Quotes from the current 14th Dalai Lama about humanity, inner peace and love.

Short About Dalai Lama

He is the spiritual leader of Tibet. Dalai Lamas are important monks of the Gelug school, the newest school of Tibetan Buddhism.

Tibetan Buddhists believe that the Dalai Lamas are manifestations of Avalokiteshvara or Chenrezig, the Bodhisattva of Compassion and the patron saint of Tibet. Bodhisattvas are inspired by the wish to attain complete enlightenment, and have vowed to be reborn in the world to help all living beings.

(dalailama.com)

Famous Dalai Lama Quotes

Dalai Lama quotes about humanity

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

Today we understand that the future of humanity very much depends on our planet, and that the future of the planet very much depends on humanity.

Love and kindness are the very basis of society. If we lose these feelings, society will face tremendous difficulties; the survival of humanity will be endangered.

Man surprised me most about humanity.Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health.And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.

We must recognize that the suffering of one person or one nation is the suffering of humanity.

It’s unrealistic to think that the future of humanity can be achieved only on the basis of prayer; what we need is to take action.

If we can cultivate a concern for others, keeping in mind the oneness of humanity, we can build a more compassionate world.

Each one of us is responsible for the whole of humankind. We need to think of each other really as brothers and sisters and to be concerned for each other’s welfare. Rather than working solely to acquire wealth, we need to do something meaningful, something directed seriously towards the welfare of humanity as a whole.

Giving up attachment to the world does not mean that you set yourself apart from it. Generating a desire for others to be happy increases your humanity. As you become less attached to the world, you become more humane. As the very purpose of spiritual practice is to help others, you must remain in society.

We all have a responsibility to ensure the welfare of humanity, to try to make this a happier more peaceful world.

Compassion can be put into practice if one recognizes the fact that every human being is a member of humanity and the human family regardless of differences in religion, culture, color and creed. Deep down there is no difference.

‎In today’s materialistic world there is a risk of people becoming slaves to money, as though they were simply cogs in a huge money-making machine. This does nothing for human dignity, freedom, and genuine well-being. Wealth should serve humanity, and not the other way around.

As you breathe in, cherish yourself. As you breathe out, cherish all Beings.

Dalai Lama quotes about inner peace

Compassion brings peace of mind. It brings a smile to the face.

A more peaceful world and a more peaceful century require that we rely not on weapons but on developing a widespread inner peace.

We will only make the 21st century an era of peace on the basis of inner peace.

When you think everything is someone else’s fault, you will suffer a lot. When you realize that everything springs only from yourself, you will learn both peace and joy.

The greatest obstacles to inner peace are disturbing emotions, such as anger, attachment, fear and suspicion.

Compassion brings inner peace and whatever else is going on, that peace of mind allows us to see the whole picture more clearly.

Changing the world for the better begins with individuals creating inner peace within themselves.

The more you nurture a feeling of kindness, the happier and calmer you will be.

Inner peace, a practical source of peace and confidence, depends on warm-heartedness and a concern for others’ well being.

Do not let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace.

World peace must develop from inner peace. Peace is not just mere absence of violence. Peace is, I think, the manifestation of human compassion.

Dalai Lama quotes about love

Give the ones you love wings to fly, roots to come back and reasons to stay.

The foundation of all spiritual practice is love. That you practice this well is my only request.

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 capable of developing compassion for others.

The more you are motivated by love, the more fearless and free your actions will be.

Because we all share an identical need for love, it is possible to feel that anybody we meet, in whatever circumstances, is a brother or sister.

We do not necessarily need to become religious, nor even believe in an ideology. We need only to develop our good human qualities and know that love and compassion are the most essential concepts for human survival.

Love and compassion and a sense of universal responsibility are the sources of peace and happiness.

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

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.
Compassion and love constitute non-violence in action. They are the source of all spiritual qualities: forgiveness, tolerance, all the virtues.

No material object, however beautiful or valuable, can make us feel loved.

If there is love, there is hope that one may have real families, real brotherhood, real equanimity, real peace.

Today is the right day to love, believe, do and mostly live.

More About Dalai Lama

The 14th and current Dalai Lama is Tenzin Gyatso, who lives as a refugee in India. He was born on 6 July 1935 to a farmer’s family in a remote part of Tibet. According to most Western journalistic sources, he was born into a humble family of farmers as one of 16 children.

He was formally enthroned on November 17, 1950 during the Battle of Chamdu with the People’s Republic of China. In 1959, in fear for his life because of the rebellion, he fled to India, from where he led a government in exile.

In 1989 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his non-violent struggle for the liberation of Tibet.He has traveled to more than 67 countries on 6 continents and received more than 150 awards, honorary doctorates, awards, etc. in recognition of the message of peace, nonviolence, interfaith understanding, universal responsibility and compassion. He is also the author or co-author of more than 110 books.

In 2011 His Holiness wrote to the Assembly of Tibetan People’s Deputies (Tibetan Parliament-in-exile) requesting it to relieve him of his authority as the head of state.  He confirmed that the democratically elected leadership would assume complete formal responsibility for Tibetan political affairs. He formally put an end to the 368-year old tradition of the Dalai Lamas functioning as both the spiritual and temporal head of Tibet.

The Dalai Lama: An Extraordinary Life

The first authoritative biography of the Dalai Lama–a story by turns inspiring and shocking–from an acclaimed  Tibetan scholar with exceptional access to his subject.

The Dalai Lama’s message of peace and compassion resonates with people of all faiths and none. Yet, for all his worldwide fame, he remains personally elusive. At last Alexander Norman–acclaimed Oxford-trained scholar of the history of Tibet–delivers the definitive, unique, unforgettable biography.