Because the twentieth century was a century of violence, let us make the twenty-first a century of dialogue. Dalai Lama More Quotes by Dalai Lama More Quotes From Dalai Lama Many people today agree that we need to reduce violence in our society. If we are truly serious about this, we must deal with the roots of violence, particularly those that exist within each of us. We need to embrace 'inner disarmament,' reducing our own emotions of suspicion, hatred and hostility toward our brothers and sisters Dalai Lama brotherrootspeople According to accounts of the Buddha's life, it would seem that he had a very deep relationship with nature. He was not born in the royal palace but in a park, under a sala tree. He attained complete enlightenment under the bodhi tree and left this earth to enter Parinirvana, again, between three sala trees. It would seem that the Buddha was very fond of trees. Dalai Lama royal-palacesenlightenmenttree Every single being, even those who are hostile to us, is just as afraid of suffering as we are, and seeks happiness in the same way we do. Every person has the same right as we do to be happy and not to suffer. So let's take care of others wholeheartedly, of both our friends and our enemies. This is the basis for true compassion. Dalai Lama compassionhelping-othersinspirational The more you think about your own self, the more self-centred you are, the more trouble even small problems can create in your mind. The stronger your sense of 'I', the narrower the scope of your thinking becomes; then even small obstacles become unbearable. On the other hand, if you concern yourself mainly with others, the broader your thinking becomes, and life's inevitable difficulties disturb you less. Dalai Lama small-problemsselfthinking One can be deceived by three types of laziness: of indolence, which is the wish to procrastinate; the laziness of inferiority, which is doubting your capabilities; and the laziness that is attachment to negative actions, or putting great effort into non-virtue. Dalai Lama attachmentself-esteeminspirational Once you have a genuine sense of concern for others, there’s no room for cheating, bullying or exploitation. Dalai Lama concern-for-othersbullyingcheating Too much self-centered attitude, you see, brings, you see, isolation. Result: loneliness, fear, anger. The extreme self-centered attitude is the source of suffering. Dalai Lama lonelinessselfattitude What we do and think in our own lives, then, becomes of extreme importance as it effects everything we're connected to. Dalai Lama importanceinspirationalthinking If we human beings rely only on material development, we can’t be sure of a positive outcome. Employing technology motivated by anger and hatred is likely to be destructive. It will only be beneficial if we seek the welfare of all beings. Human beings are the only species with the potential to destroy the world. Because of the risks of unrestrained desire and greed we need to cultivate contentment and simplicity. Dalai Lama greedtechnologyhatred I feel many problems that we are facing, are man-made problems, we have too much emphasis on this secondary thing, forgetting our foundation. At foundation, we are the same human being and we are sharing the same planet. Six billion human beings' future is my future and my future is never separate from the future of six billion human beings. Dalai Lama sixtoo-muchmen There needs to be understanding that anger never helps to solve a problem. It destroys our peace of mind and blinds our ability to think clearly. Anger and attachment are emotions that distort our view of reality. Dalai Lama wisdomwisepeace If we want to save the world, we must have a plan. But no plan will work unless we meditate. Dalai Lama meditationwantworld Learning to forgive is much more useful than merely picking up a stone and throwing it at the object of one's anger, the more so when the provocation is extreme. For it is under the greatest adversity that there exists the greatest potential for doing good, both for oneself and others. Dalai Lama forgivenessforgivingadversity Everyday, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it. Dalai Lama gratitudeinspirationthinking When the days become longer and there is more sunshine, the grass becomes fresh and, consequently, we feel very happy. On the other hand, in autumn, one leaf falls down and another leaf falls down. The beautiful plants become as if dead and we do not feel very happy. Why? I think it is because deep down our human nature likes construction, and does not like destruction. Naturally, every action which is destructive is against human nature. Constructiveness is the human way. Therefore, I think that in terms of basic human feeling, violence is not good. Non-violence is the only way. Dalai Lama buddhistbeautifulfall To remain indifferent to the challenges we face is indefensible. If the goal is noble, whether or not it is realized within our lifetime is largely irrelevant. What we must do therefore is to strive and persevere and never give up. Dalai Lama giving-upgoalchallenges Go at least once a year to a place you've never been before. Dalai Lama inspiring-travelyearstravel We human beings are social beings. We come into the world as the result of others’ actions. We survive here in dependence on others. Whether we like it or not, there is hardly a moment of our lives when we do not benefit from others’ activities. For this reason, it is hardly surprising that most of our happiness arises in the context of our relationships with others. Dalai Lama benefitshappinessworld It is the state of mind of the person wielding the instrument that determines to what end it will be put. Dalai Lama statesendsmind 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. Dalai Lama essentialsrootsthinking
