Quotes from Ethics for the New Millennium

“What is more, I have come to the conclusion that whether or not a person is a religious believer does not matter much. Far more important is that they be a good human being. I”
― Dalai Lama XIV, quote from Ethics for the New Millennium

“Yet again I was reminded that the way in which things and events unfold does not always coincide with our expectations. Indeed, this fact of life—that there is often a gap between the way in which we perceive phenomena and the reality of a given situation—is the source of much unhappiness.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, quote from Ethics for the New Millennium

“No more can the reader hope to learn virtue merely by reading this book—unless, of course, it is so boring as to demand perseverance!”
― Dalai Lama XIV, quote from Ethics for the New Millennium

“A revolution is called for, certainly. But not a political, an economic, or even a technical revolution. We have had enough experience of these during the past century to know that a purely external approach will not suffice. What I propose is a spiritual revolution.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, quote from Ethics for the New Millennium

“Indeed, we find that almost all the mental and emotional suffering which is such a feature of modern living—including the sense of hopelessness, of loneliness, and so on—lessens the moment we begin to engage in actions motivated by concern for others.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, quote from Ethics for the New Millennium

“We have no means of discriminating between right and wrong if we do not take into account others’ feelings, others’ suffering.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, quote from Ethics for the New Millennium

“My meetings with many different sorts of people the world over have, however, helped me realize that there are other faiths, and other cultures, no less capable than mine of enabling individuals to lead constructive and satisfying lives.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, quote from Ethics for the New Millennium

“Everywhere and in every society, people endure suffering and adversity—even those who enjoy freedom and material prosperity. Indeed, it seems to me that much of the unhappiness we humans endure is actually of our own making.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, quote from Ethics for the New Millennium

“We hope that through this or that action we can bring about happiness. Everything we do, not only as individuals but also at the level of society, can be seen in terms of this fundamental aspiration.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, quote from Ethics for the New Millennium

“As an old Tibetan proverb puts it, The next life or tomorrow—we can never be certain which will come first.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, quote from Ethics for the New Millennium

“Afflictive emotion is the oxygen of conflict. It is thus essential that we remain sensitive to others and, recognizing their equal right to happiness, do nothing that could contribute to their suffering.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, quote from Ethics for the New Millennium

“Lack of contentment—which really comes down to greed—sows the seed of envy and aggressive competitiveness, and leads to a culture of excessive materialism. The negative atmosphere this creates becomes the context for all kinds of social ills which bring suffering to all members of that community.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, quote from Ethics for the New Millennium

“It also becomes apparent that our every action, our every deed, word, and thought, no matter how slight or inconsequential it may seem, has an implication not only for ourselves but for all others, too. Furthermore,”
― Dalai Lama XIV, quote from Ethics for the New Millennium

“Karma is a Sanskrit word meaning “action.” It denotes an active force, the inference being that the outcome of future events can be influenced by our actions. To suppose that karma is some sort of independent energy which predestines the course of our whole life is simply incorrect.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, quote from Ethics for the New Millennium

“The work of a person laboring in some humble occupation is no less relevant to the well-being of society than that of, for example, a doctor, a teacher, a monk, or a nun. All human endeavor is potentially great and noble. So long as we carry out our work with good motivation, thinking, “My work is for others,” it will be of benefit to the wider community.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, quote from Ethics for the New Millennium

“The undisciplined mind is like an elephant. If left to blunder around out of control, it will wreak havoc. But the harm and suffering we encounter as a result of failing to restrain the negative impulses of mind far exceed the damage a rampaging elephant can cause.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, quote from Ethics for the New Millennium

“Far from applying the teachings of their religion in our personal lives, we have a tendency to use them to reinforce our self-centered attitudes. We relate to our religion as something we own or as a label that separates us from others. Surely this is misguided?”
― Dalai Lama XIV, quote from Ethics for the New Millennium

“When we act to fulfill our immediate desires without taking into account others’ interests, we undermine the possibility of lasting happiness.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, quote from Ethics for the New Millennium

“According to my experience, the principal characteristic of genuine happiness is peace: inner peace.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, quote from Ethics for the New Millennium

“Negative thoughts and emotions are what obstruct our most basic aspiration—to be happy and to avoid suffering. When we act under their influence, we become oblivious to the impact our actions have on others: they are thus the cause of our destructive behavior both toward others and to ourselves.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, quote from Ethics for the New Millennium

“Gaining insight into our own negativity is a lifelong task, and one which is capable of almost infinite refinement. But unless we undertake it, we will be unable to see where to make the necessary changes in our lives. Were”
― Dalai Lama XIV, quote from Ethics for the New Millennium

“In replacing religion as the final source of knowledge in popular estimation, science begins to look a bit like another religion itself.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, quote from Ethics for the New Millennium

“Only the inner protection of patient forbearance can keep us from experiencing the turmoil of negative thoughts and emotions. The mind, or spirit (lo), is not physical. It cannot be touched or harmed directly. Only negative thoughts and emotions can harm it. Therefore, only the corresponding positive quality can protect it. As”
― Dalai Lama XIV, quote from Ethics for the New Millennium

“As a second step to familiarizing ourselves with the virtue of patience, it is also very helpful to think of adversity not so much as a threat to our peace of mind but rather as the very means by which patience is attained. From this perspective, we see that those who would harm us are, in a sense, teachers of patience.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, quote from Ethics for the New Millennium

About the author

Popular quotes

“Joe crowded into my side, sitting down next to me, not leaving any room between us. The meal was an exercise in torture. He leaned in often when talking to me, breath on my neck, whispering in my ear. He touched my arm, my hand, my thigh. He had a straw in his soda. He never used straws. Never. But he had one now, pulled from somewhere, eyelashes fluttering up at me as he sucked, cheeks hollowing. I dropped my fork. It clattered loudly onto my plate. “Joe,” Thomas sighed. “Really?” “Oops,” Joe said. “Sorry.” He didn’t sound sorry at all. Kelly said, “Oh man, this makes so much more sense now. And is much more gross.” “I made pie for dessert,” Elizabeth said, coming back to the table. “Whip cream topping.” I groaned. Joe looked delighted. Even more so when he ran a finger through the cream, licking it from his skin, never taking his eyes off of me. Carter and Kelly had matching looks of disgust and horror on their faces. “Stop it,” I hissed at him. Joe cocked his head at me before leaning in and saying in a low voice, “Oh, Ox. I’m just getting started.”
― T.J. Klune, quote from Wolfsong

“Making Group Projects Suck Less I”
― Thomas Frank, quote from 10 Steps to Earning Awesome Grades (While Studying Less)

“Someone’s up early,” Gabrielle said as the first streaks of sunshine streaked across the sky outside.
“Someone’s up late,” Hale told her. Then he turned his gaze to Kat. “Looks like someone also needs a better lock.”
“It took me ten minutes,” she admitted.

“I’ll be sure to pass that along to Silas. The home security division of Hale Enterprises is his new baby, you know?”
“I do know,” Kat said with a laugh. “And my father is blaming me for it. He says putting someone as smart as your head of R&D in charge of home security is bad for business. In any case, you need a better lock.”
“Or a less trouble-make-y girlfriend,” Gabrielle tried, but Hale just shook his head.
“No. Not that. Never that.”
― Ally Carter, quote from The Grift of the Magi

“Order streamed from Noah in blue triangles and as the pure fury of his classifications rose around him, engulfing his life, they came to be called waves by others, who drowned, a world of them.”
― Anne Carson, quote from Plainwater: Essays and Poetry

“Shergahn and friend lay like poleaxed steers, and the Daranfelian's greasy hair was thick with potatoes, carrots, gravy, and chunks of beef. His companion had less stew in his hair, but an equally large lump was rising fast, and Brandark flipped his improvised club into the air, caught it in proper dipping position, and filled it once more from the pot without even glancing at them. He raised the ladle to his nose, inhaled deeply, and glanced at the cook with an impudent twitch of his ears.
"Smells delicious," he said while the laughter started up all around the fire. "I imagine a bellyful of this should help a hungry man sleep. Why, just look what a single ladle of it did for Shergahn!”
― David Weber, quote from Oath of Swords

Interesting books

About BookQuoters

BookQuoters is a community of passionate readers who enjoy sharing the most meaningful, memorable and interesting quotes from great books. As the world communicates more and more via texts, memes and sound bytes, short but profound quotes from books have become more relevant and important. For some of us a quote becomes a mantra, a goal or a philosophy by which we live. For all of us, quotes are a great way to remember a book and to carry with us the author’s best ideas.

We thoughtfully gather quotes from our favorite books, both classic and current, and choose the ones that are most thought-provoking. Each quote represents a book that is interesting, well written and has potential to enhance the reader’s life. We also accept submissions from our visitors and will select the quotes we feel are most appealing to the BookQuoters community.

Founded in 2023, BookQuoters has quickly become a large and vibrant community of people who share an affinity for books. Books are seen by some as a throwback to a previous world; conversely, gleaning the main ideas of a book via a quote or a quick summary is typical of the Information Age but is a habit disdained by some diehard readers. We feel that we have the best of both worlds at BookQuoters; we read books cover-to-cover but offer you some of the highlights. We hope you’ll join us.