Material development is important, but it only provides physical comfort. Peace of mind contributes to good health. Families that are moved by kindness, whether rich or poor, are happy; whereas those that are rich, but lacking in kindness and affection are unhappy.

People face difficulties in many parts of the world, but since all seven billion of us live on this one planet we should be united and stand in solidarity with each other. When this blue planet is viewed from space, there are no national boundaries to be seen.

Irrespective of whether we have faith in religion or not, it’s good to be more compassionate. It makes us happier as individuals with a positive influence on our families and the neighborhood where we live.

Watch Live: HHDL's two day teaching on Nagarjuna's "Precious Garland" from his residence in Dharamsala, India 8:00-9:30am Indian Standard Time on May 16-17, 2020. https://t.co/cowTiK66hY

My mother was undoubtedly one of the kindest people I have ever known. She was truly wonderful and was loved, I am certain, by all who knew her. She was very compassionate and felt concern for everyone, glad to give food to others even if it meant she went hungry herself.

The very purpose of spirituality is self-discipline. Rather than criticizing others, we should evaluate and criticize ourselves. Ask yourself, what am I doing about my anger, my attachment, my pride, my jealousy? These are the things we should check in our day to day lives.

A message from His Holiness the Dalai Lama requested by The Call to Unite. https://t.co/p1LhiAXcBB

Change starts with us as individuals. If one individual becomes more compassionate it will influence others and so we will change the world.

In our world today, we’re heavily dependent upon each other. It’s essential, therefore, that we cooperate with one another—then we’ll be able to solve many problems. Good relations, heart to heart, are important and necessary—everything depends upon our having a good motivation.

We can no longer exploit the resources of this earth—the trees, the water, and other natural resources—without any care for coming generations. Common sense tells us that unless we change, we won’t survive. This Earth Day let’s resolve to live in harmony with nature.

Time is always moving on; nothing can stop it. We can't change the past, but we can learn from it to shape the future. Stress on ‘us’ and ‘them’ is a source of conflict. We neglect basic human qualities of kindness and compassion. Let’s work together to create a happier future.

'Prayer Is Not Enough.' The Dalai Lama on Why We Need to Fight Coronavirus With Compassion published by Time Magazine on April 14, 2020. https://t.co/pho9gPcqGX

There's an intimate connection between love and compassion, on the one hand, and genuine happiness, on the other. The indispensability of compassion touches us all, from the very first day of our lives, when we're wholly dependent on the love of our mother or some other caregiver

Self-centredness creates a distance from others, leading to dishonesty, fear and anger. This is how disturbing emotions work. While fear, hatred and anger, are bad for our health, concern for others leads to self-confidence and inner strength, while helping to reduce anger.

As a human being, I am committed to the promotion of what I call basic human values, by which I mean especially compassion. Nurturing the compassionate seed within us and acting out of this innate capacity are the keys to fulfilling our basic aspiration to happiness.

A special message from His Holiness the Dalai Lama regarding the coronavirus pandemic. https://t.co/GLSkBN8AQK

In his new book, "The Seed of Compassion", His Holiness the Dalai Lama addresses children directly, sharing lessons of peace and compassion, told through stories of his own childhood. https://t.co/XUnFiwucnf

A deep awareness of the goodness of human beings, that they are essentially kind, helpful, and gentle, can give us courage and hope. On a personal level too, such a vision of our basic nature can help promote a greater sense of well-being and connectedness with others.

Even more important than the warmth and affection we receive, is the warmth and affection we give. It is by giving warmth and affection, by having a genuine sense of concern for others, in other words through compassion, that we gain the conditions for genuine happiness.

Sometimes we feel we can’t do much by ourselves, but humanity is made up of individuals; we can make a difference. As individuals we can influence our own families. Our families can shape our communities and our communities form our nations. Together we can make a better world.