Memories in Quotes
Since returning to New Zealand recently I’ve been working each day on my mindfulness and compassion (as part of my ‘fresh start’). Last week the Dalai Lama turned 80 and I stumbled across this excellent website of his quotes (http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-18655/happy-80th-birthday-dalai-lama-17-wise-quotes-to-change-the-way-you-think.html). From here I thought I would select a few of my favourites and share what they mean to me with my photographs.
“When I meet people in different parts of the world, I am always reminded that we are all basically alike: we are all human beings. Maybe we have different clothes, our skin is of a different colour, or we speak different languages. That is on the surface. But basically, we are the same human beings. That is what binds us to each other. That is what makes it possible for us to understand each other and to develop friendship and closeness.”
Children in Kampala, Uganda
“Everyday, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it.”
Jumping at sunrise on the Salt Flats, Bolivia
“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive.”
Baby baboon’s that are carried by cuddling the back or tummy of a parent, Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya
“I believe all suffering is caused by ignorance. People inflict pain on others in the selfish pursuit of their happiness or satisfaction. Yet true happiness comes from a sense of inner peace and contentment, which in turn must be achieved through the cultivation of altruism, of love and compassion and elimination of ignorance, selfishness and greed.”
Child on roadside in Kampala, Uganda
“If you don’t love yourself, you cannot love others. You will not be able to love others. If you have no compassion for yourself then you are not able of developing compassion for others.”
Baby Baboons, Namibia Wildlife Sanctuary
Baboons grooming
I hope this has added some thoughtfulness and compassion to your week as it has to mine.
