Tao Te Ching

The Power of Goodness, the Wisdom Beyond Words
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Dalai Lama XIV Tenzin Gyatso

1935 CE –

Born to a remote small farming family on a straw mat in a cowshed, the Dalai Lama became the world’s most popular political leader. He received the Nobel Peace Prize, the highest US honor of Congressional Gold Medal, the Freedom Medal, and is one of only 6 people given Honorary Citizenship by the Canadian government. Traveling the world for decades, he became the most famous voice for the environment, women's rights, non-violence, fair economics, and interfaith dialogue as well as the world’s main influence for the preservation of Tibetan culture. Promoting a Buddhist approach to science, economics, and politics; he has traveled to more than 67 countries and written more than 110 books.

Eras

Unlisted Sources

A Tribute to Thomas Merton

Mind, Heart, and Nature, 2009

The Story of Tibet

Quotes by Dalai Lama XIV (30 quotes)

“We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.”

Chapters: 30. No War

Themes: Peace Conflict

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“Our ancient experience confirms at every point that everything is linked together, everything is inseparable.”

Chapters: 39. Oneness

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“The ultimate source of happiness is not money and power, but warm-heartedness.”

Chapters: 44. Fame and Fortune

Themes: Happiness

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“Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck.”

Chapters: 46. Enough

Themes: Paradox

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“Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.”

Chapters: 49. No Set Mind

Themes: Kindness

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“Know the rules well, so you can break them effectively.”

Chapters: 58. Goals Without Means

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

Chapters: 62. Basic Goodness

Themes: Appreciation

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“I defeat my enemies when I make them my friends.”

Chapters: 63. Easy as Hard

Themes: Golden Rule Enemy

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“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion. Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.”

Chapters: 67. Three Treasures

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“True change is within; leave the outside as it is.”

Chapters: 67. Three Treasures

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“The foundation of the Buddha's teachings lies in compassion, and the reason for practicing the teachings is to wipe out the persistence of ego, the number-one enemy of compassion.”

Chapters: 69. No Enemy

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“We discover that all human beings are just like us, so we are able to relate to them more easily. That generates a spirit of friendship in which there is less need to hide what we feel or what we are doing.”

Chapters: 74. The Great Executioner

Themes: Friendship

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

Chapters: 77. Stringing a Bow

Themes: Compassion Love

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“The purpose of all the major religious traditions is not to construct big temples on the outside, but to create temples of goodness and compassion inside, in our hearts.”

Chapters: 79. No Demands

Themes: Religion

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“Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them.”

Chapters: 81. Journey Without Goal

Themes: Meaningfulness

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“Man sacrifices his health in order to make money Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health.”

Chapters: 44. Fame and Fortune

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“He lives as if he is never going to die and then dies having never really lived.”

Chapters: 50. Claws and Swords

Themes: Death and Dying

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“To be old and wise, you must first be young and stupid.”

Themes: Ignorance

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“The Western Woman will save the world.”

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“Anger and hatred are signs of weakness, while compassion is a sure sign of strength.”

Themes: Anger Hate

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“Some people—sweet and attractive, strong and healthy—happen to die young. They are masters in disguise teaching us about impermanence.”

Themes: Impermanence

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“When science clearly contradicts Buddhist beliefs, and it is proven, we must reject the earlier beliefs. The Buddha himself made it clear that the final decision for every person must come through investigation and experiment, not by relying solely on religious texts.”

from The Story of Tibet

Themes: Science

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“Of all the modern economic theories, the economic system of Marxism is founded on moral principles, while capitalism is concerned only with gain and profitability. Marxism is concerned with the distribution of wealth on an equal basis and the equitable utilization of the means of production. It is also concerned with the fate of the working classes—that is the majority—as well as with the fate of those who are underprivileged and in need, and Marxism cares about the victims of minority-imposed exploitation. For those reasons the system appeals to me, and it seems fair”

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“With realization of one’s own potential and self-confidence in one’s ability, one can build a better world.”

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“Thomas Merton really is someone that we can look up to.... he had the complete qualities of hearing—study, contemplating, thinking on the teachings—and of meditation. He also had the qualities of being learned, disciplined and having a good heart... for the rest of my life, the impact of meeting him will remain until my last breath.”

from A Tribute to Thomas Merton

Themes: Discipline

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“I maintain that Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Sikhism, Taoism, and Zoroastrianism all hold up love as an ideal, seek to benefit humanity through spiritual practice, and strive to make their followers better people.”

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“The air we breathe, the water we drink, the forests and oceans which sustain millions of different life forms, and the climate that governs our weather systems all transcend national boundaries.”

from Mind, Heart, and Nature, 2009

Themes: Indra's Net

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“We are part of nature. Ultimately nature will always be more powerful than us, despite all our knowledge, technology, and super weapons.”

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“Exceptional as one of the first Tibetan lamas to become fully assimilated into Western culture, he made a powerful contribution to revealing the Tibetan approach to inner peace in the West.”

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“Hope lies in the generation who belong to the twenty-first century. If they can learn from the past and shape a different future, later this century the world could be a happier, more peaceful, and more environmentally stable place. I am very happy to see... the Karmapa Rinpoche taking the lead and advising practical ways to reach this goal.”

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Quotes about Dalai Lama XIV (1 quotes)

“Nor from the Dalai Lama himself will you ever hear a word of resentment or condemnation. These men have been the victims of a terrific upheaval, of terrible violence, and yet they have no hatred. I have learned what religion is from these men. Here is true religion, alive—today.”

Joseph Campbell 1904 – 1987 CE
Great translator of ancient myth into modern symbols
from Power of Myth

Themes: Hate

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