Dalai Lama

The essence of Buddhism is, if you can, to help others. If not, then at least refrain from hurting others.

Not only higher forms of life but also many of the smallest insects are social beings who, without any religion, law or education, survive by mutual cooperation based on an innate recognition of their interconnectedness.

Education can’t focus only on developing our wonderful brain. We also need warm-heartedness. This is my view.

Where ignorance is our master, there is no possibility of real peace.

A mind committed to compassion is like an overflowing reservoir – a constant source of energy, determination and kindness.

The most crucial use of knowledge and education is to understand the importance of developing a good heart.

[On religion:] Wasn’t it invented by man for a kind of solace? It’s as though he had said, ‘I’ll make me a nice comfortable garment to shut out the heat and the cold,’ and then it ends by becoming a strait-jacket.

I believe a man is better anchored who has a belief in the Supreme Being.

Learning Zen is a phenomenon of gold & dung. Before you learn it, it’s like gold; after you learn it, it’s like dung.

God is the same everywhere.

Do not worship me, I am not God. I’m only a man. I worship Jesus Christ.

It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.

I have a habit of running from the things I’ve prayed for and then asking God to send them again.

If God lived on earth, people would break his windows.

Children, Fear God; that is to say, have an holy awe upon your minds to avoid that which is evil, and a strict care to embrace and do that which is good.

The concept known as bal tashchit – ‘Do no destroy’ – has a special significance in Jewish tradition…We are constantly being warned in our faith that the capricious, thoughtless, wasteful destruction of the elements and creatures of the earth is wrong…We should remind ourselves daily of our responsibility to all aspects of creation.

I’m an atheist and I thank God for it.

Only a spiritual being has awareness.

Jesus was all right, but his disciples were thick and ordinary. It’s them twisting it that ruins it for me.

What about Jesus Christ? I say that he was a precursor of idealists; a precursor of socialists.

In order to fulfill yourself, you have to forget yourself. In order to find yourself, you have to lose yourself.