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

“in contrast to modern art, which causes displeasure-modern art, by definition, hurts. In this precise sense, modern art is sublime: it causes pleasure-in-pain, it produces its effect through its own failure, insofar as it refers to the impossible Things.”
― Slavoj Žižek, quote from The Parallax View

“in our culture, women can do anything a man can. and vice versa."
don alfonso's eyebrows shot up. "i do not believe it."
"it's true," sally said defiantly.
"in America, the women hunt while the men have babies?”
― Douglas Preston, quote from The Codex

“He took in the squeaky music, the vulgar and pining melodies, because passion immobilizes good taste and seriously considers what soberly would be thought of as funny and to be resented.”
― Thomas Mann, quote from Death in Venice and Seven Other Stories

“Little girl, little boy
If love has a way
Fill their fields with laughter
And scatter the sun on their day
And if it should happen to rain
Make their raindrops kisses
Straight from heaven above
That touch their hands and faces
And that fill them with love
And make the moon reflect their smiles
And their stars plenty
And, above all, keep them together
And hold them as you may
Forever and ever
Until their last day.”
― Laura Miller, quote from My Butterfly

“After all, it wan't every day that someone got adopted by a dog.”
― Debbie Macomber, quote from The Inn at Rose Harbor

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.