Posted on August 15, 2009 - by Joanne Del Core

Food for thought…or thoughts for food

When times are good and when times are challenging, there’s always a need for a comforting word to ignite our spirit. I wanted to share with you the phrases I was struck by when I listened to the Dalai Lama speak in October of 2007. Here are a few gems and golden nuggets I jotted down in my notebook as I heard him speak. I wonder which ones will resonate with you?

 • A mother’s affection is paramount to healthy growth.

• A healthy community must come from the individual.

• Warm heartedness is the factor for a healthy individual and community.

• Constant fear is almost like suicide.

• Whether you love them (others) or not, your existence depends on them.

• We have to stop with demarcation and shortsightedness when we use the words “we” and “they” – we should instead say, “our planet, our home, our brothers and sisters”.

• The destruction of your neighbor is the destruction of ourselves.

• The concept of war is out dated.

• World peace must come from inner peace.

• Genuine peace must come from inner peace.

• Peaceful resolution comes from dialogue – we need to make an effort to promote the concept of dialogue.

• Weapons are useless – we spend billions of dollars to never use them.

• Problems will always be there even when we have peace. As long as fear and distrust are there it will be hard to find peace.

• Compassion is not a sense of pitiness (or a sense of superiority), it comes from a biological factor (affection and compassion are very important for the social animal). Compassion can be limited and biased when it’s mixed with attachment. Biased compassion doesn’t reach your enemy or extend to strangers – it’s limited. Compassion has a seed by nature.

• Compassion combined with (unbiased) intelligence is the real form of compassion and we need to promote it.

• Secularism is a form of religious rejection – we need to work on respect for all religions and have equal respect for those who have different views and for those who are non-believers.

• More education brings warm heartedness. Education and inner peace equal open mindedness.

• Think more!

• Materialism cannot bring peace of mind or fulfillment.

• There are always causes of conditions – always question them. Depression comes from a cause – do your research!

• “Happiness” is common sense – no explanation is needed.