Quotes by Dalai Lama XIV

Politics devoid of ethics does not further human welfare, and life without morality reduces humans to the level of beasts.

Open your arms to CHANGEbut don’t let go of your VALUES.

The problem is that our world and our education remain focused exclusively on external, materialistic values. We are not concerned enough with inner values. Those who grow up with this kind of education live in a materialistic life and eventually the whole society becomes materialistic. But this culture is not sufficient to tackle our human problems. The real problem is here, the Dalai Lama said, pointed to his head. The Archbishop tapped his chest with his fingers to emphasize the heart as well. And here, the Dalai Lama echoed. Mind and heart..

If you can cultivate the right attitude, your enemies are your best spiritual teachers because their presence provides you with the opportunity to enhance and develop tolerance, patience and understanding.

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.

When we feel love and kindness toward others, it not only makes others feel loved and cared for, but it helps us also to develop inner happiness and peace.

Generosity is the most natural outward expression of an inner attitude of compassion and loving-kindness.

Meanwhile, spring came, and with it the outpourings of Nature. The hills were soon splashed with wild flowers; the grass became an altogether new and richer shade of green; and the air became scented with fresh and surprising smells -- of jasmine, honeysuckle, and lavender.

World peace must develop from inner peace. Peace is not just mere absence of violence. Peace is, I think, the manifestation of human compassion.

Where ignorance is our master, there is no possibility of real peace.

Each one of us is responsible for reducing the negative potential of every situation we have to face.

From the Buddhist point of view, all living beings -- that is, beings with feelings, experiences, and sensations -- are considered equal. Human beings can live without eating meat. As human beings, I think that deep down our nature tends towards vegetarianism and leads us to do everything in our power to prevent harming other species.

Weapons never stay in their boxes. Once a weapon has been manufactured, sooner or later someone will use it. If it were possible to bring about true and lasting peace by force of arms, then we should turn all our factories into weapons factories. But that is impossible. Even though it is difficult to try to bring about peace through inner transformation, it is the only way of establishing sustainable peace in the world.

War is massacre. It is 100 per cent negative.

Violence can only breed more violence and suffering. Our struggle must remain non-violent and free of hatred.

The theory of emptiness…is the deep recognition that there is a fundamental disparity between the way we perceive the world, including our own existence in it, and the way things actually are.

To say I want to have sex with this person is to express a desire which is not intellectually directed in the way that I want to eradicate poverty in the world is an intellectually directed desire. Furthernore, the gratification of sexual desire can only ever give temporary satisfaction. Thus as Nagarjuna, the great Indian scholar said: When you have an itch, you scratch. But not to itch at all is better than any amount of scratching.

The more time you spend thinking about yourself, the more suffering you will experience.

All the joy the world contains has come through wishing happiness through others. All the misery the world contains has come through wanting pleasure for oneself. Is there need for lengthy explanation?

All the joy the world contains has come through wishing happiness for others. All the misery the world contains has come through wanting pleasure for oneself. Is there need for lengthy explanation?