Quotes by the Dalai Lama

The head of the state, and the spiritual leader of Tibet is His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso. Born on 6th July, 1935, to farmer parents in Takster, Amdo, a region in north eastern Tibet, he was recognized as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama at the age of 2 years.

He has been recognized worldwide as the man of peace, and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, in recognition of his life-long struggle for the liberation of Tibet, using non-violent methods. The name, Dalai Lama, means the 'ocean of wisdom'. Here are some of the golden words spoken by His Holiness.

✶ "Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible."

✶ "A truly compassionate attitude toward others does not change even if they behave negatively or hurt you."

✶"We can live without religion and meditation, but we cannot survive without human affection."

✶ "Right from the moment of our birth, we are under the care and kindness of our parents, and then later on in our life when we are oppressed by sickness and become old, we are again dependent on the kindness of others...

...Since at the beginning and end of our lives we are so dependent on other´s kindness, how can it be in the middle that we would neglect kindness towards others?"

✴ "Whatever we say, let us speak clearly and to the point, in a voice that is calm and pleasant, unaffected by attachment or hatred."

✴ "Today, more than ever before, life must be characterized by a sense of Universal responsibility, not only nation to nation and human to human, but also human to other forms of life."

✴"If there is love, there is hope that one may have real families, real brotherhood, real equanimity, real peace. If the love within your mind is lost and you see other beings as enemies, then no matter how much knowledge or education or material comfort you have, only suffering and confusion will ensue."

✴ "When we feel love and kindness towards others, it not only makes others feel loved and cared for, but it helps us also to develop inner happiness and peace. And there are ways in which we can consciously work to develop feelings of love and kindness."

✴ "My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness."

✶ "Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive."

✶ "If you don't love yourself, you cannot love others. You will not be able to love others. If you have no compassion for yourself then you are not able of developing compassion for others."

✶ "If you can, help others; if you cannot do that, at least do not harm them."

✶"Death is a part of all our lives. Whether we like it or not, it is bound to happen. Instead of avoiding thinking about it, it is better to understand its meaning. We all have the same body, the same human flesh, and therefore we will all die...

...There is a big difference, of course, between natural death and accidental death, but basically death will come sooner or later. If from the beginning your attitude is 'Yes, death is part of our lives,' then it may be easier to face."

✶ "I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest. I do not judge the universe."

✶ "All major religious traditions carry basically the same message, that is love, compassion and forgiveness ... the important thing is they should be part of our daily lives."

✶"As human beings we all want to be happy and free from misery... we have learned that the key to happiness is inner peace. The greatest obstacles to inner peace are disturbing emotions such as anger, attachment, fear and suspicion, while love and compassion and a sense of universal responsibility are the sources of peace and happiness."

✶ "To conquer oneself is a greater victory than to conquer thousands in a battle."

✶ "If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion."

✶ "True compassion is universal in scope. It is accompanied by a feeling of responsibility."

✶ "It is not enough to be compassionate. You must act. There are two aspects to action. One is to overcome the distortions and afflictions of your own mind, that is, in terms of calming and eventually dispelling anger...

...This is action out of compassion. The other is more social, more public. When something needs to be done in the world to rectify the wrongs, if one is really concerned with benefiting others, one needs to be engaged, involved."

These were a few quotes that reflect the greatness of the man. His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, has won over 84 awards, prizes, and honorary doctorates from nations around the world. He is also recognized for his message of peace and non-violence, and has preached as well as practiced his ideologies of compassion and humanity.