of Humanity.

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

Always Engage Yourself Positively With Situations.

China Can Keep Her Troops On The External Frontiers Of Tibet, And Tibetans Will Pledge To Accept The Appropriate Form Of Union With China.

...it Becomes Clear That, Given Our Diversity, No Single Religion Satisfies All Humanity. ... And Since The Majority Does Not Practice Religion, I Am Concerned To Try To Find A Way To Serve All Humanity Without Appealing To Religious Faith.

Anger And Hatred Are The Real Enemies That We Must Confront And Defeat, Not The 'enemies' Who Appear From Time To Time In Our Lives.

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.

Given The Scale Of Life In The Cosmos, One Human Life Is No More Than A Tiny Blip. Each One Of Us Is A Just Visitor To This Planet, A Guest, Who Will Only Stay For A Limited Time. What Greater Folly Could There Be Than To Spend This Short Time Alone, Unhappy Or In Conflict With Our Companions? Far Better, Surely, To Use Our Short Time Here In Living A Meaningful Life, Enriched By Our Sense Of Connection With Others And Being Of Service To Them.

Buddhism Does Not Accept A Theory Of God, Or A Creator. According To Buddhism, One's Own Actions Are The Creator, Ultimately. Some People Say That, From A Certain Angle, Buddhism Is Not A Religion But Rather A Science Of Mind.

Trending Author

John C. Calhoun

Category