Dalai Lama

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.

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

From adversity we can learn the value of patience.

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.

What is the purpose of life? I believe that the purpose of life is to be happy.

I adopted the theory of reincarnation when I was 26. I got the idea from a book by Orlando Smith. Until I discovered this theory I was unsettled and dissatisfied-without a compass, so to speak. When I discovered reincarnation it was as if I had found a universal plan. I realized that there was a chance to work out my ideas. Time was no longer limited. I was no longer a slave to the hands of the clock. There was time enough to plan and to create. I wouldn’t give five cents for seeing all the world, because I feel there is nothing in the five continents and on the five seas that I have not somehow seen. Somewhere is a master mind sending brain wave messages to us. There is a Great Spirit. I never did anything by my own volition. I was pushed by invisible forces within and without me. We inherit a native knowledge from a previous existence. Gospel of reincarnation is essence of all knowledge. I do not know where we come from or go to but we accumulate experience. Someday it will be possible to measure the soul. We all retain memories of past lives.

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

You must be the change you wish to see in the world.

God, grant us our desires, and grant them quickly.

Zen has no business with ideas.

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

Meditation is the ultimate mobile device; you can use it anywhere, anytime, unobtrusively.

An intelligent hell would be better than a stupid paradise.

Our prayers should be for blessings in general, for God knows best what is good for us.

In heaven all the interesting people are missing.

The Zen expression Kill the Buddha!” means to kill any concept of the Buddha as something apart from oneself.

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 come to realize that mind is no other than mountains and rivers and the great wide earth, the sun and the moon and stars.

We all die unhealed

We’ve had the goddam Ages of Faith, we’ve had the goddam Age of Reason. This is the Age of Publicity.