Dalai Lama Biography Quotes

Many of today's world leaders have great courage: the courage to do harm. The are ill-advised, too clever, or too skillful. I think bad political systems, by which I mean systems that are not founded on a desire for justice, are mainly due to a type of short-sightedness. When politicians see things only in the short term, they inevitably only see the short-term gains. That is how they develop the type of courage that is necessary to harm others. ~ Dalai Lama XIV

Attachment constrains our vision so that we are not able to see things from a wider perspective. ~ Dalai Lama

As human beings we have the same experience of destructive and constructive emotions. We also have a human mind capable of developing wisdom. We all have the same Buddha nature. ~ Dalai Lama

I pray for all of us, oppressor and friend,
that together we may succeed in building a better world
through human understanding and love,
and that in doing so we may reduce
the pain and suffering of all sentient beings. ~ Dalai Lama XIV

Generally speaking, if a human being never shows anger, then I think something's wrong. He's not right in the brain. ~ Dalai Lama

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. ~ Dalai Lama

Anger may bring extra energy, but it eclipses the best part of our brain: its rationality. The energy of anger is almost always unreliable. ~ Dalai Lama

My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness. ~ Dalai Lama XIV

The Buddha gave equal opportunities to women. But we, even as followers of Buddha, neglected that. ~ Dalai Lama

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. ~ Dalai Lama

Walking down the street with a portrait of the Dalai Lama will get one immediately arrested in most parts of China. Tiny medallions are routinely confiscated and destroyed. ~ Barbara Demick

Looking at various means of developing compassion, I think empathy is an important factor: the ability to appreciate others' suffering. ~ Dalai Lama

When ever Buddhism has taken root in a new land, there has been a certain variation in the style in which it is observed. The Buddha himself taught differently according to the place, the occasion and the situation of those who were listening to him. ~ Dalai Lama

Black Power If the motive is good, and there are no other possibilities, then seen most deeply it [violence] is nonviolence, because its aim is to help others. ~ Dalai Lama

Altruism is the best source of happiness. There is no doubt about that. ~ Dalai Lama

According to Lyubomirsky, the three factors that seem to have the greatest influence on increasing our happiness are our ability to reframe our situation more positively, our ability to experience gratitude, and our choice to be kind and generous. These ~ Dalai Lama XIV

We all wish to live a happy life. In addition, we all have the same right to fulfil this goal. And we all have the potential to do so for the simple reason that future is not fixed, it can be changed. Therefore, we should live in hope that we really can overcome whatever problems we face. ~ Dalai Lama

Buddhist scriptures recommend that you hide your good qualities and achievements like a lamp inside a vessel. You should not advertise them unless there is great purpose in doing so. ~ Dalai Lama XIV

The root of happiness is altruism - the wish to be of service to others. ~ Dalai Lama

Happiness is not ready made. It comes from your own actionns ~ Dalai Lama XIV

If we get used to putting up with minor hurts, we will gradually develop tolerance for greater pain. ~ Dalai Lama XIV

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. Cultivating a close, warmhearted feeling for others automatically puts the mind at ease. 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. ~ Dalai Lama XIV

It may seem unrealistic to think we can ever become free from hatred, but Buddhists have systematic methods for gradually developing a tolerance powerful enough to give such freedom. ~ Dalai Lama

To be kind, honest and have positive thoughts; to forgive those who harm us and treat everyone as a friend; to help those who are suffering and never to consider ourselves superior to anyone else: even if this advice seems rather simplistic, make the effort of seeing whether by following it you can find greater happiness. ~ Dalai Lama XIV

I learn as much from a turtle as from a religious text. ~ Dalai Lama

With realization of one's own potential and self-confidence in one's ability, one can build a better world. ~ Dalai Lama

Eventually, at Buddhahood, you become capable of remaining in the innate ~ Dalai Lama XIV

When you talk, you are only repeating what you already know. But if you listen, you may learn something new. ~ Dalai Lama XIV

If a misfortune has already occurred, it is best not to worry about it, so we do not add fuel to the problem. Don't ally yourself with past events by lingering on them and exaggerating them. Let the past take care of itself, and transport yourself to the present while taking whatever measures are necessary to ensure that such a misfortune never occurs again, now or in the future. ~ Dalai Lama XIV

Our every action has a universal dimension, a potential impact on others' happiness. ~ Dalai Lama

In order for the study of consciousness to be complete, we need a methodology that would account not only for what is occurring at the neurological and biochemical levels but also for the subjective experience of consciousness itself. ~ Dalai Lama XIV

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. ~ Dalai Lama

My main concern is meeting with public because my main commitment, main interest is promotion of human value, human affection, compassion and religious harmony. ~ Dalai Lama

Sleep is the best meditation. ~ Dalai Lama XIV

If we adopt a self-centered approach to life, by which we attempt to use others for our own self interest, we might be able to gain temporary benefits, but in the long run we will not succeed in achieving even our personal happiness, and hope for the next life is out of the question. ~ Dalai Lama

I think there's every reason this 21st century will be much happier. ~ Dalai Lama

To me there is no difference whether president, beggar, or king. ~ Dalai Lama

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. ~ Dalai Lama

If we make consistent effort, based on proper education, we can change the world. ~ Dalai Lama

We can still develop an energy that's just as strong, but much better controlled than anger, in order to confront difficult circumstances. This controlled energy comes both from a compassionate attitude and from reason, combined with patience. These are very effective antidotes against anger. Unfortunately, many people scorn these qualities, likening them to weakness. I ~ Dalai Lama XIV

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. ~ Dalai Lama