Sunday, January 16, 2005

It's all about being happy.

Today, at the invitation of Center participant Cathey Edwards, I gave presentations to both the seventh grade class and the senior high class of All Souls Unitarian Church. What surprised the students the most - and the grownups present as well - is that the purpose of meditation is to learn how to be happy. So I thought I'd share with you today some great Dalai Lama quotes about just that - and about some other topics as well. Enjoy!

Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.

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

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

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

My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.

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

Spend some time alone every day.

The purpose of our lives is to be happy.

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

There is no need for temples, no need for complicated philosophies. My brain and my heart are my temples; my philosophy is kindness.

Today, more than ever before, life must be characterized by a sense of Universal responsibility, not only nation to nation and human to human, but also human to other forms of life.

We can live without religion and meditation, but we cannot survive without human affection.

Whether one believes in a religion or not, and whether one believes in rebirth or not, there isn't anyone who doesn't appreciate kindness and compassion.

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