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When at some point in our lives, we meet a real tragedy – which could happen to any one of us – we can react in two ways. Obviously we can lose hope, let ourselves slip into discouragement, into alcohol, drugs, and unending sadness. Or else, we can wake ourselves up, discover in ourselves an energy that has hidden there, and act with more clarity, more force.

— Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama

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More quotes by Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama

I am convinced that everyone can develop a good heart and a sense of universal responsibility with or without religion.

Nobel acceptance speech (1989)

I am a simple Buddhist monk — no more, no less.

Nobel Prize Winners (1991)

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.

The Dalai Lama: A Policy of Kindness (1990)

Time is always moving on; nothing can stop it. We can’t change the past, but we can shape the future. The more compassionate you are, the more you will find inner peace.

The Great Vehicle path requires the vast motivation of a Bodhisattva, who, not seeking just his or her welfare, takes on the burden of bringing about the welfare of all sentient beings.

The Dalai Lama at Harvard: Lectures on the Buddhist Path to Peace (1988)

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Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.