Quotations by the Dalai Lama

Quotations | Speeches | Poetry

Tenzin Gyatso, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

Tenzin Gyatso (born July 6, 1935) is the 14th and current Dalai Lama. Dalai Lamas are the most influential figures in the Gelugpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, and is also well known for his lifelong advocacy for Tibetans inside and outside Tibet. (Source: Wikipedia)

Quotations

Tenzin Gyatso, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama
  1. All major religious traditions carry basically the same message, that is love, compassion and forgiveness the important thing is they should be part of our daily lives.
  2. Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.
  3. Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.
  4. I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest. I do not judge the universe.
  5. If you can, help others; if you cannot do that, at least do not harm them.
  6. If you have a particular faith or religion, that is good. But you can survive without it.
  7. If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.
  8. In the practice of tolerance, one's enemy is the best teacher.
  9. It is necessary to help others, not only in our prayers, but in our daily lives. If we find we cannot help others, the least we can do is to desist from harming them.
  10. It is very important to generate a good attitude, a good heart, as much as possible. From this, happiness in both the short term and the long term for both yourself and others will come.
  11. Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive.
  12. My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.
  13. Old friends pass away, new friends appear. It is just like the days. An old day passes, a new day arrives. The important thing is to make it meaningful: a meaningful friend - or a meaningful day.
  14. Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them.
  15. Sleep is the best meditation.
  16. Sometimes one creates a dynamic impression by saying something, and sometimes one creates as significant an impression by remaining silent.
  17. The purpose of our lives is to be happy.
  18. The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness.
  19. The ultimate authority must always rest with the individual's own reason and critical analysis.
  20. There is no need for temples, no need for complicated philosophies. My brain and my heart are my temples; my philosophy is kindness.
  21. This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.
  22. Today, more than ever before, life must be characterized by a sense of Universal responsibility, not only nation to nation and human to human, but also human to other forms of life.
  23. We can live without religion and meditation, but we cannot survive without human affection.
  24. We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.
  25. Where ignorance is our master, there is no possibility of real peace.
  26. Whether one believes in a religion or not, and whether one believes in rebirth or not, there isn't anyone who doesn't appreciate kindness and compassion.
  27. With realization of one's own potential and self-confidence in one's ability, one can build a better world.