Tenzin Gyatso Quotes

It is not enough to be compassionate. You must act.

An eye for an eye....we are all blind

Compassion can be roughly defined in terms of a state of mind that is nonviolent, nonharming, and nonaggressive. It is a mental attitude based on the wish for others to be free of their suffering and is associated with a sense of commitment, responsibility, and respect towards others.

A disciplined mind leads to happiness, and an undisciplined mind leads to suffering.

If at the beginning and end of our lives we depend upon the kindness of others, why in the middle of our lives should we not act kindly toward them? It is the pragmatic choice.

I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest. I do not judge the universe.

The purpose of our lives is to be happy

The goal is not to be better than the other man, but your previous self.

The enemy is the necessary condition for practicing patience.

Happiness doesn't always come from a pursuit. Sometimes it comes when we least expect it.

The very purpose of our life is to seek happiness.

Give the ones you love wings to fly, roots to come back and reasons to stay.

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. No matter how new the face or how different the dress and behavior, there is no significant division between us and other people. It is foolish to dwell on external differences, because our basic natures are the same.

Is this what you have in mind,' I asked the Dalai Lama, 'when you say in teachings that the buddhas and bodhisattvas of the world are the most selfish beings of all, that by cultivating altruism they actually achieve ultimate happiness for themselves?'

Yes. That's wise selfish,' he replied. 'Helping others not means we do this at our own expense. Not like this. Buddhas and bodhisattvas, these people very wise. All their lives they only want one thing: to achieve ultimate happiness. How to do this? By cultivating compassion, by cultivating altruism.

If you shift your focus from yourself to others, extend your concern to others, and cultivate the thought of caring for the well being of others, then this will have the immediate effect of opening up your life and helping you to reach out.