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Famous Dalai Lama Quotes

“Hardship, in forcing us to exercise greater patience and forbearance in daily life, actually makes us stronger and more robust. From the daily experience of hardship comes a greater capacity to accept difficulties without losing our sense of inner calm. Of course, I do not advocate seeking out hardship as a way of life, but merely wish to suggest that, if you relate to it constructively, it can bring greater inner strength and fortitude.”

IfsWayCoursesWishAcceptingGreaterExerciseLosingCapacityDifficultyStrongerCalmSeekingRelateDaily LifeInner StrengthHardshipFortitudeRobustForbearanceDaily Experience
Author:Dalai Lama
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“When we think carefully, we see that the brief elation we experience when appeasing sensual impulses may not be very different from what the drug addict feels when indulging his or her habit. Temporary relief is soon followed by a craving for more. And in just the same way that taking drugs in the end only causes trouble, so, too, does much of what we undertake to fulfill our immediate sensory desires.”

ThinkingWayFeelsMayDoeDifferentEndsDesireCausesTroubleHabitDrugSensualImpulseReliefTemporaryAddictCravingSensoryDrug AddictForbearanceElationTemporary Relief
Book:Ancient Wisdom, Modern World: Ethics for the New Millennium
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“In the past, the respect people had for religion meant that ethical practice was maintained through a majority following one religion or another. But this is no longer the case. We must therefore find some other way of establishing basic ethical principles.”

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Book:Ancient Wisdom, Modern World: Ethics for the New Millennium
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“We need to find secular ways to cultivate warm-heartedness. We need secular ways to educate ourselves about inner values. The source of a happy life is within us. Trouble makers in many parts of the world are often quite well educated, so it is not just education that we need. We need to pay attention to inner values.”

WorldWayNeedsWellsLife IsValuesPayAttentionTroubleSourceWarmEducatedPay AttentionMakersEducateHappy LifeSecularWell EducatedTrouble Maker
Author:Dalai Lama
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“We are beset by problems and if we look for their source, we find they arise because of our selfishness, because we tend to pursue our own interests at the expense of others. Our various religious traditions exist to help us reduce these problems. They all teach ways to overcome suffering through cultivating love and compassion, tolerance, patience and contentment.”

IfsWayLooksHelpingProblemSufferingInterestReligiousCompassionTeachSourceTraditionOvercomingVariousToleranceArisePursueSelfishnessContentmentExpensesLove And CompassionCultivatingReligious Traditions
Author:Dalai Lama
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“Our most valuable teachers are our enemies.While our friends can help us in many ways, only our enemies can provide us with the challenge we need to develop tolerance, patience, and compassionthree virtues essential for building character, developing peace of mind, and bringing us true happiness.”

WayNeedsMindCharacterHelpingChallengesEnemyVirtueTeacherBuildingEssentialsValuableToleranceDevelopingPeace Of MindTrue HappinessBuilding Character
Author:Dalai Lama
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“‎In today's materialistic world there is a risk of people becoming slaves to money, as though they were simply cogs in a huge money-making machine. This does nothing for human dignity, freedom, and genuine well-being. Wealth should serve humanity, and not the other way around.”

PeopleWorldWayShouldHumansWellsDoeTodayHumanityWealthRiskHugeBecomingDignityMachinesSlaveGenuineWell BeingMaking MoneyMaterialismWise Man Once SaidMaterialisticHuman DignityCogsMaterialistic World
Author:Dalai Lama
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“Everyone wants a happy life without difficulties or suffering. We create many of the problems we face. No one intentionally creates problems, but we tend to be slaves to powerful emotions like anger, hatred and attachment that are based on misconceived projections about people and things. We need to find ways of reducing these emotions by eliminating the ignorance that underlies them and applying opposing forces.”

PeopleWayWantNeedsProblemFacesSufferingForcePowerfulEmotionIgnoranceHatredDifficultySlaveAttachmentPeace Of MindHappy LifeSpiritual WisdomBeing HappyProjectionReducingOpposingEliminatingBe A SlaveEmotional EnergyPowerful Emotions
Author:Dalai Lama
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“When I look at birds and animals, their survival is without rules, without conditions, without organization. But mothers take good care of their offspring. That's nature. In human beings also, parents - particularly mothers - and children have a special bond. Mother's milk is a sign of this affection. We are created that way. The child's survival is entirely dependent on someone else's affection. So, basically, each individual's survival or future depends on society. We need these human values.”

WayNeedsHumansLooksChildrenCareMotherValuesIndividualParentHuman BeingsAnimalSpecialConditionsDependsSurvivalBirdOrganizationAffectionDependentMilkOffspringHuman ValuesMother And Child
Author:Dalai Lama
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“The way of presentation is different according to each religion. In theistic religions like Buddhism, Buddhist values are incorporated. In nontheistic religions, like some types of ancient Indian thought, the law of karma applies. If you do something good, you get a good result. Now, what we need is a way to educate nonbelievers. These nonbelievers may be critical of all religions, but they should be decent at heart.”

IfsWayNeedsShouldHeartMayDifferentLawValuesResultsBuddhismTypeAncientCriticalKarmaBuddhistIndianDecentEducatePresentationLaw Of Karma
Author:Dalai Lama
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“If the situation was such that there was only one learned lama or genuine practitioner alive, a person whose death would cause the whole of Tibet to lose all hope of keeping its Buddhist way of life, then it is conceivable that in order to protect that one person it might be justified for one or 10 enemies to be eliminated if there was no other way.”

IfsWayPersonsWholeMightOrderCausesLosesSituationEnemyAliveProtectGenuineBuddhistJustifiedLamaTibetThat One Person
Author:Dalai Lama
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“Misunderstanding may arise by confusing the Buddhist and scientific definitions of death. Within the scientific system you spoke quite validly of the death of the brain and the death of heart. Different parts of the body can die separately. However, in the Buddhist system, the word death is not used in that way. You'd never speak of the death of a particular part of the body, but rather of the death of an entire person. When people say that a certain person died, we don't ask, "Well, which part died?"”

PeopleWayWellsHeartMayPersonsDifferentBodyUsedCertainDiesAsksSpeakBrainParticularDiedDefinitionsAriseBuddhistSpokesMisunderstandingConfusingParts Of The Body
Author:Dalai Lama
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“For the moment a lot of attention is given to economic concerns, and these problems at hand easily eclipse all others. But the remedies proposed for these problems all come out of outmoded ways of thinking... The remedy? Compassion. The logical feeling that we find in ourselves if we search deeply enough that has to be exercised toward all other living creatures.”

IfsThinkingWayEnoughMomentsFeelingsProblemHandsGivenAttentionCompassionEconomicCreaturesConcernLogicalRemedyWay Of ThinkingEclipseLiving Creatures
Author:Dalai Lama
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“As human, we all have the same human potential, unless there is some sort of retarded brain function. The wonderful human brain is the source of our strength and the source of our future, provided we utilize it in the right direction. If we use the brilliant human mind in the wrong way, it is really a disaster.”

IfsWayMindHumansUseBrainWonderfulSourceFunctionBrilliantDisasterHuman MindOur FutureWrong WayRight DirectionHuman BrainHuman PotentialRetardedBrain Function
Book:The Power of Compassion: A Collection of Lectures
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“Each of you should feel that you have great potential and that, with self-confidence and a little more effort, change really is possible if you want it. If you feel that your present way of life is unpleasant or has some difficulties, then don't look at these negative things. See the positive side, the potential, and make an effort.”

IfsWayWantFeelsShouldLooksLittlesSelfLife IsSidesEffortNegativeDifficultySelf Confidence
Book:Illustrated Teachings of the Dalai Lama
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“We need to employ a secular approach to ethics, secular in the Indian sense of respecting all religious traditions and even the views of non-believers in an unbiased way. Secular ethics rooted in scientific findings, common experience and common sense can easily be introduced into the secular education system. If we can do that there is a real prospect of making this 21st century an era of peace and compassion.”

IfsWayNeedsRealCan DoReligiousViewsCommonCompassionCenturyFindingsApproachEthicsTraditionBelieverCommon SenseErasIndianRootedSecular21st CenturyRespecting OthersEducation SystemCultural DiversityInspirational EducationReligious TraditionsNon BelieverUnbiasedCommon ExperienceSecular Humanism
Author:Dalai Lama
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“There are five billion human beings and in a certain way I think we need five billion different religions, because there is such a large variety of dispositions. I believe that each individual should embark upon a spiritual path that is best suited to his or her mental disposition, natural inclination, temperament, belief, family and cultural background.”

ThinkingWayNeedsShouldBelieveHumansDifferentSpiritualCertainIndividualBeliefI BelieveNaturalHuman BeingsPathFiveBillionsBackgroundsVarietyDispositionInclinationTemperamentSpiritual PathDifferent Religions
Author:Dalai Lama
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“There is only one important point you must keep in your mind and let it be your guide. No matter what people call you, you are just who you are. Keep to this truth. You must ask yourself how is it you want to live your life. We live and we die, this is the truth that we can only face alone. No one can help us, not even the Buddha. So consider carefully, what prevents you from living the way you want to live your life?”

PeopleWayWantLifeMindImportantMatterHelpingFacesSpiritualDiesAsksNo Matter WhatWho You AreGuidesLive Your Life
Author:Dalai Lama
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