The Dalai Lama has long been a beloved symbol of profound religious devotion, spiritual enlightenment, human rights, and non-violence. Revered by Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike from the Himalayas to Hollywood, the Dalai Lama has spoken out on love, peace, religion, compassion, justice, and brotherhood, as well as on the three subjects of greatest concern to him: the preservation of the environment, the liberation of Tibet, and the bringing of Buddhism to the awareness of the West.
On Freedom: "It is clear that the renewed yearning for freedom and democracy sweeping the globe provides an unprecedented opportunity for building a better world. Freedom is the real source of human happiness and creativity. Only when it is allowed to flourish can a genuinely stable international climate exist."
On Compassion: "Compassion compels us to reach out to all living beings, including our so-called enemies, those people who upset or hurt us. Irrespective of what they do to you, if you remember that all beings like you are only trying to be happy, you will find it much easier to develop compassion towards them."
On the Environment: "As people alive today, we must consider future generations; a clean environment is a human right like any other. It is therefore part of our responsibility towards others to ensure that the world we pass on is as healthy, if not healthier, than we found it."
