In His Own Words

Inspirational quotes from His Holiness the 14^th Dalai Lama, compiled by Lindsey Gooch.

On Peace:

“Compassion, forgiveness, these are the real, ultimate sources of power for peace and success in life.”

“If an individual has a calm state of mind, that person's attitudes and views will be calm and tranquil even in the presence of great agitation.”

“One of the secrets of inner peace is the practice of compassion.”

“The greatest degree of inner tranquility comes from the development of love and compassion. The more we care for the happiness of others, the greater is our own sense of well-being.”

“Peace, in the sense of the absence of war, is of little value to someone who is dying of hunger or cold. It will not remove the pain of torture inflicted on a prisoner of conscience. It does not comfort those who have lost their loved ones in floods caused by senseless deforestation in a neighboring country. Peace can only last where human rights are respected, where the people are fed, and where individuals and nations are free.”

On Patience:

“Who provides the opportunity to cultivate patience? Not our friends. Our enemies give us the most crucial chances to grow.”

“Our enemies provide us with a precious opportunity to practice patience and love. We should have gratitude toward them.”

“It is important not to have the unrealistic expectation that we will find a magic key to help get rid of all suffering. It takes determination, patience, and more than one week.”

On Belonging:

“There is an old Tibetan saying: wherever you feel at home, you are at home. If your surroundings are pleasant, you are at home.”

“When I meet people in different parts of the world, I am always reminded that we are all basically alike: we are all human beings. Maybe we have different clothes, our skin is of a different colour, or we speak different languages. That is on the surface. But basically, we are the same human beings.”

“The realization that we are all basically the same human beings who seek happiness and try to avoid suffering is very helpful in developing a sense of brotherhood and sisterhood; a warm feeling of love and compassion for others.”

On Positivity:

“The way to overcome negative thoughts and destructive emotions is to develop opposing, positive emotions that are stronger and more powerful.”

“In addition to wreaking havoc on our bodies, anger close our inner door, making us feel isolated and distrustful, hindering communication.”

“The deep root of failure in our lives is to think, 'Oh how useless and powerless I am.' It is essential to think strongly and forcefully, 'I can do it,' without boasting or fretting.”

On Learning:

“Time is always moving. The important thing is to learn from the past and then look forward to the future.”

“To be aware of a single shortcoming in oneself is more useful than to be aware of a thousand in someone else.”

On Happiness:

“If others are happy, we will be happy. If others suffer, ultimately we all suffer.”

“The basic thing is that everyone wants happiness, no one wants suffering. And happiness mainly comes from our own attitude, rather than from external factors. If your own mental attitude is correct, even if you remain in a hostile atmosphere, you feel happy.”

Quotations collected from thinkexist.com, artquotes.net, and wisdomquotes.com. Lindsey Gooch is a sophomore majoring in strategic communications, and minoring in management and organizations.