Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama Quotes

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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.

Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama
Many of the earth's habitats, animals, plants, insects and even micro-organisms that we know to be rare may not be known at all by future generations. We have the capability and the responsibility to act; we must do so before it is too late.

Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama
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.

Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama
Our state of mind plays a major role in our day-to-day experiences as well as our physical and mental well-being. If a person has a calm and stable mind, this influences his or her attitude and behavior in relation to others. In other words, if someone remains in a peaceful and tranquil state of mind, external surroundings can cause them only a limited disturbance.

Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama
Our individual well-being is intimately connected both with that of all others and with the environment within which we live.... Our every action, our every deed, word, and thought, no matter how slight or inconsequential it may seem, has an implication not only for ourselves, but for all others, too.

Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama
Basically, therefore, we should approach others openly, recognizing each person as another human being just like ourselves. There is not much difference between us all.

Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama
Happiness that depends mainly on physical pleasure is unstable; one day it's there, the next day it may not be.

Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama
The mind is key. If anything should be considered a god, so to speak, it is the mind, not money. A healthy positive mind is the utmost priority. But if we were to reverse the order of these priorities, what would happen? I find it hard to imagine how a person with great wealth, bad health, no friends, and no peace of mind could feel even slightly happy.

Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama
If you practice in accord with your individual capacity, little by little you will find more pleasure and joy in it. As you gain inner strength, your positive actions will gain in profundity and scope.

Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama
Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.

Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama
For change to happen in any community, the initiative must come from the individual.

Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama
For discovering one's true inner nature, I think one should try to take out some time, with quiet and relaxation, to think more inwardly and to investigate the inner world. That may help.

Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama
Today we understand that the future of humanity very much depends on our planet, and that the future of the planet very much depends on humanity.

Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama
The essence of compassion is a desire to alleviate the suffering of others and to promote their well-being

Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama
A mind wishing to benefit other people and other sentient beings is the very basis of peace and happiness.

Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama
Taking care of our planet is like taking care of our houses. Since we human beings come from Nature, there is no point in our going against nature, which is why I say the environment is not a matter of religion or ethics or morality. These are luxuries, since we can survive without them. But we will not survive if we continue to go against nature.

Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama
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.

Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama
It is a wonderful thing if one can use one's place of work as a place of spiritual practice as well.

Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama
If you want to change the world, first try to improve and bring about change within yourself. That will help change your family. From there it just gets bigger and bigger. Everything we do has some effect, some impact.

Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama
Hard times build determination and inner strength. Through them we can also come to appreciate the uselessness of anger.

Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama
For a person who cherishes compassion and love, the practice of tolerance is essential, and for that, and enemy is indispinsable. So we should be grateful to our enemies, for it is they who can best help us to develop a tranquil mind.

Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama
So our future is in our own hands. What greater free will do we need?

Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama
Conservation is not merely a question of morality, but a question of our own survival.

Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama
Sometimes, whether a desire is excessive or negative depends on the circumstances or society in which you live in.

Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama
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.

Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama
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...

Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama
True compassion is universal in scope. It is accompanied by a feeling of responsibility.

Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama
When we are young and again when we are old, we depend heavily on the affection of others. Between these stages we usually feel that we can do everything without help from others and that other people's affection is simply not important. But at this stage I think it is very important to keep deep human affection.

Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama
While it is all very well to distinguish happiness that is transient from that which is lasting, between ephemeral and genuine happiness, the only happiness it is meaningful to speak of when a person is dying from thirst is access to water.

Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama
Spiritual practice... involves, on the one hand, acting out of concern for others' well-being. On the other, it entails transforming ourselves so that we become more readily disposed to do so.

Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama