His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibetan Buddhism
When visiting my sister recently, I came upon a unique picture on the wall of her studio. On it was written a philosophical observation; an astute insight into our times by the current spiritual leader of Tibet, the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso. His insight exemplified society’s empty dichotomies and piqued my curiosity about Buddha’s simple but tranquil religion.
The Paradox of Our Age
We have the biggest houses but smaller families;
more conveniences but less time.
We have more degrees but less sense;
more knowledge, but less judgment;
more experts but more problems;
more medicines, but less healthiness.
We’ve been to the moon and back;
but have trouble crossing the street to meet our neighbor.
We built more computers to hold more
information to produce more copies than ever;
but have less communication.
We have become long on quantity;
but short on quality.
These are times of fast foods; but slow digestion;
tall men but short character;
steep profits but shallow relationships.
It’s a time when there is much in the windows,
but nothing in the room.
-Tenzin Gyatso
