If I Had Not Been A Monk,

Through Difficult Experiences, Life Sometimes Becomes More Meaningful.

Everything Is Interconnected. My Interest Is Linked To Everyone Else's. Our Survival And Future Are Linked. Therefore The Destruction Of Your So-called Enemy Is Actually The Destruction Of Your Self.

The Way To Change Others' Minds Is With Affection, And Not Anger.

I Believe Compassion To Be One Of The Few Things We Can Practice That Will Bring Immediate And Long-term Happiness To Our Lives. I'm Not Talking About The Short-term Gratification Of Pleasures Like Sex, Drugs Or Gambling (though I'm Not Knocking Them), But Something That Will Bring True And Lasting Happiness. The Kind That Sticks.

Religion Is Important For Humanity, But It Should Evolve With Humanity. The First Priority Is To Establish And Develop The Principle Of Pluralism In All Religious Traditions. If We, The Religious Leaders, Cultivate A Sincere Pluralistic Attitude, Then Everything Will Be More Simple. It Is Good That Most Religious Leaders Are At Least Beginning To Recognize Other Traditions, Even Though They May Not Approve Of Them. The Next Step Is To Accept That The Idea Of Propagating Religion Is Outdated. It No Longer Suits The Times.