Daily Dalai Lama: February 2009 Archives

Compassion is the pillar of world peace.

Insight From the Dalai Lama: 2007 Calendar," Copyright © 2006, Andrews McMeel Publishing.

In order to have genuine faith, you need to have one truth, one religion. But that does not mean you lose respect for those of other traditions.

Insight From the Dalai Lama: 2007 Calendar," Copyright © 2006, Andrews McMeel Publishing.

In general, I always state that I have three commitments in life. On the level of a religious practitioner, my second commitment is the promotion of religious harmony and understanding amongst different religious traditions.

Insight From the Dalai Lama: 2007 Calendar," Copyright © 2006, Andrews McMeel Publishing.

The essential feature of true compassion is that it is universal and not discriminatory.

Insight From the Dalai Lama: 2007 Calendar," Copyright © 2006, Andrews McMeel Publishing.

I hope that you at this moment will think of yourself as a human being rather than as an American, Asian, European, African, or member of any particular country. These loyalties are secondary. If you and I find common ground as human beings, we will communicate on a basic level.

Insight From the Dalai Lama: 2007 Calendar," Copyright © 2006, Andrews McMeel Publishing.

When people get angry they lose all sense of happiness. Even if they are good-looking and normally peaceful, their faces turn livid and ugly. Anger upsets their physical well-being and disturbs their rest; it destroys their appetites and makes them...

It is not until we understand the law of karma, or cause and effect, that we are inspired to embark on the path to end suffering. Negative thoughts and actions produce negative results and conditions, just as positive thoughts and...

I believe that no one is born free from the need for love. And this demonstrates that, although some modern schools of thought seek to do so, human beings cannot be defined as solely physical. No material object, however beautiful...

One of the most powerful visions I have experienced was the first photograph of the Earth from outer space. The image of a blue planet floating in deep space, glowing like the full moon on a clear night, brought home...

To deepen your gratitude toward all people, it is helpful to reflect on the unintended kindness of those who provide goods and services without necessarily knowing the names or faces of those whom they serve. In this life there are...

Wherever I go, with whomever I go may I see myself as less than all others, and from the depth of my heart may I consider them supremely precious. Insight From the Dalai Lama: 2007 Calendar," Copyright © 2006, Andrews...

I don't know whether the universe, with its countless galaxies, stars, and planets, has a deeper meaning or not, but at the very least, it is clear that we humans who live on this earth face the task of making...

Universal humanitarianism is essential to solve global problems. Insight From the Dalai Lama: 2007 Calendar," Copyright © 2006, Andrews McMeel Publishing....

Whether they belong to more evolved species like humans or to simpler ones such as animals, all beings primarily seek peace, comfort, and security. Life is as dear to the mute animal as it is to any human being; even...

It is ironic that the more serious problems emanate from the more industrially advanced societies. Science and technology have worked wonders in many fields, but the basic human problems remain. Insight From the Dalai Lama: 2007 Calendar," Copyright © 2006,...

It is not difficult to forgive destruction in the past, which resulted from ignorance. Today, however, we have access to more information, and it is essential that we re-examine ethically what we have inherited, what we are responsible for, and...

Regardless of race, creed, ideology, political bloc (East and West), or economic region (North and South), the most important and basic aspect of all people is their shared humanity, the fact that each person - old, young, rich, poor, educated,...

Sometimes it's very difficult to explain why people do the things they do...You'll often find that there are no simple explanations. If we were to go into the details of individual lives, since a human being's mind is so complex,...

In Tibet we say that many illnesses can be cured by the one medicine of love and compassion. Insight From the Dalai Lama: 2007 Calendar," Copyright © 2006, Andrews McMeel Publishing....

We are all on this planet together. We are all brothers and sisters with the same physical and mental faculties, the same problems, and the same needs. We must all contribute to the fulfillment of the human potential and the...

Anger needs to be controlled, but not hidden from yourself. Insight From the Dalai Lama: 2007 Calendar," Copyright © 2006, Andrews McMeel Publishing....

In the Buddhist view, hatred, anger, and desire are afflictive emotions, which simply means they tend to cause us discomfort. The discomfort arises from the mental unease that follows the expression of these emotions. Insight From the Dalai Lama: 2007...

What do we understand by meditation? From the Buddhist point of view, meditation is a spiritual discipline, and one that allows you to have some degree of control over your thoughts and emotions. Insight From the Dalai Lama: 2007 Calendar,"...

In the interests of everyone, the artist has a responsibility to use his medium well. In the Tibetan culture, most of the paintings are of deities or Buddhas, and they try to send a message of the value of the...

The fundamental cause of suffering is ignorance - the mistaken apprehension that living beings and objects inherently exist. Insight From the Dalai Lama: 2007 Calendar," Copyright © 2006, Andrews McMeel Publishing....

If science proves some belief of Buddhism wrong, then Buddhism will have to change. In my view, science and Buddhism share a search for the truth and for understanding reality. By learning from science about aspects of reality where its...

It is easier to generate compassion while visualizing a sentient being who is very destitute, but we need also to reflect on persons who do not seem to be suffering at all, but who are in truth acting in ways...