The Dalai Lama offers profound life lessons on compassion, kindness, and inner peace. Some of his key teachings include: practicing compassion to be happy and help others; showing kindness as it benefits both the giver and receiver; finding happiness comes from compassion for others rather than material goods; spending time alone in meditation and self-reflection; avoiding harming others and resolving conflicts through respectful dialogue and compromise; nurturing important relationships; and believing in one's ability to accomplish goals through willpower and determination.

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8 Profound Lessons From the Dalai Lama
That Will Change Your Perspective on Life
By themindfulevolution - April 11, 2017
In Flipboard

2. 8 Profound Lessons From the Dalai Lama
That Will Change Your Perspective on Life
By themindfulevolution - April 11, 2017
It’s not often that Oprah Winfrey is lost for words.
But when she asked The Dalai Lama “Have you ever had to forgive
yourself for something?” The Dalai Lama replied, “My attitude towards
mosquitoes is not very favorable, not very peaceful. Bed bugs also.”
Oprah was amazed that in a life spanning 78 years that there was nothing
to be forgiven for.
Compassion and forgiveness are at the cornerstone of the Dalai Lama’s
teachings. Below, we go over some of the Dalai Lama’s most inspiring life
lessons, in what has been a remarkable and influential life.
1) Be compassionate
“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be
happy, practice compassion.” – Dalai Lama XIV
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3. Not only is showing compassion good for the person you’re being
compassionate with, but research has shown that it also results in “giver’s
high”.
Research by Ed Diener and Martin Seligman, leading researchers in
positive psychology, suggests that showing compassion to others helps us
enjoy better mental and physical health and speeds up recovery from
disease; furthermore, research by Stephanie Brown, at Stony Brook
University, and Sara Konrath, at the University of Michigan, has shown
that it may even lengthen our lifespan.
Why?
Because acting compassionately reduces stress, leads to a more regular
heart beat and also improves our immune system.
The good news?
We’re ALL capable of compassion. A growing body of evidence suggests
that, at our core, both and animals and human beings have a
“compassionate instinct”.
2) Be Kind
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4. “This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for
complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the
philosophy is kindness.” – The Dalai Lama
I think we can all agree that we would prefer to live in a society where
people are kind to each other.
Two recent studies suggest that giving to others makes us happy, even
happier than spending on ourselves. What’s more, our kindness might
create a virtuous cycle that promotes lasting happiness and altruism.
Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.
3) Find Happiness
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5. “The purpose of our lives is to be happy.” – Dalai Lama
In western society, we’re taught that if we obtain expensive material
objects, we will be happy.
But according to The Dalai Lama, this won’t lead to happiness. Instead,
compassion, kindness, patience and tolerance will lead to inner peace.
The Dalai Lama explains his philosophy here:
“In this world, all qualities spring from preferring the wellbeing of others
to our own, whereas frustrations, confusion, and pain result from selfish
attitudes. By adopting an altruistic outlook and by treating others in the
way they deserve, our own happiness is assured as a byproduct. We
should realize that self-centeredness is the source of all suffering, and
that thinking of others is the source of all happiness.”
4) Discover Inner Peace.
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6. “Spend some time alone everyday.” – The Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama believes that we must spend time alone each day. It’s
important to get know yourself and be comfortable with who you are.
Seeking solitude offers many benefits. It allows your brain to unwind, so
you can discover yourself and listen to your own inner peace. This is why
meditation is seen as so powerful.
A calm mind is your source of happiness.
5) Do No Harm
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7. “Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can’t help
them, at least don’t hurt them.” – Dalai Lama
Start thinking about how you’re treating other people. No one deserves to
be intentionally put down. A good rule of thumb is to aim to make
someone happier from the time they met you.
Dalai Lama says that this is where we can learn from children:
“Look at children. Of course they may quarrel, but generally speaking
they do not harbor ill feelings as much or as long as adults do. Most
adults have the advantage of education over children, but what is the use
of an education if they show a big smile while hiding negative feelings
deep inside? Children don’t usually act in such a manner. If they feel
angry with someone, they express it, and then it is finished. They can still
play with that person the following day.”
6) Nurture your friendships.
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8. “We can live without religion and meditation, but we cannot survive
without human affection.” – The Dalai Lama
Your close relationships are one of the most important sources of
happiness, so make sure you give them the time they deserve. In fact,
a 68 year Harvard study found that relationships are the most important
factor when it comes to happiness.
Keep in mind that real friendships never depend on money or material
objects, but instead thrive on trust, love and openness.
7) Don’t argue or fight, just negotiate.
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9. “Non-violence means dialogue, using our language, the human language.
Dialogue means compromise; respecting each other’s rights; in the spirit
of reconciliation there is a real solution to conflict and disagreement.
There is no hundred percent winner, no hundred percent loser—not that
way but half-and-half. That is the practical way, the only way.” – The
Dalai Lama
Whether it’s a disagreement with your boss, or a family member, getting
angry and acting rashly won’t help anyone.
Instead, let’s take a step back and consider each other’s points of view so
we come to a compromise and achieve real progress.
8) You can do whatever you put your mind to
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10. “Every human being has the same potential. Whatever makes you feel “I
am worthless” is wrong. Absolutely wrong. You are deceiving yourself. We
all have the power of thought, so what could you possibly be lacking? If
you have the willpower, then you can do anything.” ― Dalai Lama
You can’t really put it better than that. If you have the motivation and
willpower, you can do anything.
themindfulevolution
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