Have the depth of faith to regard everything as a source for creating happiness and value.
The power of art can break the shackles that bind and divide human beings.
It is by fighting and triumphing over the enemies of the Buddha that we ourselves become Buddhas.
Happiness does not exist as an isolated quality, nor does it conform to a single fixed pattern. Happiness is something that breathes and lives in the relationships between one person and another.
Hopes, dreams, faith and a sense of mission enable us to open up our lives.
Our hopes, desires and ambitions are powerful forces existing within us for the shaping of the future. They are the generating forces that create the future.
World peace is not something that can be realized simply by politicians signing treaties, or by business leaders creating economic cooperation. True and lasting peace will be realized only by forging bonds of trust between people at the deepest level, in the depths of their very lives.
So long as nuclear weapons continue to exist, so will the temptation to threaten others with overwhelming military force.
The gratification of desire is not happiness.
A moment’s encounter can decide the direction of one’s entire life.
No one can live entirely on their own, nor can any country or society exist in isolation.
All people have a natural desire to be needed, to have their importance to others tangibly confirmed.
Poems and songs penned as an unstoppable outpouring of the heart take on a life of their own. They transcend the limits of nationality and time as they pass from person to person, from one heart to another.
Human rights will be a powerful force for the transformation of reality when they are not simply understood as externally defined norms of behavior but are lived as the spontaneous manifestation of internalized values.
History is filled with tragic examples of wars that result from diplomatic impasse. Whether in our local communities or in international relations, the skillful use of our communicative capacities to negotiate and resolve differences is the first evidence of human wisdom.
Humanity has experienced many revolutionary changes over the course of history: revolutions in agriculture, in science, industrial production, as well as numerous political revolutions. But these have all been limited to the external aspects of our individual and collective lives.
The problems of aging present an opportunity to rethink our social and personal lives in order to ensure the dignity and welfare of each individual.
We are not merely passive pawns of historical forces; nor are we victims of the past. We can shape and direct history.
Likewise, education can direct people toward good or evil ends. When education is based on a fundamentally distorted worldview, the results are horrific.
We must take steps to prevent further nuclear weapons development or modernization.