The Dalai Lama - Quotes on Personal Strength

2007 photo Luca Galuzzi

The person we refer to as the Dalai Lama is actually Tenzin Gyatso, who was born in 1935. He is the most recent of what Tibetan Buddhists believe is a long line of reincarnated spiritual leaders and has served in that capacity for more than 60 years. A heated controversy persists over whether the Tibetan people should decide his successor or if the People's Republic of China has the authority to decide.

The Dalai Lama claims he continues to be on an intense learning journey. Recently, he has consulted with neuroscientists to learn more about the nature of human beings. He frequently speaks before the media. His central theme is COMPASSION:

“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”

"My religion is very simple, my religion is kindness."

"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible."

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

"My brain and my heart are my temples. My true religion is kindness."

The Dalai Lama on other themes related to personal strength...

SUCCESS - "Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it."

COURAGE - "Great love and great achievements involve great risk."

FAIRNESS - "I believe in justice and truth, without which there would be no basis for human hope."

FRIENDSHIP - "Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship."

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

INTEGRITY - "Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time."

LOVE - "A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life."

OPTIMISM - "Not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck."

SELF-DEVELOPMENT - "When you lose, don't lose the lesson."

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

TOLERANCE - "In the practice of tolerance, one's enemy is the best teacher."

Post by Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D., Copyright 2010. Building Personal Strength . (Permission to use photo from Wikimedia Commons)