There is no need for temples, no need for complicated philosophies. My brain and my heart are my temples; my philosophy is kindness.

My aim is to create a happy society with genuine friendship. Friendship between Tibetan and Chinese peoples is very essential.

Chinese people themselves, they really want change.

If you have religious faith, very good, you can add on secular ethics, then religious belief, add on it, very good. But even those people who have no interest about religion, okay, it’s not religion,...

Appearance is something absolute, but reality is not that way – everything is interdependent, not absolute. So that view is very helpful to maintain a peace of mind because the main destroyer of a peaceful...

Even when we have physical hardships, we can be very happy.

Some mischievous people always there. Last several thousand years, always there. In future, also.

Old friends pass away, new friends appear. It is just like the days. An old day passes, a new day arrives. The important thing is to make it meaningful: a meaningful friend – or a...

Home is where you feel at home and are treated well.

Logically, harmony must come from the heart… Harmony very much based on trust. As soon as use force, creates fear. Fear and trust cannot go together.

The Tibetan people will need to determine who the next reincarnation of the Dalai Lama is.

The purpose of our lives is to be happy.

My faith helps me overcome such negative emotions and find my equilibrium.

The basic Buddhist stand on the question of equality between the genders is age-old. At the highest tantric levels, at the highest esoteric level, you must respect women: every woman.

Of course, when I say that human nature is gentleness, it is not 100 percent so. Every human being has that nature, but there are many people acting against their nature, being false.

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

The ultimate authority must always rest with the individual’s own reason and critical analysis.

Number of people have said to me, after hearing your thinking, their mind becomes much more happier.

Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.

Open-minded people tend to be interested in Buddhism because Buddha urged people to investigate things – he didn’t just command them to believe.

I am sometimes sad when I hear the personal stories of Tibetan refugees who have been tortured or beaten. Some irritation, some anger comes. But it never lasts long. I always try to think at...

If I had remained in Lhasa, even without the Chinese occupation, I would probably have carried the ceremonial role in some orthodox way.

Calm mind brings inner strength and self-confidence, so that’s very important for good health.

There are techniques of Buddhism, such as meditation, that anyone can adopt. And, of course, there are Christian monks and nuns who already use Buddhist methods in order to develop their devotion, compassion, and ability...

I felt we must separate political responsibility. The Dalai Lama should not carry that burden. So that is my selfish reason – to protect the old Dalai Lama tradition. It is safer without political involvement.

I have done one thing that I think is a contribution: I helped Buddhist science and modern science combine. No other Buddhist has done that. Other lamas, I don’t think they ever pay attention to...

The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness.

If some people have the belief or view that the Dalai Lama has some miracle power, that’s totally nonsense.

I consider myself as a free spokesman for the people.

In order to carry a positive action we must develop here a positive vision.

It is necessary to help others, not only in our prayers, but in our daily lives. If we find we cannot help others, the least we can do is to desist from harming them.

At the beginning when the child is coming, people worry the child may be deformed. When a healthy boy or child comes, people are very happy for a short moment.

Many Tibetans sacrifice their lives.

In the practice of tolerance, one’s enemy is the best teacher.

It is difficult to violently suppress people in the long run, as the example of the Soviet Union and the Eastern European countries has shown.

Generally speaking, if a human being never shows anger, then I think something’s wrong. He’s not right in the brain.

My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.

Even when a person has all of life’s comforts – good food, good shelter, a companion – he or she can still become unhappy when encountering a tragic situation.

Wherever I go meeting the public… spreading a message of human values, spreading a message of harmony, is the most important thing.

This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.

Even an animal, if you show genuine affection, gradually trust develops… If you always showing bad face and beating, how can you develop friendship?

Today, more than ever before, life must be characterized by a sense of Universal responsibility, not only nation to nation and human to human, but also human to other forms of life.

In most cases, my visits to the West are for promotion of human values and religious harmony.

When you are discontent, you always want more, more, more. Your desire can never be satisfied. But when you practice contentment, you can say to yourself, ‘Oh yes – I already have everything that I...

I think the self-burning itself on practice of non-violence. These people, you see, they easily use bomb explosive, more casualty people. But they didn’t do that. Only sacrifice their own life. So this also is...

I think governments can’t do much.

Religion, any religion, no matter what sort of wonderful religion, never be universal. So now education is universal, so we have to sort of find ways and means through education system, from kindergarten up to...

Some scientists believe climate change is the cause of unprecedented melting of the North Pole, and that effects these very uncertain weather patterns. I think we should listen to those scientists and experts.

I feel exhausted if I teach too long.

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