I often tease young people about their concern for how they look; more important is inner beauty - compassion, affection and respect.
Interpretation
Inner beauty is more important than outward appearances.
This quote emphasizes the value of inner qualities such as compassion, affection, and respect over superficial concerns about physical appearance. The Dalai Lama suggests that these inner attributes truly define a person's beauty and worth, encouraging young people to prioritize their character and kindness rather than merely focusing on how they are perceived externally.
In practice
This quote could be shared during a seminar on self-esteem and self-acceptance.
Human beings are not intrinsically selfish, which isolates us from others. We are essentially social animals who depend on others to meet our needs. We achieve happiness, prosperity and progress through social interaction. Therefore, having a kind and helpful attitude contributes to our own and others' happiness.
Material objects give rise to physical happiness, while spiritual development gives rise to mental happiness. Since we experience both physical and mental happiness, we need both material and spiritual development. This is why, for our own good and that of society we need to balance material progress with inner development.
All major religious traditions carry basically the same message, that is love, compassion and forgiveness the important thing is they should be part of our daily lives.
The ultimate source of a happy life is warm-heartedness. This means extending to others the kind of concern we have for ourselves. On a simple level we find that if we have a compassionate heart we naturally have more friends. And scientists today are discovering that while anger and hatred eat into our immune system, warm-heartedness and compassion are good for our health.
My religion is kindness. _x000D_ A good mind, a good heart, _x000D_ warm feelings these are _x000D_ the most important things.
If a person's basic state of mind is serene and calm, then it is possible for this inner peace to overwhelm a painful physical experience. On the other hand, if someone is suffering from depression, anxiety, or any form of emotional distress, then even if he or she happens to be enjoying physical comforts, he will not really be able to experience the happiness that these could bring.
He wanted the songs, the stories, to save everybody.
Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One who is leading.
Spiritual maturity is not reached by the passing of the years, but by obedience to the will of God. Some people mature into an understanding of Godβs will more quickly than others because they obey more readily; they more readily sacrifice the life of nature to the will of God.
When you have nothing to hide you have nothing to fear. When you do the right things in the right way you have nothing to lose because you have nothing to fear.
Relying on the power of kindness is a sensitive undertaking. The challenge is to inspire people to be kind more often without tainting the selflessness that comes from doing something nice with no ulterior motive.
The state of self-realization, as we call it, is not attaining something new or reaching some goal which is far away, but simply being that which you always are and which you always have been.
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