I have a sweet tooth for song and music. This is my Polish sin.
Pope John Paul II
I really like what the Dalai Lama has to say on most issues. He seems like someone I would really love to have a one-on-one conversation with, someone who could give you some amazing feedback and counterpoint to the way you see the world. I’ve seen documentaries featuring him and even talked to the director of one of them who somewhat confirmed this idea. Then, while hiking in the Himalayas last year I was fortunate enough to hike with one of the most amazing people I’ve ever met, a Hungarian woman named Kati, so naturally we called her Steve. Amazingly she embraced Steve and for any Tao of Steve fans, her innate Steveness. Well, of course, Steve had actually been fortunate enough to have spent thirty-minutes with his holiness and fully confirmed how amazing that experience was for her. In my life I’ve had two people described to me a person who seemed to emanate light and peace. The first was a description of Pope John Paul the second by my aunt a nun and the second was Steve’s description of the Dalai Lama.
So for your little bit of happiness today I give you quotes from both:
To develop a sense of universal responsibility – of the universal dimension of our every act and of the equal right of all others to happiness and not to suffer – is to develop an attitude of mind whereby, when we see an opportunity to benefit others, we will take it in preference to merely looking after our own narrow interests.
~Dalai Lama
Love is never defeated, and I could add, the history of Ireland proves it.
Pope John Paul II
My true religion, my simple faith is in love and compassion. There is no need for complicated philosophy, doctrine, or dogma. Our own heart, our own mind, is the temple. The doctrine is compassion. Love for others and respect for their rights and dignity, no matter who or what they are – these are ultimately all we need.
~Dalai Lama
To maintain a joyful family requires much from both the parents and the children. Each member of the family has to become, in a special way, the servant of the others.
Pope John Paul II
The simple recognition that everyone else wants to be happy and not to suffer, just as I do, serves as a constant reminder against selfishness and partiality. It reminds us there is little to be gained from being kind and generous while hoping to win something in return. Actions motivated by a desire to earn a good name for ourselves are still selfish, even if they appear to acts of kindness
~Dalai Lama
The Ministry of Happiness 