"All conditioned things are impermanent" - when one sees this with wisdom, one turns away from suffering.
I remain convinced that most human conflicts can be solved through genuine dialogue conducted with a spirit of openness and reconciliation.
The problems we face today, violent conflicts, destruction of nature, poverty, hunger and so on, are human-created problems which can be resolved through human effort, understanding and the development of a sense of brotherhood and sisterhood. We need to cultivate a universal responsibility for one another and the planet we share.
We are driven by self-interest, it’s necessary to survive. But we need wise self-interest that is generous and co-operative, taking others’ interests into account. Co-operation comes from friendship, friendship comes from trust, and trust comes from kind-heartedness. Once you have a genuine sense of concern for others, there’s no room for cheating, bullying or exploitation.
The way to change others' minds is with affection, and not anger.
True friendship develops not as a result of money or power but on the basis of genuine human affection.
A simple smile. That's the start of opening your heart and being compassionate to others.
Progress is possible only if we train ourselves to think about programs without thinking of them as pieces of executable code.
I love no one but you, I have discovered, but you are far away and I am here alone.
The feeling of accomplishment welled up inside of me, three Olympic gold medals. I knew that was something nobody could ever take away from me, ever.
My job is to stay alive until the medicine and research catch up.