You could say that the Dalai Lama is a pretty interesting guy. After all, his stance on extraterrestrial life is far more open-minded than you’d expect from a religious figure, and when asked what surprises him the most in a recent interview, he offered this insightful response: “Man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.”
It’s a powerful message, and one that is worth taking a moment to truly consider.
Everything Is Backwards on Earth!
We do so many things backwards here. We go about our lives in such a destructive manner on so many levels, and then just use money to fix it. In order to get that money, we have to work most of our days at jobs we, for the most part, don’t even like, damaging our health that we now work to earn money to repair. We do this while thinking of all the toys we can buy to distract us from the jobs we hate, or the retirement we want to take us away from work that we may never actually reach because we’ve ignored our health and happiness for so long. It appears as though we live to work more than anything else here, and have essentially enrolled in a kind of slavery we don’t even recognize we’ve entered.
The Dalai Lama’s quote and what it inspires within me reminds me of another quote that sums up this paradox beautifully.
“Just look at us. Everything is backwards, everything is upside down. Doctors destroy health, lawyers destroy justice, psychiatrists destroy minds, scientists destroy truth, major media destroys information, religions destroy spirituality and governments destroy freedom.”
– Michael Ellner
This may be very obvious to you or it may come as a surprise, and you might think to yourself, What do you mean? None of those things are true. To that I would respond, look around you; truly look at how each one of the things mentioned in that quote operate and you will begin to see how accurately it describes our society today.
Legitimate Quote?
I came across this Dalai Lama quote a little while back, but I decided to do some research to ensure it actually came from him. In all likelihood he did say these words, but the exact translation might be different.
Nevertheless, whether he said it or not, this is a great message for us to take five minutes to think about. After all, it may make us look at a few things in our lives differently, and that is always worthwhile.
I have thought this countless times! Finding it funny how humans, more specifically the Western Civilization, is wired for self-destruction! Imagine how stupid we must look if there was some advanced, over-seeing life form spectating the way humans have colonized Earth.
Stupidity is a perception based on not understanding each other or our current reality. We should embrace their speciation and continue to rejoice in being HUMAN since that is what we are and exactly what all need us to be.
The whole world is wired for self-destruction, just some deny to see the whole picture.
Exactly, the radio frequency of WIFI and mobile phone are killing children and human quietly:
This Is What The World Would Look Like If Cell Phone Radiation Was Visible
http://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/12/20/this-is-what-the-world-would-look-like-if-cell-phone-radiation-was-visible/
I agree totally, totally and totally. We live in a world of dept, how has this become so? On the other hand there is something to say about it. It gives life a very profound dynamics; love, joy, truth(?) and try not to fall for being attached to power, materials, etc.
This seems to be an incredibly negative message overall for someone of his teachings, as if it has been corrupted in translation or linguistics to put these negative fear based thoughts and beliefs into the mind and from someone considered to be a credible source. (SOUND FAMILIAR? ) The world has always had corruption, pain and negative emotions since the bringing of time. The answer is to be happy anyways and only use positive emotions WHICH YOU HAVE TO MAKE AN EFFORT TO CHOOSE TO DO EVERYTHING SINGLE DAY (Joy, Self-preservation in all that is oneness, Reasoning to make the correct choices and then take actions to benefit the greater good). That is the only message a monk or anyone of that caliper would let leave their lips. They do not shame, confuse, or propagate negativity and this is not a true message for anyone to consider valid from the supposed source. Look inside yourselves and listen, feel, think, be. And be as good and as positive ONLY as your true nature and intentions you sense to be.
I wouldn’t call this negative, just the cold hearted truth. We live in a world where we are told what is true and what is false by our governments, teachers, parents etc., but yet when you think about it, How much of what they are telling you is really true? What significant information that is true, is not being told? Why does the government tell you that you have freedom, yet regulates every step you make in your life. How can one be truly happy when they have to work most of their life to get to where they really want to be. In a way we are slaves to our government and its not set out to put fear into people but to open their eyes and give them a view that they were too blind to see.
I don’t know about you, but the government doesn’t control a single part of my life. I decide what I do with my life, and nobody else. If I want to eat bacon today, I WILL. If I want to jump off of a bridge, I WILL. People act as if the government is some single all-powerful entity that is mind controlling every single citizen that exists, but this isn’t so. Cassie isn’t the one who needs to wake up, it’s people like you. So accusing, teaching others not to trust one another, as if we only have ourselves in life, as if we’re all alone in this world. Sure, some people you CAN’T trust, but we learn who to trust and who not to. The government – isn’t a person. It’s multiple peoples, of which some you can trust and some you cannot. The government is in charge of quite a lot of things, and there are also multiple governments – which government do you mean that we can’t trust? The state government? Federal? City? Which one? Or are you referring to a conspiracy government like the illuminati or something silly like that?
Also, everyone has freedom; even in prison. You still have the freedom to say what you feel; to think and continue believing in the way that is unique only to you. Truth, freedom, all of these powerful words being thrown up, can have multiple interpretations to each individual person on this planet.
The second quote, I have to agree, is a somewhat negative view on the world. We are only slaves to our jobs if we put ourselves there. We have every right to freely quit a job we hate and move onto another one. We can even quit entirely and live in the wilderness or on the streets. I’ve met multiple homeless people who are actually happier that way. But, I’ve also met people who are incredibly happy with their life and whatever job they may have. Again, you are only a slave to it if you think in such a way.
You think it’s negative because you feel how deeply his message is true. ”The answer is to be happy (anyways)”
what Dalai Lama wants to express is how we’ve terribly shaped our lives with making pieces of papers valuable while they’re just objects,there’s more than enough of food to feed the whole population and much place for all kind of living beings so why make it out of reach just because of pieces of papers?
His message is about awakening from the delusion we’ve cursed ourselves with.
Exactly what he said!
By James (Jim) Brown
…”scientists destroy truth”. Disagree 1000%. Scientists seek out truth, therefore, this statement is flawed.
Yeah that’s what ”Nasa’s Blue Beam Project” does.
Bahahaha damn I haven’t heard about that crap in over a decade…. I ll give you that, conspiracy theories in the 90’s were way sexier than they are today… beside the fact that NASA has been completely castrated since then… that in our day and age it’d be almost impossible to pull off today… all things considered even if it wasn’t pure utopia from the get go, i’d sign up for it any day against the current state of things… our world would be that much better and we’d be trading a lie against a more federating one… but come on give me a break and then what the moon landing was an hoax too?????
So I heard you are a very nice fellah, so yeah come on… let people be? ^^
I read this quote is from Ali Bin Talib, not from Lama
,I don’t agree that money or working affects you health. Because if you was’nt working
You would have to find another preoccupation, which might be unbenificial to health.
Being healthy or not it’s your choice,your reality is the result of your thoughts which are orbiting around preoccupations and money while life is much more than that.
I this agree that pharma and destroys health.
but most of it is linked to a deterministic point of view.
That nothing is under our control. Without building a
paradigm on making what we agree important for
human synergy we will always live in a world of opposites.
I think it’s all linked to greed of money and power. ALL of our problems
While the post above is often attributed to the Dalai Lama, it is not among his known writings. It was, in fact, taken from another source:
Also attributed as author unknown, this appears to be a loose adaptation of the work of Reata Strickland, who has published it as “An Interview with God” (ISBN 0743229576).
“What surprises you most about humanity?”
“Man…. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.”
Original text:
“What surprises you most about mankind?”
God answered:
“That they get bored of being children, are in a rush to grow up, and then long to be children again. That they lose their health to make money and then lose their money to restore their health. That by thinking anxiously about the future, they forget the present, such that they live neither for the present nor the future. That they live as if they will never die, and they die as if they had never lived.”
I like the Dalai Lama and I get his newsfeed regularly. As with Mahatma Gandhi and Thomas Jefferson, there are a lot of interenet bloggers and posters who seem to think that giving credit to an obscure writer will somehow diminish the message. No, let’s give credit where credit is due.
like
Flawed view of the world, Mr Dalai Lama. People do not only work to pay for their health, nobody I know even the poorer folks splash all their cash on hospital bills (unless they are unlucky). In fact where I was born most health care is free and most of my friends including myself work travelling the world. Indeed I am in China right now and have only just visited two months prior a place I’m sure you are familiar with – Lhasa.
I have much respect for Bhuddism, the social values of old chinese culture, including free education and confucius’ teachings. However in this case you are wrong. People these days generally have the exact opposite problem (in the western world). Asia is a different matter. They spend cash without thought and just live for the present, amassing debt and other problems. So what you are describing is not ‘humanity’ but an ethnic problem. Go to Europe or American i can guarantee you’ve find a completely different mindset.
Perhaps You haven’t had a chance to experience life in it’s fullness being appart from civilisation, even Your mindset would change if You had children…
America is probably the worst example you can give…
dear mr james asia is a place where ppl save money ….check ur facts and then talk…
And what happens as we grow older? It’s fair to say that our kids are the future but if they were less spoiled and not thinking about money constantly they can actually lead a productive and a happy life. Entertainment is what’s mistaken for happiness and that’s where the problem lies in my eyes. No discipline, no moral, no self respect let alone respect for others. It’s fair to say that we don’t only ruin our health by spending ridiculous amounts of money but we ruin it for everyone else also.
Can I just point out one discrepancy …. The Dali Lama has an excellent command of English !
If you think science seeks out the truth, you need to wake up.
Science seeks out reality not truth.
whose reality…yours? science is a byproduct of religion, not the other way around. We know what came firsts, its not a chicken or the egg question. You may believe in science being a reality, but religion was a cause of that reality. What makes science more evolved than religion when the aspiration for science was derived from religion? It’s kind of like saying a tree does not really need its roots….weird isn’t it?
welcome back to reality 😉
Yes .. look at the fabulous job religion has done !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ????????????
We as parents ….need to look after our young….we have parents we love….independent scotland we need
WHEN WILL WE LEARN? independence of thought is what we need .. not independence within another border there are too many borders as it is politically, religiously, and other traditions that need to be examined for their values. LEST THEY CONTINUE TO KEEP US WITHIN OUR COMFORTABLE BOXES AND PROHIBIT SOCIAL GROWTH SO NECESARY FOR STOPPING BIG BUSINES/ PHARMA AND POLITICS FROM RUINING THIS GIFT WHICH HAS BEEN ENTRUSTED TO US,
The Dalai Lama speaks of Buddha’s teachings on occasion but he certainly does not practice them. Please check below the surface – he is causing a massive divide within Tibetan society and literally causing the suffering of millions of Tibetans by banning a main stream Buddhist practice he and all his teachers used to practice. He could stop self immolations with one minute of speech but chooses not to. He plays poltical games with the pure Tibetan lineage of Buddhism and is destroying it fast. He is a dangerous man to which an increasing number of Buddhists and Tibetans are formally opposing him after ignored requests for dialogue for 18 years. Check out Dalai Lama Exposed on FB.
He believes in the free will of people to determine and take responsibility for their actions – Karma
As such he, in the position of the Dalai Lama and out of concern for all, is only advising people that they shouldn’t be involved with Dorje Shugden and has said on many occasions that he cannot and would not do anything to stop them if they chose to ignore his advice.
http://www.dalailama.com/messages/dolgyal-shugden/his-holiness-advice
it’s the NKT(& the deity aka “Percy Sugden”) who promulgate this rubbish about the greatest bodhisattva alive today.
There’s a posting about this situation also on fb by a monk who didn’t understand himself why he was protesting about HHDL and has reverted.
With a post like yours Body, it’s hard not to think you are working for the Chinese government. To attach the Dalai Lama while ignoring the brutal repression of Tibet and political manipulation of it’s religion. amounts to a propagandistic lie.
That quote wasn’t actually made up by the Dali Lama. It’s a paraphrase from a short story called “An interview with God”. It’s very interesting, and goes much deeper then just that quote.
Their teaching to be vegetarian is totally wrong. See Taiwan famous monk (older than Dalai Lama) has stroke. See Health topic: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hsing_Yun
The teaching is also rebuked in Scriptures, at Book of 1 Timothy 4:1-5.
http://www.urbandharma.org/udharma3/meat.html
Like cancer, strokes are largely luck of the draw
more to do with what you put in your mouth I believe
Do you like being eaten for food Timo? No? That’s what I thought. Maybe you should extend this courtesy to other creatures too. Love is love, and that includes love of other animals. Also, the bible is not worth the paper it is printed on. You will learn this the hard way after your body dies and you are judged for harm you have done to others, including animals.
Plants are living too. Why doesn’t everyone just not eat anything so we can die and save the planet.
that’s just silly talk
It wasn’t the Dalai Lama who said this, it was originally said by James J. Lachard.
That quote is definitely a translation of Imam Ali Ibn Abi Talib’s hadith peace be upon him.
Yes, it is true that Imam Ali Ibn Abi Talib was a great man full of insight and humanity. Too bad he was also religious. We don”t need religion. We just need the wise words of great men and women like Ali Ibn Abi Talib, Dalaï Lama, Dadi Janki, Epicurus, Montaigne, Nietzche, Sam Harris,… and many many others without all the lies and immorality of religions.
So you’re saying that no religious or spiritual person can be wise or great????? You don’t think the Dalai Lama is religious at all????
Also, artists destroy art.
In my humble opinion,The Dalai Llama is much audio friendlier than the Pope. No disrespect to the Pope or his followers.
who would win in a fight the papa or the llama?
In an evil capitalist society poor people are forced to work all hours not for material gain but just to survive and put food on their children’s table. They are slaves to work as they have no choice
And even worse: in evil socialist or communist societies people work for nothing, have no reason to be ambitious and learn that the “all government all the time” idea isn’t what it’s cracked up to be. Give me capitalistic USA any day, friend, where people still have a chance to live as they choose.
Live as we choose or live as we must?
Freedom is an illusion.
Tell that to Socialist Sweden, the most successful country in the world as far as the three pillars of what creates a prosperous society, that being– the Economy, Education and Healthcare. Socialist Sweden’s Economy is by far better than ours, their education system makes our education system look like broken step children and they have universal healthcare for all. Not to mention they have a $50,000 a year, minimum wage, what is America’s 7.25 an hour? Capitalism is no shining star…
Alice that’s a false choice, that the only two options are shitty capitalism that screws people over or shitty communism that also screws people over. People anywhere have a chance to live as they choose, but it’s decreasing as the fascists stack the deck against us and increasingly control our lives.
“…as they choose”?! Let’s think about it, if we still know how to think!!
If we were all like the Dalai Lama our children would starve.
“sheer” truth.
I’ve been asking my parents about this for years. I’ve always been told it’s called living a productive life. And while I agree a productive life is good, our ideas of productive seem to differ.
Man who sacrifices everything in pursuit of the ultimate happiness has no obligation to humanity
Best article ever!!
“How strange and foolish is man. He loses his health in gaining wealth. Then, to regain his health he wastes his wealth. He ruins his present while worrying about his future, but weeps in the future by recalling his past. He lives as though death shall never come to him, but dies in a way as if he were never born”
Imam Ali as
James J. Lachard > Quotes > Quotable Quote
“Man surprised me most about humanity. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money.
Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.”
this messages is really striking! many of us wasting our life worrying, stressed and saddddddddddd ! really upsetting !
Exactly!! I have been following His Holiness for more than 10 years now. His teachings and words of wisdom has helped me become a better person and helped me find peace within myself
Totally agree with the writer and the Dalai Lama. Aone typo though: “the shear truth that exists within those words.” Sheer should be sheer. 😉