Jade Small | October 25, 2014
At the turn of this century, the Dalai Lama issued the following
eighteen rules for living.
Of
the many problems we face today,
some are natural calamities and
must be accepted and faced with equanimity. Others, however, are of our own
making, created by misunderstanding, and can be corrected.
One such type arises from the
conflict of ideologies, political or religious, when people fight each other
for petty ends, losing sight of the basic humanity that binds us
all together as a single human family. We must remember
that the different religions, ideologies, and political systems of the world
are meant for human beings to achieve happiness. We must not lose
sight of this fundamental goal and at no time should we place
means above ends; the supremacy of humanity over matter and ideology
must always be maintained.
By
far the greatest single danger facing humankind – in fact, all living beings on
our planet – is the threat of nuclear destruction. I need not elaborate on this
danger, but I would like to appeal to all the leaders of the nuclear powers who
literally hold the future of the world in
their hands, to the scientists and technicians who continue to create these
awesome weapons of destruction, and to all the people at large who are in a
position to influence their leaders: I appeal to them to exercise their sanity and
begin to work at dismantling and destroying all nuclear weapons. We know that
in the event of a nuclear war there will be no victors because there will be no
survivors! Is it not frightening just to contemplate such inhuman and heartless
destruction? And, is it not logical that we should remove the cause for
our own destruction when we know the cause and have both the time and the means to
do so? Often we cannot overcome our problems because we either do not know the
cause or, if we understand it, do not have the means to remove it. This is not
the case with the nuclear threat. ~ Dalai Lama
Rule 2. When you lose,
don’t lose the lesson
Rule 3. Follow the
three Rs: 1. Respect for self 2. Respect for others 3. Responsibility for all
your actions.
Rule 4. Remember that
not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
Rule
5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them
properly.
Rule 6. Don’t let a
little dispute injure a great friendship.
Rule 7. When you
realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
Rule
8. Spend some time alone every day.
Rule 9. Open your arms
to change, but don’t let go of your values.
Rule 10. Remember that
silence is sometimes the best answer.
Rule
11. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll be able to
enjoy it a second time.
Rule
12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the
foundation for your life.
Rule 13. In
disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don’t
bring up the past.
Rule 14. Share your
knowledge. It’s a way to achieve immortality.
Rule
15. Be gentle with the earth.
Rule 16. Once a year,
go someplace you’ve never been before.
Rule
17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which
your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
Rule 18. Judge your success
by what you had to give up in order to get it.
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