We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.
The Tibetan word for blessing can be broken into two parts--byin means "magnificent potential," and rlab means "to transform."
A balanced and skillful approach to life, taking care to avoid extremes, becomes a very important factor in conducting one's everyday existence. It is important in all aspects of life. For instance, in planting a sapling of a plant or a tree, at its very early stage you have to be very skillful and gentle. Too much moisture will destroy it, too much sunlight will destroy it. Too little will also destroy it. So what you need is a very balanced environment where the sapling can have a healthy growth. Or, for a person's physical health, too much or too little of any one thing can have destructive effects. For example, too much protein I think is bad, and too little is bad.
This gentle and skillful approach, taking care to avoid extremes, applies to healthy mental and emotional growth as well.
In sum, since this human body, which supports your life, is beneficial, was difficult to gain, and easily disintegrates, you should use it for your benefit and that of others. Benefits come from a tamed mind: When your mind is peaceful, relaxed, and happy, external pleasures such as good food, clothing, and conversation make things even better, but their absence does not overpower you. If your mind is not peaceful and tamed, no matter how marvelous the external circumstances are, you will be burdened by frights, hopes, and fears. With a tamed mind, you will enjoy wealth or poverty, health or sickness, you can even die happily. With a tamed mind, having many friends is wonderful, but if you have no friends, it is all right, too. The root of your own happiness and welfare rests with a peaceful and tamed mind.
My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.
To be aware of a single shortcoming in oneself is more useful than to be aware of a thousand in someone else.
~H.H The Dalai Lama
Sometimes one creates a dynamic impression by saying something,
and sometimes one creates as significant an impression by remaining silent.
Through violence, you may 'solve' one problem, but you sow the seeds for another.
One has to try to develop one's inner feelings, which can be done simply by training one's mind.
This is a priceless human asset and one you don't have to pay income tax on!
First one must change.
I first watch myself, check myself, then expect changes from others.
Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries.
Without them, humanity cannot survive.
I myself feel, and also tell other Buddhists that the question of Nirvana will come later.
There is not much hurry.
If in day to day life you lead a good life, honesty, with love,
with compassion, with less selfishness,
then automatically it will lead to Nirvana.