Dalai Lama (14th) — "We need to educate people about the importance of inner values."
We need to educate people about the importance of inner values.
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More from Dalai Lama (14th)
"When we feel love and kindness toward others, it not only makes others feel loved and cared for, but it helps us also to develop inner happiness and peace."
"I think the Chinese government is a little bit like a child. Sometimes they behave a little bit naughty."
"My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness."
"My whole life has been dedicated to the cause of peace and non-violence."
"I feel that if one has a good heart, one will be happy."
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Understanding this quote
What it means
The quote calls for deliberate effort to teach people about internal moral qualities—compassion, patience, honesty, empathy—rather than letting education focus solely on academic or economic achievement. It argues that society's deepest problems stem from neglect of these internal qualities. True well-being and peaceful coexistence depend not on external success but on cultivating character from within. Education must make room for developing the ethical and emotional foundations of how people treat one another.
Relevance to Dalai Lama (14th)
Tenzin Gyatso has devoted his public role—beyond purely religious leadership—to promoting what he calls secular ethics. His books like Ethics for the New Millennium and Beyond Religion argue that compassion and moral values can be taught outside religious frameworks. He actively addresses schools, universities, and governments worldwide, and his Nobel Peace Prize (1989) recognized his belief that inner transformation, not political power, is the true foundation of lasting peace.
The era
The 14th Dalai Lama came of age during the Cold War's materialist ideological contest, then witnessed the late 20th century's explosion of consumer culture, technological disruption, and rising mental health crises. As secular education systems worldwide focused increasingly on economic productivity and STEM skills, the erosion of community, empathy, and ethical reasoning became measurable. His call for inner values education emerged as a direct response to a civilization visibly prospering materially while deteriorating morally and psychologically.
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