Quotes about Dalai lama

To seek solitude like a wild animal.  That is my only ambition.

The very purpose of religion is to control yourself, not to criticise others. Rather, we must criticise ourselves. How much am I doing about my anger? About my attachment, about my hatred, about my pride, my jealousy? These are the things which we must check in daily life.

Love is a simple practice yet it is very beneficial for the individual who practices it as well as for the community in which he lives, for the nation, and for the whole world

One of the basic points is kindness.  With kindness, with love and compassion, with this feeling that is the essence of brotherhood, sisterhood, one will have inner peace

In order to satisfy one human stomach, so many lives are taken away. We must promote vegetarianism. It is extremely important.

"I think that this is the first time I am meeting most of you. But to me, whether it is an old friend or new friend, there’s not much difference anyway, because I always believe we are the same; we are all human beings. Of course, there may be differences in our cultural background or way of life, there may be differences in our faith, or we may be of a different color, but we are human beings, consisting of the human body and the human mind. Our physical structure is the same, and our mind and our emotional nature are also the same. Whenever I meet people, I always have the feeling that I am encountering another human being, just like myself. I find it is much easier to communicate with others on that level. If we emphasize specific characteristics, like I am Tibetan or I am Buddhist, then there are differences. But those things are secondary. If we can leave the differences aside, I think we can easily communicate, exchange ideas, and share experiences."

Let me tell you what is wrong with the world.  Look at children.  Of course they may quarrel, but generally speaking they do not harbor ill feelings as much or as long as adults do.  Most adults have the advantage of education over children, but what is the use of an education if they show a big smile while hiding negative feelings deep inside?  Children don't usually act in such a manner.  If they feel angry with someone, they express it, and then it is finished.  They can still play with the person the following day.  For me, that is the honest, natural way for basic human nature to act in such situations.

In the Buddhist approach, wordly happiness is based on what we call the four excellences: the Dharma, wealth, nirvana, and satisfaction.  Nirvana, or freedom from suffering, is the ultimate goal.  The satisfaction achieved from a successful temporal life is just a transient goal.  The teachings are the means to achieve ultimate inner freedom, whereas money and wealth facilitate worldly happiness, temporary satisfaction.  One strives to achieve that which is positive for all beings.  To do so, one must attend to both ultimate and temporary goals.  Well being and money belong to the latter category.  In fact, Buddhist texts mention the fruition of eight qualities including wealth, health, and fame that define a "fortunate" human existence. 

To enjoy even temporary happiness, however, one must first have peace of mind.  Next comes health, then good companions, and then money, in that order, though of course all four aspects are connected.  For example, when we had to escape from Tibet, our first priority was to save our lives.  Being penniless was secondary.  If one is alive, it is always possible to make friends and earn money.  Peace of mind must come first.  Peace of mind generally attracts prosperity.  Certainly someone who has peaceful of mind will use his or her money judiciously.

The mind is key.  If anything should be considered a god, so to speak, it is the mind, not money.  A healthy positive mind is the utmost priority.  But if we were to reverse the order of these priorities, what would happen?  I find it hard to imagine how a person with great wealth, bad health, no friends, and no peace of mind could feel even slightly happy.

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.

Altruism has two aspects.  Loving others does not mean that we should forget ourselves.  When I say that we should be compassionate, this does not mean helping others at the expense of ourselves.  Not at all.  Sometimes I say that the buddhas and bodhisattvas are the most selfish of all.  Why?  Because by cultivating altruism they achieve ultimate happiness.  We, in our selfishness, are very foolish and narrow-minded.  All we do is create more suffering for ourselves.  The selfishness of the buddhas and bodhisattvas is functional and efficient.  It allows them not only to achieve awakening, but also the capacity to help others.  That is really worthwhile.  For me, this proves that to create maximum happiness for oneself, one needs to develop compassion,  This is Buddhist logic.  If compassion induced misery, then it would be questionable.  Why practice something that brings us more trouble?  But that is certainly not the case with compassion.  Just imagine if we all lived with no compassion, thinking only of ourselves.  We would suffer greatly.  The more you think of others, the happier you are.

Religion is important for humanity, but it should evolve with humanity.  The first priority is to establish and develop the principle of pluralism in all religious traditions.  If we, the religious leaders, cultivate a sincere pluralistic attitude, then everything will be more simple.  It is good that most religious leaders are at least beginning to recognize other traditions, even though they may not approve of them.  The next step is to accept that the idea of propagating religion is outdated.  It no longer suits the times.

I got the impression you were asking whether someone can practice different religions simultaneously.  Let me share my thoughts on this.  As you may know, I consider the existence of a variety of religions useful for humanity.  In the preliminary stages of one's spiritual research, one can practice both Christianity and the Bhuddadharma.  One can, for example, respect and have faith in the Buddha's teachings on non-violence, compassion, and tolerance, while remaining skeptical about karma and reincarnation, and basically believe in the Creator and feel close to God.  At that level, I think it is possible to practice two or even more traditions.  It is like being in school: as long as you remain at the general level, you may study a range of subjects.  But as you progress to higher studies, you should choose one specialization. 

For someone who goes deeper into Buddhist practice, which is based on voidness, interdependence, and no absolute, there is no place for belief in a creator.  The opposite is also true.  For a Christian, the essential points are the Creator, love of God, and love of fellow human beings.  I asked a Christian priest and friend of mine why the theory of rebirth was unacceptable to a Christian of deep conviction.  He replied, "The belief that this very life, without any other one preceeding it, is created by God is what develops the feeling of intimacy with the Creator."  I saw a positive meaning in that.  For a genuine Christian, it is not possible to accept rebirth and, even more important for us Buddhists, the belief that everything is interdependent.  When you reach a certain level of practice, you have to make a choice.

There are many different kinds of power.  True power comes from serving and helping others.  Such behavior makes people respect you.  They are willing to listen to your views and advice, and they support you.  The energy of many people is thus channeled through one person.  This kind of power is positive and authentic.

There is competition, but it is used in a good way.  It is positive to want to go first, provided the intention is to pave the way for others, make their path more easy, help them, or show the way.  Competition is negative when we wish to defeat others, to bring them down in order to lift ourselves up.

We had a rule in Tibet that anyone proposing a new invention had to guarentee that it was beneficial, or at least harmless, for seven generations of humans before it could be adopted.

The Dalai Lama, responding to a question about what he thought he would be doing when he was old, said, "Maybe I'll live in a monastery in China. They have some lovely old Buddhis monasteries there." This seems, at first hearing, amazing. The Chinese have invaded Tibet, tortured and killed millions of Tbetans, and seem intent on erasing Tbetan culture and religion. ON the other hand, boyvotting the monasteries will not restore Tibet, so the Dalai Lama's response is sensible. His response is more than sensible. It reflects his understanding that evens unfold as a refelction of precise karmic order and that a benevolent response in all circumstances will be the most healing one. I think he is so universally admired becuase he exemplifies by his behavior the truth that the essence of natural mind, unclouded by greed or anger or delusion, is that of peace.