Inspirational Quotes by The 14th Dalai Lama (Tibetan Buddhist Religious Leader)

I am open to the guidance of synchronicity, and do not let expectations hinder my path.
—The 14th Dalai Lama
Topics: Expectation

Follow the three Rs:
Respect for self,
Respect for others and
Responsibility for all your actions.
—The 14th Dalai Lama

We must each lead a way of life with self-awareness and compassion, to do as much as we can. Then, whatever happens we will have no regrets.
—The 14th Dalai Lama

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.
—The 14th Dalai Lama

Whether Hindu or Muslim or Christian, whoever tries to convert, it’s wrong, not good.
—The 14th Dalai Lama

I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest. I do not judge the universe.
—The 14th Dalai Lama

World economies are always so tenuous and we are subject to so many losses in life, but a compassionate attitude is something we can always carry with us.
—The 14th Dalai Lama
Topics: Compassion

When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.
—The 14th Dalai Lama
Topics: Learning

If one’s life is simple, contentment has to come. Simplicity is extremely important for happiness. Having few desires, feeling satisfied with what you have, is very vital: satisfaction with just enough food, clothing, and shelter to protect yourself from the elements. And finally, there is an intense delight in abandoning faulty states of mind and in cultivating helpful ones in meditation.
—The 14th Dalai Lama

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.
—The 14th Dalai Lama
Topics: Knowledge, Compassion, Try, People, Religion

Because we all share this small planet earth, we have to learn to live in harmony and peace with each other and with nature. That is not just a dream, but a necessity.
—The 14th Dalai Lama

Be a good human being, a warm-hearted affectionate person. That is my fundamental belief. Having a sense of caring, a feeling of compassion will bring happiness of peace of mind to oneself and automatically create a positive atmosphere.
—The 14th Dalai Lama
Topics: Happiness, Peace, Kindness, Love

Dangerous consequences will follow when politicians and rulers forget moral principles. Whether we believe in God or karma, ethics is the foundation of every religion.
—The 14th Dalai Lama

The question is not to know the meaning of life, but what meaning I can give to my life.
—The 14th Dalai Lama

The foundation of the Buddha’s teachings lies in compassion, and the reason for practicing the teachings is to wipe out the persistence of ego, the number-one enemy of compassion.
—The 14th Dalai Lama

Now, there are many, many people in the world, but relatively few with whom we interact, and even fewer who cause us problems. So, when you come across such a chance for practicing patience and tolerance, you should treat it with gratitude. It is rare. Just as having unexpectedly found a treasure in your own house, you should be happy and grateful to your enemy for providing that precious opportunity.
—The 14th Dalai Lama

Hard times build determination and inner strength. Through them we can also come to appreciate the uselessness of anger. Instead of getting angry nurture a deep caring and respect for troublemakers because by creating such trying circumstances they provide us with invaluable opportunities to practice tolerance and patience.
—The 14th Dalai Lama

For those who may not find happiness to exercise religious faith, it’s okay to remain a radical atheist, it’s absolutely an individual right, but the important thing is with a compassionate heart—then no problem.
—The 14th Dalai Lama
Topics: Faith, Compassion

Reason well from the beginning and then there will never be any need to look back with confusion and doubt.
—The 14th Dalai Lama

I truly believe that compassion provides the basis of human survival.
—The 14th Dalai Lama
Topics: Compassion

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.
—The 14th Dalai Lama
Topics: Religion

When you are discontent, you always want more, more, more. Your desire can never be satisfied. But when you practice contentment, you can say to yourself, ‘Oh yes—I already have everything that I really need.’
—The 14th Dalai Lama

Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.
—The 14th Dalai Lama
Topics: Love

Discrimination against persons of different races, against women, and against weaker sections of society may be traditional in some regions, but if they are inconsistent with universally recognized human rights, these forms of behavior should change. The universal principle of the equality of all human beings must take precedence.
—The 14th Dalai Lama

The more we take the welfare of others to heart and work for their benefit, the more benefit we derive for ourselves. This is a fact that we can see.
—The 14th Dalai Lama
Topics: Helpfulness

The ultimate authority must always rest with the individual’s own reason and critical analysis.
—The 14th Dalai Lama

If a problem is fixable, if a situation is such that you can do something about it, then there is no need to worry. If it’s not fixable, then there is no help in worrying. There is no benefit in worrying whatsoever.
—The 14th Dalai Lama

From the moment of birth every human being wants happiness and freedom and wants to avoid suffering. In this we are all the same; and the more we care for the happiness of others the greater our own sense of each other becomes.
—The 14th Dalai Lama

When we feel love and kindness toward others, it not only makes others feel loved and cared for, but it helps us also to develop inner happiness and peace.
—The 14th Dalai Lama
Topics: Kindness

Every human should have the idea of taking care of the environment, of nature, of water. So using too much or wasting water should have some kind of feeling or sense of concern. Some sort of responsibility and with that, a sense of discipline
—The 14th Dalai Lama

Whenever possible, it is always good to act in kindness. It is always possible.
—The 14th Dalai Lama

Spend some time alone every day.
—The 14th Dalai Lama

Another kind of love and compassion is not based on something appearing beautiful or nice, but based on the fact that the other person, just like oneself, wants happiness and does not want suffering and indeed has every right to be happy and to overcome suffering. On such a basis, we feel a sense of responsibility, a sense of closeness toward that being. That is true compassion. This is because the compassion is based on reason, not just on emotional feeling. As a consequence, it does not matter what the other’s attitude is, whether negative, or positive. What matters is that it is a human being, a sentient being that has the experience of pain and pleasure. There is no reason not to feel compassion so long as it is a sentient being.
—The 14th Dalai Lama
Topics: Love

Whatever you find hardest to do, do with all your heart.
—The 14th Dalai Lama

We can never obtain peace in the world if we neglect the inner world and don’t make peace with ourselves. World peace must develop out of inner peace.
—The 14th Dalai Lama
Topics: Love, Peace

If people are suffering, then they must look within themselves … Happiness is not something ready-made (Buddha) can give you. It comes from your own actions.
—The 14th Dalai Lama
Topics: Happiness, Self-reliance, Confidence

Whatever forms of meditation you practice, the most important point is to apply mindfulness continuously, and make a sustained effort. It is unrealistic to expect results from meditation within a short period of time. What is required is continuous sustained effort.
—The 14th Dalai Lama

We have bigger houses but smaller families:
We have more degrees but less sense;
more knowledge but less judgements;
more experts but more problems;
more medicines, but less healthiness.
We’ve been all the way to the moon and back,
but we have trouble crossing the street
to meet the new neighbour.
We build more computers
to hold more information,
to produce more copies than ever,
but we have less communication.
We have become long on quantity
but short on quality.
These are times of fast foods,
but slow digestion;
tall man, but short character;
steep profits, but shallow relationships.
It is time when there is much in the window
but nothing in the room.
—The 14th Dalai Lama
Topics: Humanity

Every human action, whether it has become positive or negative, must depend on motivation.
—The 14th Dalai Lama
Topics: Motivation

Don’t let a little dispute injure a great relationship.
—The 14th Dalai Lama

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