Quotes of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

The purpose of spiritual practice is to fulfill our aspiration to happiness. We all want to be happy and to be free from suffering, and I think we all have the right to fulfill this aspiration. If you look at the happiness you seek and the suffering you try to avoid, the pleasant and unpleasant feelings that arise as a result of the sensory perception of taste, smell, texture, sound, and the forms surrounding us are obvious. However, there is also another level of perception. True happiness must be sought on the mental level. If you compare the psychological and physical planes of happiness, it becomes clear that the psychological experience of pain and pleasure is stronger. For example, you may be in beautiful surroundings, but if we are depressed or something is greatly troubling us, we are unlikely to notice what is happening around us. On the other hand, if we are happy, it is easier for us to endure the trials and vicissitudes of fate. This shows that the experience of pain and pleasure at the level of thoughts and emotions is stronger than at the level of the body.