I Believe All Suffering Is Caused By

We May Now Have Reached A Point Where This Gap In Our Make-up Has Become Unsustainable; Partly Because What In The Past Would Have Counted As Material Plenty Has Become The Norm For The Majority In Much Of The World; And Partly Because The Slow Retreat Of Religion That Coincided With The Spread Of A Capitalist Economy Has Left A Gaping Hole In Millions Of People's Lives. (geoff Mulgan)

My Own View, Which Does Not Rely Solely On Religious Faith Or Even On An Original Idea, But Rather On Ordinary Common Sense, Is That Establishing Binding Ethical Principles Is Possible When We Take As Our Starting Point The Observation That We All Desire Happiness And Wish To Avoid Suffering.

Those Who Like Myself, Consider Themselves To Be Followers Of Buddha, Should Practice As Much As We Can. To Followers Of Other Religious Traditions, I Would Like To Say, 'please Practice Your Own Religion Seriously And Sincerely.' And To Non-believers, I Request You To Try To Be Warm-hearted. I Ask This Of You Because These Mental Attitudes Actually Bring Us Happiness.

Each Of You Should Feel That You Have Great Potential And That, With Self-confidence And A Little More Effort, Change Really Is Possible If You Want It. If You Feel That Your Present Way Of Life Is Unpleasant Or Has Some Difficulties, Then Don't Look At These Negative Things. See The Positive Side, The Potential, And Make An Effort.

I Call The Light And High Aspects Of My Being Spirit And The Dark And Heavy Aspects Soul.