True happiness comes from having a sense of inner peace and
contentment, which in turn must be achieved by cultivating altruism,
love and compassion, and by eliminating anger, selfishness and greed.
The compassionate mind is very important. Fear, anger, jealousy are
based on a self-centered attitude. By developing a sense of caring for
others' well-being your heart automatically opens and that brings
transparency, straightforwardness and honesty, which leads to
friendship. We are social animals, and one individual...'s survival
relies entirely on the rest of the community.
If you have peace of mind, when you meet with problems and
difficulties they won’t disturb your inner peace. You’ll be able to
employ your human intelligence more effectively. But, if your mental
state is disturbed, full of emotion, it is very difficult to cope with
problems, because the mind that is full of emotion is... biased, unable
to see reality. So whatever you do will be unrealistic and naturally
fail.
Material progress and a higher standard of living bring us greater
comfort and health, but do not lead to a transformation of the mind,
which is the only thing capable of providing lasting peace. Profound
happiness, unlike fleeting pleasures, is spiritual in nature. It
depends on the happiness of others and it is based on love and
affection.
According to my own experience, the highest level of inner calm
comes from the development of love and compassion. The more concerned
we are with the happiness of others, the more we increase our own
well-being. Friendliness and warmth towards others allow us to relax
and help us to dispel any sense of fear or insecurity so we can
overcome whatever obstacles we face.
Many problems that confront us today are created by man, whether they
are violent conflicts, destruction of the environment, poverty or
hunger. These problems can be resolved thanks to human efforts by
understanding that we are brother and sister and by developing this
sense of closeness. We must cultivate a universal ...responsibility
toward each other and extend it to the planet that we have to share.
My call for a spiritual revolution is not a call for a religious
revolution, nor for a way of life that is otherworldly It is a call for
a radical reorientation away from our habitual preoccupation with self,
a call to turn toward the wider community
Too much of a self-centered attitude creates mistrust and
suspicion in others, which can in turn lead to fear. But if you have
more of an open mind, and you cultivate a sense of concern for others'
well-being, then, no matter what others' attitudes are, you can keep
your inner peace.
Although I personally believe that our human nature is fundamentally
gentle and compassionate, I feel it is not enough that this is our
underlying nature; we must also develop an appreciation and awareness
of that fact. And changing how we perceive ourselves, through learning
and understanding, can have a very real imp...act on how we interact
with others and how we conduct our daily lives.
I feel that compassionate thought is the most precious thing there
is. It is something that only we human beings can develop. And if we
have a good heart, a warm heart, warm feelings, we will be happy and
satisfied ourselves, and our friends will experience a friendly and
peaceful atmosphere as well. This can be experi...enced community to
community, country to country, continent to continent.
Our life depends on others so much that at the root of our
existence is a fundamental need for love. That is why it is good to
cultivate an authentic sense of responsibility and concern for the
welfare of others.
Neither peace nor war exists independently of us. Political and
military leaders have grave responsibilities with respect to peace -
but they too are members of the society that we as individuals help to
create. Peace in the world depends on peace in the hearts of
individuals; this depends on each of us practising ethi...cs by
disciplining our negative thoughts and emotions, and developing basic
spiritual qualities.
Today, the values of democracy, open society, respect for human rights,
and equality are becoming recognized all over the world as universal
values. To my mind there is an intimate connection between democratic
values, such as transparency, the rule of law and freedom of
information, and the fundamental values of human goodness.
I am especially encouraged to see that thinking of consumerism as an
end in itself seems to be giving way to an appreciation that we humans
must conserve the earth's resources.
When we speak of a calm state of mind or peace of mind, we shouldn't
confuse that with an insensitive state of apathy. Having a calm or
peaceful state of mind doesn't mean being spaced out or completely
empty. Peace of mind or a calm state of mind is rooted in affection and
compassion and is sensitive and responsive to others.
People often expect the other person to respond first in a positive
way, instead of taking the initiative to create that possibility. I
feel that's wrong; it can act as a barrier that just promotes a feeling
of isolation from others. To overcome feelings of isolation and
loneliness, your underlying attitude makes a tre...mendous difference -
approaching others with the thought of compassion in your mind is the
best way.
Even our physical structure seems more suited to feelings of love
and compassion. We can see how a calm, affectionate, wholesome state of
mind benefits our health and physical well-being. Conversely, feelings
of frustration, fear, agitation, and anger can be destructive to our
health. This is why we are impelled to seek happiness.
Hatred, jealousy and excessive attachment cause suffering and
agitation. I feel compassion can help us overcome these disturbances
and let us return to a calm state of mind. Compassion is not just being
kind to your friend. That involves attachment because it is based on
expectation. Compassion is when you do something good without any
expectations based on realizing that “the other person is also just
like me”.
There is no denying that consideration of others is worthwhile and
that our happiness is inextricably bound up with the happiness of
others. There is no denying that if society suffers, we ourselves
suffer, and the more our hearts and minds are afflicted with ill-will,
the more miserable we become. We can reject religi...on, ideology,
received wisdom, but we cannot escape the need for love and compassion.
dalai lama has a Hotline???
heard dalai lama might have connections with space aliens and has regular talks with space aliens.