Topic: Dalai Lama quotes

[Firestarter]

Every day, think as you wake up, Today I am fortunate to have woken up, I am alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it. I am going to use All my energies to develop myself, To expand my heart out to others, To achieve enlightenment for The benefit of all beings, I am going to have kind thoughts towards others, I am not going to get angry, Or think badly about others, I am going to benefit others As much as I can

[Firestarter]

We are visitors on this planet. We are here for ninety or one hundred years at the very most. During that period, we must try to do something good, something useful, with our lives. If you contribute to other people's happiness, you will find the true goal, the true meaning of life.

[Firestarter]

Awareness of death is the very bedrock of the entire path. Until you have developed this awareness, all other practices are obstructed.

[Firestarter]

"Naturally emotions can be positive and negative. However, when talking about anger, etc., we are dealing with negative emotions. Negative emotions are those which immediately create some kind of unhappiness or uneasiness and which, in the long run, create certain actions. Those actions ultimately lead to harm to others and this brings pain or suffering to oneself. This is what we mean by negative emotions."

[tangerine dream]

When a problem first arises, try to remain humble, maintain a sincere attitude, and be concerned that the outcome is fair.   Of course, others may try to take advantage of you, and if your remaining detached only encourages unjust aggression, adopt a strong stand.  This should be done with compassion, and if necessary to express your views and take countermeasures, do so without anger or ill intent.

[tangerine dream]

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

[tangerine dream]

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

There's more to this.  I found it this morning:

To be aware of a single shortcoming in oneself is more useful than to be aware of a thousand in someone else.  Rather than speaking badly about people and in ways that will produce friction and unrest in their lives, we should practice a purer perception of them, and when we speak of others, speak of their good qualities. 

If you find yourself slandering anybody,  first imagine that your mouth is filled with excrement.  It will break you of the habit quickly enough.


From 
The Path to Tranquility: Daily Wisdom(Paperback)
by Renuka Singh, Dalai Lama

[Nichi]

The feces image sure should do the trick!

[Firestarter]

Although i speak from my own experience, i feel that no one has the right to impose his or her beliefs on another person.

[erik]

Karmas that are accumulated for the sake of internal pleasure, upon having overcome attraction for external pleasure and having become attached to the pleasure that arises with internal meditative stabilization [which is meritorious], are involved with the first three concentrations. These are called unfluctuating karmas in that they bear their fruit only in those concentrations. Then, karmas that are accumulated upon having turned away even from such pleasure of internal meditative stabilization and within seeking just neutral feeling are unfluctuating karmas associated with the fourth concentration and the four formless absorptions. However, if, through understanding this presentation, you develop renunciation of all types of such cyclic existence, and accumulate karmas for the sake of permanent bliss, these karmas will bring about liberation from cyclic existence.

[Firestarter]

“Love is the center of human life.” Everyone dreams of true love and without it we would never survive. Why is it so hard to find? It seems as though everyone is so self absorbed they lose sight of themselves and others in the process.

True love and compassion is unconditional and can be felt with all beings and even enemies.

“The feeling of a mother and child is a classic example of love.” As a mother we sacrifice everything to guide and nurture our children in caring for them best. We never ask for anything in return, yet it is our greatest pleasure to give unconditionally. We must cultivate a passionate nature to take care of mother earth and the world around us.

The most important thing is to love yourself first and then put attention on your friends and family,lastly on strangers and then enemies.

“Loving oneself is crucial. If we do not love ourselves, how can we love others?”

We must be an advocate of unconditional love for mankind to promote happiness in all.

“PEACE AND JOY BECOME OUR CONSTANT COMPASSION.”

[Firestarter]

'Compassion and love are not mere luxuries.
As the source both of inner and external peace,
they are fundamental to the continued survival of our species.'

[erik]

While you give, do not expect something in return. Do not give to fulfill selfish motives. Do not be discouraged in giving. Generate the altruistic mind of enlightenment as best you can, and then give out of sole concern for others.

[erik]

Question: You often speak about the need for mental peace. What do you mean by it? Does it denote a specific state of mind?
Dalai Lama: Mental peace? If you reduce anger and attachment, you reach a point when your mind always remains calm or stable. It is as simple as that. Strong anger and attachment create waves in your mind. People may not realize when they yield to desire or develop attachment that it will cause them mental unrest. But actually, when a strong desire or attachment occurs, during that moment mental peace is lost. To reduce attachment, especially anger or hatred, leads to mental calmness. This is what we call mental peace.
Q: Isn't it also necessary to practice meditation to obtain mental peace?
DL: My experience is that it is obtained mainly through reasoning. Meditation does not help much.
      The main cure is to realize how harmful, how negative, anger is. Once you realize very clearly, very convincingly how negative it is, that realization itself has power to reduce anger. You must see that it always brings unhappiness and trouble. Of course anger comes. Anger is like a friend or relative [whom] you cannot avoid and always have to associate with. When you get to know him you realize that he is difficult and that you have to be careful. Every time you meet that person—still on friendly terms—you take some precaution. As a result the influence that he has over you grows less and less. In the same way you see the anger coming, but you realize "Ah, it always brings trouble, there is not much point to it." The anger will lose its power or force. So with time it gets weaker and weaker.

[erik]

"Now let's look at ultimate reality," the Dalai Lama said, pointing a little finger to his mug. "What exactly is it? We're seeing color, shape. But if we take away shape, color, material, what is mug? Where is the mug? This mug is a combination of particles: atoms, electrons, quarks. But each particle is not 'mug.' The same can be said about the four elements, the world, everything. The Buddha. We cannot find the Buddha. So that's the ultimate reality. If we're not satisfied with conventional reality, if we go deep down and try to find the real thing, we ultimately won't find it."