HHDL looking out at the view in the early morning from his residence in the remote Himalayan village of Lingshed, Ladakh, UT, India on August 11, 2022. (Photo by Tenzin Choejor) https://t.co/kQX2MHcrpn

HHDL's arrival in the Himalayan region of Zanskar, Ladakh, UT, India on August 11, 2022. https://t.co/1WgdssVX5D

His Holiness the Dalai Lama arriving at the helipad in the remote Himalayan village of Lingshed, Ladakh, UT, India on August 10, 2022. https://t.co/WNiikIjUwi

The past is past; nothing can change it. But the future depends on the present; we still have the opportunity to shape it. This is not a matter of employing technology or spending more money, it's a question of developing a sense of concern for others' well-being

If you practice compassion, whether you believe in a religion or not, you will come to realize the value of compassion for your own peace of mind. Even a small act of compassion grants meaning and purpose to our lives.

HHDL speaking to a crowd of over 50,000 on the second day of his three day teaching at the Shewatsel Teaching Ground in Leh, Ladakh, UT, India on July 29, 2022. Photo by Tenzin Choejor https://t.co/L2mwln6Yr7

When you have a peaceful and tamed mind, life is more pleasant for your friends, spouse, parents, children, and acquaintances; your home is quiet, and all who live there enjoy an excellent sense of relaxation. Upon entering your house, others feel a sense of happiness.

HHDL visits the Jokhang Temple, Jamia Masjid, Shia Mosque, and Moravian Church on an Interfaith pilgrimage in Leh, Ladakh, UT, India on July 23, 2022. https://t.co/0qHKy1ODsZ

A sense of universal responsibility has the power to negate adverse traits such as selfishness, deceiving others, abuse, and so on. There will be no need to be afraid. Life becomes meaningful, and households, communities, and nations, large and small, become happier.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama arriving in Leh, Ladakh, India on July 15, 2022. https://t.co/OyJtVP9x80

Of course, we are driven by self-interest, it's necessary to survive. But we need wise self-interest that is generous and co-operative, taking others' interests into account. Co-operation comes from friendship, friendship comes from trust, and trust comes from kind-heartedness

Compassion naturally gives rise to tolerance and forgiveness. It allows us to appreciate that even someone we think of as an enemy is a human being with a right to be happy. Your enemy can be your best teacher because he or she teaches the possibility of unconditional compassion.

If we look at the buildings we live and work in, the roads we travel, the clothes we wear, or the food we eat, we must acknowledge that all are provided by others. None would exist for us to enjoy and make use of were it not for the kindness of so many people unknown to us.

Always having feelings of closeness to others and maintaining a loving mind is the sole foundation for building everything we wish for. Focusing on small differences in outer appearances to divide and discriminate is nothing but ignorance.

We are all basically the same. We all have the same human mind. It is true that external influences—one’s surroundings and so forth—are important, but ultimately the nature of mind itself is more important. Each and every one of us has the same potential, the same mental quality.

The only way to effectively deal with negative emotions, the only way to really reduce them, is through the mind, through the application of counteractive mental states that oppose the negative emotions affecting us. That’s the only real, long-term way to reduce them.

HHDL speaking on the fist day of his two day teaching on the occasion of Buddha Shakyamuni's Birth, Enlightenment and Parinirvana Day at the Main Tibetan Temple in Dharamsala, HP, India on June 13, 2022. Photo by Tenzin Choejor https://t.co/ZjJJf3Stmr

If we take a sense of universal altruism seriously, where is there room to have enemies? Our real enemies and the enemies of humanity are negative emotions like anger and hatred. Indeed, people who are dominated by powerful negative emotions should be objects of our compassion.

Satisfaction is characterized by inner peace. It arises from generosity, honesty and what I call ethical conduct, a way of behaving that respects others’ right to be happy.

Many of the problems we face are of our own creation. They come about because of a lack of compassion. That’s why I’m dedicated to promoting both compassion and non-violence in a secular context grounded in reason.