The Art of Happiness in a Troubled World

by Dalai Lama XIV

For example, in Buddhist ethics, we have a list of what are called ‘heinous crimes.’ These include the murdering of one’s own father and mother, creating schism within the community, and so on. But just because these things exist doesn’t mean that human beings cannot adopt a moral way of life.” “Yes, that may be true, but . . .” “Howard,” he went on, “I think we should remember that what we are proposing is a mode of behavior that is grounded upon the recognition of the basic goodness of human nature. And with that full awareness, deliberately adopting a way of life to express this. That is our purpose, our goal. So that’s why we are trying to educate humanity. We are trying to promote the idea that basic human nature is positive, so there is the possibility to promote our sense of community, our sense of concern. And this is not a religious matter. This is not simply a matter of philosophy either. It is our future.