Daily Quote: Dalai Lama XIV

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

--Dalai Lama XIV

Religious name/reign: Tenzin Gyatso, November 17, 1950--present
Born name/birth date: Lhamo Dhondup, July 6th, 1935

Tenzin Gyatso is the 14th and current Dalai Lama. At the age of two he was believed to be the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama (Thubten Gyatso). He is both the head of state and spiritual leader of Tibet. He is an influential figure world-wide. His Holiness has traveled to more than 62 countries spanning 6 continents. He has met with presidents, prime ministers and crowned rulers of major nations. He has held dialogues with the heads of different religions and many well-known scientists. Since 1959 His Holiness has received over 84 awards, honorary doctorates, prizes, etc., in recognition of his message of peace, non-violence, inter-religious understanding/unity, universal responsibility and compassion, including the Nobel Peace Prize he won in 1989. He has also authored more than 72 books.

Feel free to discuss the quote, to share other words of wisdom from the Dalai Lama or even share an interesting fact about him. :)

OMG I love this one sO much, its one of my favorite beliefs, cause I know this quot just in a different wording!

loved to hear about this author as well, it's charming to know about new people that often :D and this one, is definitely interesting!!

As for the quote. I am one of those people who believe that happiness is nothing but an outcome of our own actions and steps that we take in our life...and ofcourse how we see things and how we take the consequences... Thank you Eli so much

Totally agree & would add: happiness is not an end to be sought, but a by-product of doing the right thing.

Very true..

Most of the quotes I've shared come from my own beliefs and that do inspire me. In regards to this quote, I truly do believe that happiness is not something that is ready made; it's something that we create for ourselves. Not only by our actions but also by our attitude towards and outlook on our lives and life in general.

I enjoyed reading about the Dalai Lama in my research for the DQ and even continued reading after I found all the information I needed. These two particular paragraphs caught my attention and interest:

"In 1981, His Holiness talked with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Robert Runcie, and with other leaders of the Anglican Church in London. He also met with leaders of the Roman Catholic and Jewish communities and spoke at an interfaith service in his honour by the World Congress of Faiths. His talk focused on the commonality of faiths and the need for unity among different religions: 'I always believe that it is much better to have a variety of religions, a variety of philosophies, rather than one single religion or philosophy. This is necessary because of the different mental dispositions of each human being. Each religion has certain unique ideas or techniques, and learning about them can only enrich one's own faith.' "

"During his travels abroad, His Holiness has spoken strongly for better understanding and respect among the different faiths of the world. Towards this end, His Holiness has made numerous appearances in interfaith services, imparting the message of universal responsibility, love, compassion and kindness. "The need for simple human-to-human relationships is becoming increasingly urgent... Today the world is smaller and more interdependent. One nation's problems can no longer be solved by itself completely. Thus, without a sense of universal responsibility, our very survival becomes threatened. Basically, universal responsibility is feeling for other people's suffering just as we feel our own. It is the realization that even our enemy is entirely motivated by the quest for happiness. We must recognize that all beings want the same thing that we want. This is the way to achieve a true understanding, unfettered by artificial consideration.' "

This speaks volumes to me. His messages and beliefs, I can identify with. I think his positive messages are something we can all benefit from and that we can pass down to children for future generations.