Tag: Dalai Lama

Everybody knows that love and compassion are important. Now the time has come when we’re experiencing the limitations of material values. We’re facing many unnecessary problems. So gradually we’re returning to our basic human values with a new appreciation.

We need to learn to manage our emotions and achieve inner peace. Our education should include an understanding of how to achieve peace of mind. Education should teach us how to live properly, how to balance our wish for physical comfort with mental comfort.

I often say that we should eliminate the notion of ‘them’. ‘We’ should be enough; the whole world is part of ‘us’. This isn’t some kind of old-fashioned way of thinking, or an altruistic forgetting of your own interests. I want happiness and in order to achieve that, I need you.

Why do we need compassion? Experience tells us that it brings inner strength. It also benefits others and we face many unnecessary problems when we lack it. To understand this we must develop a holistic way of seeing the bigger picture, which means we must use our intelligence.

We must nurture positive things. Positive emotions are really a benefit to yourself and others. Warmheartedness and a sense of responsibility clearly have an important role in modern society, in every field. Training can make a difference, so we need to plan a better education.

We have a basic instinct for compassion, but we need to develop it. Concern for others is related to human rights and everyone needs to be assured of their human rights because everyone wants and has a right to be happy.

As we teach children to observe physical hygiene for its health benefits, we need to teach them to cultivate emotional hygiene — to tackle destructive emotions and find peace of mind.

For most of us, our mother is our first teacher. In my own case, it was my mother who first revealed to me the power of compassion. Since they are especially skilled in nurturing compassion and human values, we need women to take the lead in creating a more compassionate society.

When I meet people, I just think of myself as another human being, I don’t think about being a Buddhist, a Tibetan or the Dalai Lama, just a human being — I find it’s easier to make friends that way. And I find that a smile is a true expression of friendship.

Friendship depends on trust and trust depends on having a strong sense of concern for the welfare of others. Be honest, truthful and warm-hearted. Make compassion the basis of your determination. Think of what the future can be, not what happened in the past.