This is really a joke. Of course, it is better than being called the unhappiest person in the world, but this assertion is absolutely not based on scientific findings. Some years ago, the Australian television network ABC made a documentary on happiness, in which I participated. At some point, the commentator announced: ‟Here is perhaps th...

There are many centers, Buddhist and non-Buddhist, throughout the world where meditation is taught. It is not up to me to recommend one organization rather than another. Nevertheless, I can testify to the authenticity of a teaching center in France with which I have a long-standing personal connection. Centre d'études de Chanteloube is a cent...

Sometime ago, I met with a group of young people in Canada. Some of them told me that they had graduated from college and did not know what to do next. One of them said, ‟I filled out a lot of questionnaires that were supposed to help me find out what would be the best profession for me to pursue. After that, for six months I tried a variety ...

When we are the object of abuse or injustice, it is absolutely legitimate to use whatever means might be appropriate, including any necessary force; but never with hatred. Deep within ourselves, it's important to maintain invincible compassion and inexhaustible inner strength. It's not a matter of either passively submitting to the merc...

Many western friends live nearby the monastery. They study Buddhism with teachers who live around and participate to some of the activities of the monastery. There are major teachings given by great masters every year or two, which may last for several months and are open to the public. There are also regular ceremonies and sacred dance Festi...

During the recent Peace Summit in Vancouver, which was organized around His Holiness the Dalai Lama, I was fortunate to moderate a dialogue on creativity. Murray Gell-Mann, the Nobel price laureate of physics who discovered the quarks, described how mathematician or physicists may try in vain for a long time to formulate and solve a parti...

Recently the Dalai Lama Center Canada organized a Peace Summit in Vancouver with the Dalai Lama and other Nobel Prize winners and speakers. One evening the rock singer and humanitarian Bob Geldof, whose Live Aid concerts have raised 100s of millions of dollars for Africa, made this passionate plea: ‟For most of us, all we can do when witne...

Last week I went on a hike in the mountains with an eighty-one year old friend who is a brisk walker. After an hour, we reached a 10,000' high pass with a view of a breathtaking landscape that stretched for a hundred miles in front of our enchanted eyes. As we sat on a log and gazed at this magnificent scene, he asked me: --"What does Bu...

Stress is a natural response that marshals all our energies to deal with an emergency — such as fleeing from a charging elephant for example. However, if you spend your entire day thinking that you are being charged by an elephant, it is very bad for your health. Chronic stress weakens the immune system, damages brain neurons, generates unusu...

The annual budget of the UNICEF (3 billions US dollars) is only half the budget of Paris public transportation system (RATP) 5 billions dollars would suffice to provide education to all the children in the world who do not go to school yet. 95% of all weapons are manufactured and sold by the five permanent members of the UN Security C...