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Dalai Lama

Dalai Lama Quotes

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Famous Dalai Lama Quotes

“Peace, in the sense of the absence of war, is of little value to someone who is dying of hunger or cold. It will not remove the pain of torture inflicted on a prisoner of conscience. It does not comfort those who have lost their loved ones in floods caused by senseless deforestation in a neighboring country. Peace can only last where human rights are respected, where the people are fed, and where individuals and nations are free.”

PeopleInspirationalHumansLittlesDoeWarCountryPainLastsValuesPassionIndividualLostNationsPeaceFreedomRightsDyingColdComfortConscienceHungerHuman RightsAbsenceBuddhistTortureRemoveFedsPrisonerLoved OnesFloodUbuntuBeing At PeaceMake Peace Not WarDeforestationPeace Not WarSomeone Who Is Dying
Author:Dalai Lama
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“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.”

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Book:The Compassionate Life
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“A good motivation is what is needed: compassion without dogmatism, without complicated philosophy; just understanding that others are human brothers and sisters and respecting their human rights and dignities. That we humans can help each other is one of our unique human capacities.”

InspirationalHumansPhilosophyHelpingMotivationUnderstandingCompassionRightsBrotherNeededUniqueCapacityDignityHuman RightsComplicatedHelping OthersBrothers And SistersHelping Each OtherDogmatismHuman Capacity
Book:Kindness, Clarity, and Insight
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“Whether one is rich or poor, educated or illiterate, religious or nonbelieving, man or woman, black, white, or brown, we are all the same. Physically, emotionally, and mentally, we are all equal. We all share basic needs for food, shelter, safety, and love. We all aspire to happiness and we all shun suffering. Each of us has hopes, worries, fears, and dreams. Each of us wants the best for our family and loved ones. We all experience pain when we suffer loss and joy when we achieve what we seek. On this fundamental level, religion, ethnicity, culture, and language make no difference.”

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Author:Dalai Lama
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“Self satisfaction alone cannot determine if a desire or action is positive or negative. The demarcation between a positive and a negative desire or action is not whether it gives you a immediate feeling of satisfaction, but whether it ultimately results in positive or negative consequences.”

IfsInspirationalGivingSelfFeelingsActionDesireResultsConsequenceNegativeDetermineSatisfactionSelf-satisfactionNegative Consequences
Book:The Art of Happiness, 10th Anniversary Edition: A Handbook for Living
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“I believe all suffering is caused by ignorance. People inflict pain on others in the selfish pursuit of their happiness or satisfaction. Yet true happiness comes from a sense of inner peace and contentment, which in turn must be achieved through the cultivation of altruism, of love and compassion and elimination of ignorance, selfishness and greed.”

PeopleInspirationalBelievePainSufferingTurnsI BelievePeaceCompassionIgnoranceGreedSatisfactionSelfishInner PeacePursuitSelfishnessContentmentAltruismTrue HappinessCultivationEliminationLove And CompassionCompassion For OthersSelfishness And Greed
Author:Dalai Lama
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“We should reflect on the idea that since the beginning of time sentient beings have been mentally unstable because they have been slaves of delusion, they lack the eye of wisdom to see the path leading to nirvana and enlightenment, and they lack the necessary guidance of a spiritual teacher. Moment by moment they are indulging in negative actions, which will eventually bring about their downfall.”

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Author:Dalai Lama
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“Given the scale of life in the cosmos, one human life is no more than a tiny blip. Each one of us is a just visitor to this planet, a guest, who will only stay for a limited time. What greater folly could there be than to spend this short time alone, unhappy or in conflict with our companions? Far better, surely, to use our short time here in living a meaningful life, enriched by our sense of connection with others and being of service to them.”

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Author:Dalai Lama
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“We begin from the recognition that all beings cherish happiness and do not want suffering. It then becomes both morally wrong and pragmatically unwise to pursue only one's own happiness oblivious to the feelings and aspirations of all others who surround us as members of the same human family. The wiser course is to think of others when pursuing our own happiness.”

ThinkingWantInspirationalHumansFeelingsHappinessSufferingCoursesMembersPursueRecognitionAspirationCherishSurroundWiserObliviousAlways HappyUnwiseJust Be HappyJoy HappinessWant To Be HappyHuman HappinessSelf HappinessHuman FamilyKey To HappinessAlways Be HappyYou Make Me HappyOthers HappinessFound HappinessMy Own HappinessI Just Want To Be HappyPursuing Happiness
Author:Dalai Lama
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“Each of us in our own way can try to spread compassion into people's hearts. Western civilizations these days place great importance on filling the human brain with knowledge, but no one seems to care about filling the human heart with compassion. This is what the real role of religion is.”

PeopleWayInspirationalTryingHumansHeartRealSeemsCareBrainCompassionRolesIgnoranceCivilizationImportanceWesternSpreadThese DaysHuman HeartFillingHuman BrainWestern Civilization
Author:Dalai Lama
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