The Dalai Lama: On Life



	Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

	When you lose, don't lose the lesson.

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

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

	Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.

	Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

	When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

	Spend some time alone every day.

	Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.

	Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

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

	A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.

	In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.

	Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.

	Be gentle with the earth.

	Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.

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

	Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

	Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

	Brute force, no matter how strongly applied, can never subdue the basic human desire for freedom and dignity. It is not enough to provide people with food, shelter and clothing. Human nature needs to breathe the precious air of liberty.

	In this world, in order to enable society to develop, all its members have to assume responsibilities and make their contribution. If we do not make collective contributions then there will be no development.

	We should quickly seize enlightenment while we still have the chance. In much less than a century all of us will be dead. We cannot be sure that we will be alive even tomorrow. There is no time to procrastinate. I who am giving this teaching have no guarantee that I will live out this day.

	Compassion and forgiveness are the real, ultimate sources of power for peace and success in life.

	Anger is the real destroyer of our good human qualities; an enemy with a weapon cannot destroy these qualities, but anger can. Anger is our real enemy.

	If we live our lives continually motivated by anger and hatred, even our physical health deteriorates.

	Because we all share this planet earth, we have to learn to live in harmony and peace with each other and with nature. That is not just a dream, but a necessity. We are dependent on each other in so many ways that we can no longer live in isolated communities and ignore what is happening outside those communities.

	Our happiness is inextricably bound up with the happiness of others.

	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.

	Much of the unhappiness we humans endure is actually of our own making.

	Hatred can be the greatest stumbling block to the development of compassion and happiness. If you can learn to develop patience and tolerance towards your enemies, then everything becomes much easier your compassion towards all others begins to flow naturally.

	I believe human beings are not violent by nature. Unlike lions and tigers, we are not naturally equipped to kill with sharp teeth and claws.

	We believe that unfortunate things happen because of previous wrong doings in a former lifetime. A belief in karma, therefore helps people accept what happens.

	General standards of human rights apply to the people of all countries because, regardless of their cultural background, all humans share an inherent yearning for freedom, equality and dignity. Democracy and respect for fundamental human rights are as important to Africans and Asians as they are to Europeans and Americans.

	We cannot be useful to ourselves unless we are also useful to others. Whether we like it or not, we are all connected, and it is unthinkable to be happy all by oneself, Anyone who is only concerned with his own well-being will suffer eventually. Anyone who is only 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.

	Within the framework of the Buddhist Path, reflecting on suffering has tremendous importance because by realizing the nature of suffering, you will develop greater resolve to put an end to the causes of suffering and the unwholesome deeds which lead to suffering. And it will increase your enthusiasm for engaging in the wholesome actions and deeds which lead to happiness and joy.

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

	Happiness cannot come from hatred or anger. Nobody can say, "Today I am happy because this morning I was very angry." On the contrary, people feel uneasy and sad and say, "Today I am not happy because I lost my temper this morning." Through kindness, whether at our own level or at the national and international level, through mutual understanding and through mutual respect, we will get peace, we will get happiness, and we will get genuine satisfaction.

	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.

	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.

	The realization that another person wishes to harm and hurt you cannot undermine genuine compassion based on the clear recognition of that person as someone who has the natural and instinctual desire to seek happiness and overcome suffering, just like oneself.

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

	Generally speaking, even if money brings us happiness, it tends to be the kind which money can buy: material things and sensory experiences. And these, we discover, become a source of suffering themselves. As far as actual possessions are concerned, we must admit that they often cause us more, not less, difficulty in life. The car breaks down, we lose our money, our most precious belongings are stolen, our house is damaged by fire. Or we worry about these things happening.

	The basic sources of happiness are a good heart, compassion, and love. If we have these mental attitudes, even if we are surrounded by hostility, we feel little disturbance. On the other hand, if we lack compassion and our mental state is filled with anger or hatred we will not have peace.

	Freedom is the real source of human happiness and creativity. Irrespective of whether you are a believer or non-believer, whether Buddhist, Christian, or Jew, the important thing is to be a good human being.

	For a better, happier, more stable and civilized future, each of us must develop a sincere, warm-hearted feeling of brotherhood and sisterhood.

	Feelings of anger, bitterness, and hate are negative. If I kept those inside me they would spoil my body and my health. They are of no use.

	If the mind is dominated by hatred, the best part of the brain, which is used to judge right and wrong, does not function properly.

	The seed for nirvana exists in all of us. The time has come to think more wisely, hasn't it?

	When a problem first arises, try to remain humble and maintain a sincere attitude, and be concerned that the outcome is fair.

	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 differences.

	Through meditative techniques, one can free the mind of delusions and attain what we call enlightenment.

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

	My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.

	We must live harmoniously with our neighbours.

	The main cause of suffering is egotistic desire for one's own comfort and happiness.

	Because we all share an identical need for love, it is possible to feel that anybody we meet, in whatever circumstances, is a brother or sister.

	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.

	World peace through hatred and force is impossible.

	Everybody loves to talk about calmness and peace, whether in a family, national, or international context, but without inner peace how can we make real peace?

	Ignorance is the source of hatred, and the way to get rid of ignorance is realization.

	All religions are essentially the same in their goal of developing a good human heart so that we may become better human beings.

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

	For a person who cherishes compassion and love, the practice of tolerance is essential, and for that, and enemy is indispensable. So we should be grateful to our enemies, for it is they who can best help us to develop a tranquil mind.

	Indulgence in resentment and vengeance will only further increase miseries to oneself and others in this life and in lives to come.

	Humans are not machines-we are something more. We have feeling and experience. Material comforts are not sufficient to satisfy us. We need something deeper-human affection.

	No material object, however beautiful or valuable, can make us feel loved, because our deeper identity and true character lie in the subjective nature of the mind.

	I am often moved by the example of small insects, such as bees, The laws of nature dictate that bees work together in order to survive. As a result they possess an instinctive sense of social responsibility. They have no constitution, laws, police, religion, or moral training, but because of nature they labour faithfully together. Occasionally they may fight, but in general the whole colony survives on the basis of cooperation. Human beings, on the other hand, have constitutions, vast legal systems, and police forces. We have religion, remarkable intelligence, and a heart with a great capacity to love. But despite our many extraordinary qualities, in actual practice we lag behind these small insects. In some ways I feel we are poorer than the bees.

	Without proper mental peace it is difficult to achieve proper world peace, therefore there is a connection. Many of the problems that we have today are because of our hatred. As human beings we have good qualities as well as bad ones. Now anger, attachment, jealousy, and hatred are on the bad side. They are the real enemy. From a certain point of view, our real enemy, the true troublemaker, is inside. I try to see each tragedy in the context of other, bigger tragedies in history. That gives me a larger focus and makes it easier to bear. So that is my secret, my trick. I believe I am a happy person.

	We need a little more compassion, and if we cannot have it then no politician or even a magician can save the planet.

	Without feelings we cannot make a demarcation between justice or injustice, truth or untruth, good or bad.

	Although I do not personally have any experience, from talking to people who have taken drugs I have the impression that by taking drugs you lose you discriminative power. This would not be helpful for higher meditation. The mental development should be carried out by internal means, not through external means.

	At daybreak if the weather is fine, I go into the garden. This time of day is very special to me. The sky is clear, I see the stars, and I have this special feeling of my insignificance in the cosmos, the realization of what we Buddhists call impermanence.

	In order to achieve genuine, lasting world peace based on compassion, we need a sense of universal responsibility. First, we have to try inner disarmament; reducing our own anger and hatred while increasing mutual trust and human affection.

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

	If you have a sincere and open heart, you naturally feel self-worth and confidence, and there is no need to be fearful of others. If you have this basic quality of kindness or good heart, then all other things, such as education and ability will go in the right direction.

	There's no shop that sells kindness, you must build it within. You can transplant hearts, but you cannot transplant a warm heart.

	Infinite altruism is the basis of peace and happiness. If you want altruism, you must control hate and you must practice patience. The main teachers of patience are our enemies.

	Because violence can only breed more violence and suffering, our struggle must be non-violent and free of hatred.

	If you help and serve others, you will ultimately gain.

	When we die nothing can be taken with us but the seeds of our life's work and our spiritual knowledge.

	Compassion and tolerance are not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength.

	All human beings come from a mother's womb. We are all the same part of one human family. We should have a clear realization of the oneness of all humanity.

	The rationale for loving others is the recognition of the simple fact that every living being has the same right to and the same desire for happiness, and not suffering.

	The basic sources of happiness are a good heart, compassion, and love. If we have these mental attitudes, even if we are surrounded by hostility, we feel little disturbance. On the other hand, if we lack compassion and our mental state is filled with anger or hatred, we will not have peace.

	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.

	A mind that is characterized by unrest will not be tranquil even in the presence of great calm.

	I want to say without hesitation that the purpose of our life is happiness.

	Anger and agitation make us more susceptible to illness.

	My religion is kindness. A good mind, a good heart, warm feelings, these are the most important things.

	True enlightenment is nothing but the nature of one's own self being fully realized.

	If you are showing love to your fellow human beings, you are showing love to your God.

	Anger is the ultimate troublemaker. I feel you can express a strong disapproval or dislike of an object without losing your temper.

	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.

	I think when tragic things happen it is on surface. It is like the ocean. On the surface is a wave and sometimes the wave is very serious and strong. But it comes and goes, comes and goes, and underneath, the ocean always remains calm. Tibetans have a saying: "If bad news comes to you listen here" (points to the right ear) "and let it our here" (points to the left ear).

	There are two types of competitive behaviour. One is a sense of competition because you want to be at the top. You create obstacles and harm someone. That competition is negative. But there is a positive kind of competition which benefits the individual, the competitors, and the economy. Let your competitors also grow, without any sense of harming them.

	Sometimes religion becomes yet another source for more division and even open conflict. Because of that situation, I feel the different religious traditions have a great responsibility to provide peace of mind and a sense of brotherhood and sisterhood among humanity.

	At the end of the last century, science and spirituality seemed incompatible. Now, they have moved closer together.

	It is my fundamental belief that all human beings share the same basic aspirations: that we all want happiness and that we all share suffering. Asians, just like Americans, Europeans, and the rest of the world, share a desire to live life to its fullest, to better ourselves and the lives of our loved ones.

	If you shift your focus from oneself to others, and think more about others' well being and welfare, it has an immediate liberating effect.

	From the very core of our being we desire contentment.

	For harmony each individual's identity must be fully respected.

	Inner darkness, which we call ignorance, is the root of suffering. The more inner light that comes, the more darkness will diminish. This is the only way to achieve salvation or nirvana.

	If the mind is tranquil and occupied with positive thoughts, the body will not easily fall prey to disease.

	It is our enemies who provide us with the challenge we need to develop the qualities of tolerance, patience, and compassion.

	Cultivating a close, warm-hearted feeling for others automatically puts the mind at ease. From the least to the most important event, the affection and respect of others are vital for our happiness.

	The very purpose of our life is happiness, the very motion of our lives is toward happiness.

	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.

	I believe there is an important distinction to be made between religion and spirituality. Religion I take to be concerned with belief in the claims to salvation of one faith tradition or another--an aspect of which is acceptance of some form of meta-physical or philosophical reality, including perhaps an idea of heaven or hell. Connected with this are religious teachings or dogma, ritual, prayers and so on. Spirituality I take to be concerned with those qualities of the human spirit--such as love and compassion, patience, tolerance, forgiveness, contentment, a sense of responsibility, a sense of harmony, which bring happiness to both self and others.

	Spirituality, I take to be concerned with those qualities of the human spirit-such as love and compassion, patience, a sense of responsibility, a sense of harmony, which bring happiness to both self and others.

	I believe in justice and truth, without which there would be no basis for human hope.

	Materialistic knowledge can only provide a type of happiness that is dependent upon physical conditions. It cannot provide happiness that springs from inner development.

	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.

	The brief elation we experience appeasing sensual impulses is very close to what the drug addict feels when indulging his or her habit. Temporary relief is soon followed by a craving for more. And in just the same way that taking drugs in the end only causes trouble, so too does much of what we undertake to fulfill our immediate sensory desires. We must acknowledge that there can be no hope of gratifying the senses permanently. At best, the happiness we derive from eating a good meal can only last until the next time we are hungry.

	According to Buddhist psychology, most of our troubles are due to our passionate desire for, attachment to things that we misapprehend as enduring entities. The pursuit of the objects of our desire and attachment involves the use of aggression and competitiveness… These mental processes easily translate into actions, breeding belligerence. Such processes have been going on in the human mind since time immemorial, but their execution has become more effective under modern conditions. What can we do to control and regulate these "poisons"-delusion, greed and aggression? For it is these poisons that are behind almost every trouble in the world.

	We have a saying in Tibet. "If you lose your temper and get angry, bite your knuckles." This means that if you lose your temper, do not show it to others. Rather, say to yourself, "Leave it."

	Without good motivation, science and technology, instead of helping, bring more fear and threaten global destruction. Compassionate thought is very important for humankind.

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

	At a time when people are so conscious of maintaining their physical health by controlling their diets, exercising and so forth, it makes sense to try to cultivate the corresponding positive mental attitudes too.

	It is essential to know that to be a happy person, a happy family, a happy society, it is very crucial to have a good heart, that is very crucial. World peace must develop from inner peace. Peace is not just the absence of violence but the manifestation of human compassion.

	It is easier to meditate than to actually do something for others. I feel that merely to meditate on compassion is to take the passive option. Our meditation should form the basis for action, for seizing the opportunity to do something.

	If you can cultivate wholesome mental states prior to sleep and allow them to continue right into sleep without getting distracted, then sleep itself becomes wholesome.

	Such human qualities as morality, compassion, decency, wisdom and so forth have been the foundations of all civilizations. These qualities must be cultivated and sustained through systematic moral education in a conducive social environment, so that a more humane world may emerge.

	One of the major aims and purposes of religious practice for the individual is an inner transformation from an undisciplined, untamed, and unfocused state of mind towards one that is disciplined, tamed and balanced.

	As human beings we have good qualities as well as bad ones. Now, anger, attachment, jealousy, hatred, are the bad side; these are the real enemy…The true troublemaker is inside.

	As a Buddhist monk my concern extends to all members of the human family and, indeed, to all sentient beings who suffer. I believe all suffering is caused by ignorance. People inflict pain on others in the selfish pursuit of their own happiness or satisfaction.

	When you are aware of your pain and suffering, it helps you to develop your capacity for empathy, the capacity which allows you to relate to other people's feelings and sufferings. This enhances your capacity for compassion towards others.

	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.

	You can confront the prospect of your own death and try to analyze it and, in so doing, try to minimize some of the inevitable sufferings it causes. Neither way can you actually overcome it. However, as a Buddhist, I view death as a normal process of life… Knowing that I cannot escape it, I see no point in worrying about it.

	Be kind whenever possible... It is always possible.

	Even in the case of individuals, there is no possibility to feel happiness through anger. If in a difficult situation one becomes disturbed internally, overwhelmed by mental discomfort, then external things will not help at all. However, if despite external difficulties or problems, internally one's attitude is of love, warmth, and kindheartedness, then problems can be faced and accepted.

	Irrespective of different philosophies, the most important thing is to have a tamed and disciplined mind and a warm heart.

	I am a steadfast follower of the doctrine of non-violence which was first preached by Lord Buddha, whose divine wisdom is absolute and infallible and was practiced in our own time by the Indian saint and leader, Mahatma Gandhi.

	It is not sufficient for religious people to be involved with prayer. Rather, they are morally obliged to contribute all they can to solving the world's problems.

	By developing greater tolerance and patience, it will be easier for you to develop your capacity for compassion, and through that, altruism.

	Never give up No matter what is going on Never give up Develop the heart Too much energy in your country is spent Developing the mind instead of the heart. Be compassionate not just to your friends but to everyone Be compassionate. Work for peace in your heart and in the world. Work for peace and I say again Never give up. No matter what is happening, No matter what is going on around you, Never give up.

	Motivation is very important, and thus my simple religion is love, respect for others, honesty: teachings that cover not only religion but also the fields of politics, economics, business, science, law, medicine-everywhere. With proper motivation these can help humanity…

	Giving is an Important Part of Living.

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

	Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

	Inner peace is the key: If you have inner peace, the external problems do not affect your deep sense of peace and tranquility.

	Suffering is the first step to liberation.

	When we face problems with compassion, sincerity, and good motivation, our solutions may take longer, but ultimately they are better.

	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.

	We can never obtain peace in the world if we neglect the innerworld and don't make peace with ourselves. World peace must develop out of inner peace.

	A good motivation is what is needed: compassion without dogmatism, without complicated philosophy; just understanding that others are human brothers and sisters and respecting their human rights and dignities. That we humans can help each other is one of our unique human capacities.

	The threshold between right and wrong is pain.

	I believe that to meet the challenges of our times, human beings will have to develop a greater sense of universal responsibility. Each of us must learn to work not just for oneself, one's own 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.

	What can you do TODAY...this very moment?

	Every human action, whether it has become positive or negative, must depend on motivation.

	A central teaching in most spiritual traditions is: What you wish to experience, provide for another. Look to see now, what it is you wish to experience in your own life, and in the world. Then see if there is another for whom you may be the source of that. 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. Those others are waiting for you now. They are looking to you for guidance, for help, for courage, for strength, for understanding, and for assurance at this hour. Most of all, they are looking to you for love.

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

	If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

	Compassion is what makes our lives meaningful. It is the source of all lasting happiness and joy. And it is the foundation of a good heart, the heart of one who acts out of a desire to help others. Through kindness, through affection, through honesty, through truth and justice toward all others we ensure our own benefit. This is not a matter for complicated theorizing. It is a matter of common sense.

	It’s best not to get too excited or too depressed by the ups and downs of life.

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

	If anything I've said seems useful to you, I'm glad. If not, don't worry. Just forget all about it.