Quotessence
Home / Quotes / Quote by Dalai Lama

Quote by Dalai Lama

“An ethical act is one which does not harm others' experience or expectation of happiness.”

Quote by Dalai Lama

Author

Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama

The Dalai Lama (born July 6, 1935) is the 14th Dalai Lama, a prominent religious leader of Tibetan Buddhism's Gelug school. Born as Tenzin Gyatso in Qinghai Province, China, he is recognized as an incarnation of Avalokiteshvara. He advocates non-violence, peace, and interfaith dialogue, and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989. However, his political activities are viewed by the Chinese government as separatist, and he has lived in exile in India since 1959. His influence remains controversial, blending religious authority with political dissent. more

You May Also Like

“(Because) the notion of absolute truth is difficult to sustain outside the context of religion, ethical conduct is not something we engage in because it is somehow right in itself but because, like ourselves, all others desire to be happy and to avoid suffering. Given that this is a natural disposition, shared by all, it follows that each individual has a right to pursue this goal. Accordingly, I suggest that one of the things which determines whether an act is ethical or not is its effect on others' experience or expectation of happiness.”

“What is the relationship between spirituality and ethical practice? Since love and compassion and similar qualities all, by definition, presume some level of concern for others' well-being, they presume ethical restraint. We cannot be loving and compassionate unless at the same time we curb our own harmful impulses and desires.”

“We depend on our words... Our task is to communicate experience and ideas to others. We must strive continually to extend the scope of our description, but in such a way that our messages do not thereby lose their objective or unambiguous character... We are suspended in language in such a way that we cannot say what is up and what is down. The word "reality" is also a word, a word which we must learn to use correctly.”