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

Chinese people themselves, they really want change.

I never dreamt, in my dream, I’m Dalai Lama.

I don’t think generally politician come from democratic country. I think not that thinking. But sometimes little bit short-sighted. They are mainly looking for their next vote.

The Dalai Lama is just a temporal leader of Tibet.

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

I consider myself as a free spokesman for the people.

Computers make me totally blank out.

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.

In order to become prosperous, a person must initially work very hard, so he or she has to sacrifice a lot of leisure time.

Today different ethnic groups and different nations come together due to common sense.

All religions try to benefit people, with the same basic message of the need for love and compassion, for justice and honesty, for contentment.

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.

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

Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.

Sometimes one creates a dynamic impression by saying something, and sometimes one creates as significant an impression by remaining silent.

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

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

I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest. I do not judge the universe.

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

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.

A lack of transparency results in distrust and a deep sense of insecurity.

When you practice gratefulness, there is a sense of respect toward others.

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

Physical comforts cannot subdue mental suffering, and if we look closely, we can see that those who have many possessions are not necessarily happy. In fact, being wealthy often brings even more anxiety.

It is very important to generate a good attitude, a good heart, as much as possible. From this, happiness in both the short term and the long term for both yourself and others will come.

The purpose of our lives is to be happy.

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

The Chinese government wants me to say that for many centuries Tibet has been part of China. Even if I make that statement, many people would just laugh. And my statement will not change past history. History is history.

I have always had this view about the modern education system: we pay attention to brain development, but the development of warmheartedness we take for granted.

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 part of practice of non-violence.

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.

I describe myself as a simple Buddhist monk. No more, no less.

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.

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

I think really, China, Chinese, I think they really have a long history of civilization, rich culture.

I always tell people that religious institutions and political institutions should be separate. So while I’m telling people this, I myself continue with them combined. Hypocrisy!

I am a simple Buddhist monk – no more, no less.

Conversion is not my intention. Changing religion is not easy. You may develop some kind of confusion or difficulties.

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.

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

My desire to devolve authority has nothing to do with a wish to shirk responsibility.

I think governments can’t do much.

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.

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

I became the Dalai Lama not on a volunteer basis.

I always believe the rule by king or official leader is outdated. Now we must catch up with the modern world.

I am just one human being.

Whether one believes in a religion or not, and whether one believes in rebirth or not, there isn’t anyone who doesn’t appreciate kindness and compassion.