The Dalai Lama Quotes

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

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.

You use force, you create fear. Fear destroys trust. Trust is the basis of harmony. The hardliner believes harmony and unity can be brought by force. That's totally unscientific, totally wrong.

The female biologically [has] more potential to show affection and compassion.

Your motivation should be sincere and your life should be of benefit to some people. That is the main thing. Don't care after my death.

I always emphasize that it is much safer and better to keep one's own religious faith. The other major religions are thousands of years old and have long traditions.

As far as mental development is concerned, we should never be complacent. We can develop our minds infinitely - there is no limitation.

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!

Tolerance is an important virtue of bodhisattvas .

Compassion is concern of others' well being.

Cats, dogs, and some I mean, birds, many species of mammals, they also have the sort of potential to show affection firstly because of the biological factor.

Be a good human being, a warmhearted, affectionate person. That is my fundamental belief.

Basically, a human being is a social animal. So, if you create some short moment of happiness for people, you get deep satisfaction.

Continue this practice no matter what happens or what anyone does to you.

When we develop a right attitude of compassion and gratitude, we take a giant step towards solving our personal and international problems

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.

If you want to be wisely selfish, care for others

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.

Even without a religion, we can become a good human being.

Nothing comes into being without a cause and when all the conditions are created, there is nothing that can prevent the consequence.

Nothing is permanent.

I call the light and high aspects of my being spirit and the dark and heavy aspects soul.

So our future is in our own hands. What greater free will do we need?

No one can afford to assume that someone else will solve their problems.

If your life becomes only a medium of production, then many of the good human values and characteristics will be lost.

I feel they should be discussed informally, truthfully, honestly, and in some cases, I think, without forgetting ... long-term vision. They should be practical.

It is very wrong for people to feel deeply sad when they lose some money, yet when they waste the precious moments of their lives they do not have the slightest feeling of repentance.

All religions try to benefit people, with the same basic message of the need for love and compassion, for justice and honesty, for contentment.

Compassion seems to be the greatest power.

To seek solitude like a wild animal. That is my only ambition.

It is... very helpful to think of adversity not so much as a threat to our peace of mind but rather as the very means by which patience is attained.

I try to treat whoever I meet as an old friend [with dignity, with honor].

We had a rule in Tibet that anyone proposing a new invention had to guarentee that it was beneficial, or at least harmless, for seven generations of humans before it could be adopted.

I am like a wounded animal in a remote isolated place - How wonderful! - How happy!

Wealth is not necessarily a bad thing when it has been earned in an honest manner and neither other individuals nor the environment suffered for it.

I feel that we should not only maintain gentle, peaceful relations with our fellow human beings bur also that is very important to extend the same kind of attitude toward the natural environment.

In my childhood, I had a religious assistant who always told me, if you can really laugh with full abandonment, it's very good for your health.

We must live harmoniously with our neighbors.

Who has magnificent self-confidence And fears nothing that exists? The man who has attained to truth And lives free of error.

During the day extend that attitude to everyone you meet. Practice cherishing the "simplest" person (clerks, attendants, etc) or people you dislike.

Compassion and love is the source of external and internal peace and is also the root of racial survival.

Anger, hatred, fear, is very bad for our health

Refraining from harm, not out of fear, but out of concern for others, their well-being and out of respect is non-violence.

Awareness of death is the very bedrock of the entire path. Until you have developed this awareness, all other practices are obstructed.

I truly believe that compassion provides the basis of human survival.

The meaning of life is happiness.

Of course, when I say that human nature is gentleness, it is not 100 percent so. Every human being has that nature, but there are many people acting against their nature, being false.

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.

Responsibility - moral responsibilities, responsibilities regarding society - these are things that come from the heart.