Dalai lama quotes meaning of life
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. And finally, there is an intense delight in abandoning faulty states of mind and in cultivating helpful ones in meditation.Įach of us in our own way can try to spread compassion into people’s hearts. 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. Simplicity is extremely important for happiness. If one’s life is simple, contentment has to come. 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. I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest. Whether Hindu or Muslim or Christian, whoever tries to convert, it’s wrong, not good. 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. People inflict pain on others in the selfish pursuit of their happiness or satisfaction. I believe all suffering is caused by ignorance. Then, whatever happens we will have no regrets. We must each lead a way of life with self-awareness and compassion, to do as much as we can. I am open to the guidance of synchronicity, and do not let expectations hinder my path.
The Dalai Lama’s autobiographies include My Land and My People (1962) and Freedom in Exile (1990.) His books on Buddhist teachings include The Art of Happiness (1998) and The Book of Joy (2016 with Archbishop Desmond Tutu.) Essayist Pico Iyer’s The Open Road: The Global Journey of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama (2008) is an intimate portrait. The Nobel committee praised “his consistent resistance to the use of violence in his people’s struggle to regain their liberty” and stated that his award was “in part a tribute to the memory of Mahatma Gandhi.” The Dalai Lama is the 1989 recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for his adherence to the Buddhist principle of nonviolence in the Tibetan struggle, and for advocating for peace amid the Chinese government’s oppression of Tibet. As one of the most respected men of our times, the Dalai Lama is a champion of the fundamental human values of compassion, love, altruism, and nonviolence. The 14th Dalai Lama lives in exile in Dharamshala, India, ever since the Chinese occupied Tibet in 1959. a global figure he is recognized for his advocacy of Buddhism and of the rights of the people of Tibet. He is the secular leader of the Tibetan people and the leader of the Gelugpa school of Tibetan Buddhism. Tenzin Gyatso (b.1935,) the 14th Dalai Lama, originallly Lhamo Dhondup, is the most prominent spiritual leader of the Tibetan Buddhist community.