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Dalai Lama

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Famous Dalai Lama Quotes

“On love, not harming others, and respecting all beings. Even animals have these elements in their behavioral patterns. We should start by observing how animals act. They are honest and appreciate it when we are honest with them. If you present something nice to an animal in one hand while hiding a rope in the other, the creature will know your intention. Yet animals have no religion, no constitution. Basic nature has endowed them with the faculty of discernment. It is the same for humans.”

IfsKnowsShouldHumansHandsTruthAnimalNiceHonestCreaturesElementsAppreciateConstitutionIntentionPatternsFacultyHidingRopeObservingDiscernmentHarming Others
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“All living beings have experience of pleasure and pain, and we are among them. What makes human beings different is that we have a powerful intelligence and a much greater ability to achieve happiness and avoid suffering. Real happiness and friendship come not from money or even knowledge, but from warm-heartednes s. Once we recognize this we will be more inclined to cultivate it.”

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“Many problems that confront us today are created by man, whether they are violent conflicts, destruction of the environment, poverty or hunger. These problems can be resolved thanks to human efforts by understanding that we are brother and sister and by developing this sense of closeness. We must cultivate a universal responsibility toward each other and extend it to the planet that we have to share.”

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“It is my fundamental conviction that compassion - the natural capacity of the human heart to feel concern for and connection with another human being - constitutes a basic aspect of our nature shared by all human beings, as well as being the foundation of our happiness. All ethical teachings, whether religious or nonreligious, aim to nurture this innate and precious quality, to develop it and to perfect it.”

FeelsHumansWellsHeartNaturalReligiousHuman BeingsPerfectQualityCompassionTeachingWords Of WisdomCapacityConcernAspectConnectionsAimFoundationFundamentalsConvictionHappyEthicalNurtureBeing HappyHuman HeartInnateCaring For OthersTibetan
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“We are all, by nature, clearly oriented toward the basic human values of love and compassion. We all prefer the love of others to their hatred. We all prefer others’ generosity to meanness. And who is there among us who does not prefer tolerance, respect and forgiveness of our failings to bigotry, disrespect, and resentment?”

HumansDoeValuesCompassionFailingWords Of WisdomRespectHatredToleranceGenerosityBigotryResentmentDisrespectWise Man Once SaidMeannessTibetanLove And CompassionHuman ValuesValue Of Love
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“I consider myself to be just one among 7 billion human beings. If I were to think of myself as different from others, or as something special, it would create a barrier between us. What makes us the same is that we all want to lead happy lives and gather friends around us. And friendship is based on trust, honesty and openness.”

IfsThinkingWantHumansDifferentHuman BeingsSpecialHonestyTrustWords Of WisdomHappyBillionsJust OneBarriersOpennessHappy LifeTrue HappinessWise Man Once SaidBeing DifferentSomething SpecialTibetanSamenessTrust Honesty
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“Whether we like it or not, we have all been born into this world as part of one great human family. Rich or poor, educated or uneducated, belonging to one nation or another, to one religion or another, adhering to this ideology or that, ultimately each of is just a human being like everyone else. We all desire happiness and do not want suffering.”

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“Some people automatically associate morality and altruism with a religious vision of the world. But I believe it is a mistake to think that morality is an attribute only of religion. We can imagine two types of spirituality: one tied to religion, while the other arises spontaneously in the human heart as an expression of love for our neighbors and a desire to do them good.”

PeopleThinkingWorldBelieveHumansHeartTwoDesireSpiritualityI BelieveReligiousMistakeVisionImagineExpressionTypeMoralityNeighborGoodAriseAttributesTiedAltruismAssociatesHuman HeartNeighbourTibetanExpressions Of LoveLove Your Neighbor As Yourself
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“If you have peace of mind, when you meet with problems and difficulties they won’t disturb your inner peace. You’ll be able to employ your human intelligence more effectively. But, if your mental state is disturbed, full of emotion, it is very difficult to cope with problems, because the mind that is full of emotion is biased, unable to see reality. So whatever you do will be unrealistic and naturally fail.”

IfsMindHumansStatesProblemRealityAbleDifficultEmotionFailingDifficultyIntelligenceInner PeacePeace Of MindDisturbedDisturbanceBiasedHuman Intelligence
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“More fundamental than religion is our basic human spirituality. We have a basic human disposition towards love, kindness and affection, irrespective of whether we have a religious framework or not. When we nurture this most basic human resource - when we set about cultivating those basic inner values which we all appreciate in others, then we start to live spiritually.”

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“I am convinced that human nature is basically affectionate and good. If our behavior follows our kind and loving nature, immense benefits will result, not only for ourselves, but also for the society to which we belong. I generally refer to this sort of love and affection as a universal religion. Everyone needs it, believers as much as non-believers. This attitude constitutes the very basis of morality.”

IfsNeedsHumansKindResultsAttitudeHuman NatureWords Of WisdomMoralityBehaviorBenefitsUniversalBasesAffectionConvincedGoodBelieverBelongingImmenseWise Man Once SaidTibetanAffectionateNon BelieverLove And AffectionLoving Nature
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“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.”

IfsWorldNeedsHumansDesireHuman BeingsTechnologyRiskMaterialsDevelopmentHatredSpeciesGreedSimplicityWelfareOutcomesRelyDestructiveContentmentPotentialMotivatedBeing HumanBeneficialEmployingMaterialityPositive Outcome
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“We can make this a more peaceful century if we cherish non-violence and concern for others’ well-being. It is possible. If the individual is happier, his or her family is happier; if families are happy, neighborhoods and nations will be happy. By transforming ourselves we can change our human way of life and make this a century of compassion.”

IfsWayHumansWellsIndividualNationsCompassionViolenceCenturyWords Of WisdomConcernHappyPeacefulWell BeingNeighborhoodCherishBeing HappyChanging Your LifeTransformingTrue HappinessWise Man Once SaidNon ViolenceCaring For OthersTibetanSelf TransformationBeing A Better PersonConcern For OthersBetter Me
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“When we are angry we are blind to reality. Anger may bring us a temporary burst of energy, but that energy is blind and it blocks the part of our brain that distinguishes right from wrong. To deal with our problems, we need to be practical and realistic. If we are to be realistic, we need to use our human intelligence properly, which means we need a calm mind.”

IfsNeedsMindHumansMayMeanUseProblemRealityEnergyDealsBrainBlindAngryCalmIntelligencePracticalsBlockTemporaryWrongRealisticAnger ManagementPracticalityHuman IntelligenceStay CalmEmotional EnergyCalm Mind
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“Friends, genuine friends, are attracted by a warm heart, not money, not power. A genuine friend considers you as just another human being, as a brother or sister, and shows affection on that level, regardless of whether you are rich or poor, or in a high position; that is a genuine friend.”

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“The practice of altruism is the authentic way to live as a human being, and it is not just for religious people. As human beings, our purpose is to live meaningful lives, to develop a warm heart. There is meaning in being everyone's friend. The real source of peace amongst our families, friends and neighbours is love and compassion.”

PeopleWayHumansHeartRealPurposeReligiousHuman BeingsCompassionPracticeSourceWarmMeaningfulOur FamilyAltruismFamily And FriendsNeighbourMeaningful LifeWay To LivePeople In Your LifeLove And CompassionFamily FriendsWarm Heart
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“Scientists may study mainly matter but they cannot ignore the human mind, or consciousness: spiritual practitioners may be engaging mainly in developing the mind but they cannot completely ignore their physical needs. It is for this reason that I have always stressed the importance of combining both mental and the material approach to achieving happiness for humankind.”

NeedsMindHumansMayMatterReasonSpiritualConsciousnessStudyAchieveMaterialsApproachScientistImportanceDevelopingHuman MindHumankindEngagingStressedCombiningAchieving Happiness
Book:MindScience: An East-West Dialogue
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“The future will be in the hands of those of you who belong to the 21st century. You have the opportunity and responsibility to build a better humanity. This means developing warm-heartednes s in this very life, here and now. So, do whatever work you do, but ask yourselves now and then, 'How can I contribute to human beings being happier and more peaceful?'”

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“Genuine human friendship is on the basis of human affection, irrespective of your position. Therefore, the more you show concern about the welfare and rights of others, the more you are a genuine friend. The more you remain open and sincere, then ultimately more benefits will come to you. If you forget or do not bother about others, then eventually you will lose your own benefit.”

IfsHumansShowsFriendshipLosesForgetRightsPositionBenefitsConcernBasesAffectionGenuineBotherWelfareSincereGenuine Friends
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“Chairman Mao once said that political power comes from the barrel of a gun. He was only partly right: power that comes from the barrel of a gun can be effective only for a short time. In the end, peoples love for truth, justice, freedom, and democracy will triumph. No matter what governments do, the human spirit will always prevail.”

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“In olden times when there was a war, it was a human-to-human confrontation. The victor in battle would directly see the blood and suffering of the defeated enemy. Nowadays, it is much more terrifying because a person in an office can push a button and kill millions of people and never see the human tragedy that he or she has created. The mechanization of war, the mechanization of human conflict, poses an increasing threat to peace.”

PeopleHumansPersonsWarSufferingEnemyMillionsBloodBattleConflictOfficeTragedyThreatButtonsDefeatedConfrontationMechanizationOlden Times
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