Here is the latest Internet hoax and the photo that comes with it. Facebook morons are pumping these out faster than the Franklin Mint pushes out worthless 9-11 memorabilia.
The Dalai Lama, when asked what surprised him most about humanity, answered, ‘Man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.’ <—– FAKE!
This quote, printed over a photograph of the Dalai Lama, is floating around on Facebook. It is inspiring millions of simple-minded Facebookers — but there’s a problem. HE NEVER SAID IT! There is no record of the Dalai Lama ever saying this and on his website there is no mention of it. Devout followers of the Dalai Lama say it is not true, but we live in the day where all one needs to do is put something up on Facebook and it becomes the law of the land — at least where idiots are concerned.
Why do people on Facebook fall for this baloney? Last week it was the fake quote attributed to Betty White about testicles and vaginas and this week it’s about the Dalai Lama and his opinions about mankind and money. All you need is to be vaguely familiar with the teachings of the Dalai Lama to know that this is not true, He does not moralize like this. I hate to tell all you people who have been magically hoisted onto a heavenly plane by this quote that it is 100% not true. He never said it.
“We were surprised to see this quote in a handout we received as part of our fundraising for our cause,” said Laksmi Shamar, a devout Buddhist and a foot soldier in the battle against the Chinese oppression of Tibet.
When asked about the specific photo and the quote Shamar said that she had never heard of this quote and referred us to this writer who exposes more and more fake Dalai Lama quotes each week. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3834680/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1 <—This guy is very knowledgeable.
“Moralizing is not the tone and has never been the intent of the Dalai Lama, but we live in the age of the internet and invention. In the past I have heard many people evoke the name of the Dalai Lama to bolster their own ideas, so this is not the first and I am sure that it will not be the last.”
Shamar is not a household name, but bigger names have not come forward to authenticate the quote simply because it’s not true and, according to inside sources, for them to mention it would serve only to add more steam to the engine of inauthenticty that drives quotes like this one.
The Tibetan Council of Northern California has not placed any credence on the quote and not a word of it has been leaked by the President of the council, Eva Herzer or chief advisor Phurpa Laden La.
Also, no authenticty was cited by Julia Shepardson who is on the council and has worked in a Tibetan refugee settlement in Nepal. She was regional Director of the Tibetan US Resettlement Project in the San Francisco Bay Area and a founding board member of the Committee of 100 for Tibet.
Tenzin Tethong, another prominent name — perhaps the most prominent — has not offered any credence to the validity of the quote. Tenzin Tethong is Chair of the Committee of 100 for Tibet, and President of the Dalai Lama Foundation. He is Distinguished Fellow, Tibetan Studies Initiative, and a member of the Center for Compassion & Altruism Research and Education, Stanford University. He is a former Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in New York and Washington, D.C., and former Chairman of the Kashag, the Cabinet of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
The list of names goes on and on and on. Sadly it does not go on as long as the list of millions of mindless Facebookers who pass this stuff along with nary a care. Last week TheDamienZone.com had to remind millions of Americans that actress Betty White, her baudy sense of humor notwithstanding, never said something that was attributed to her on millions of Facebook accounts.
“Sometimes a person will hear something that sounds in their mind like a certain person should have said it and they get some measure of comfort from believing it to be true. Perhaps they themselves invent a somewhat inspirational quote and know that it will have no legs or longevity unless they attribute that quote to someone more famous than themselves. Many of the New Testament gospels may have been written this way.” [Dean Traherne, MD, UCMC Behavioral Health LLC.]
There should be a lot of laws implemented regarding internet hoaxes like this. Not simply because they are hoaxes, but because when something becomes this popular in the trenches of the day to day life of mouse clickers who don’t know any better, they can become a vehicle by which computer viruses are spread. The internet generation in the USA has become wise about clicking on links that seem suspicious or phony, but show them an inspirational quote by the Dalai Lama or a dirty joke from Betty White and they click away.
Look here and try to find any reference to the quote: http://www.dalailama.com/messages#Articles Then write to any of the people listed here and ask them about what I just told you — get back to me and say you’re sorry for spreading false information and misquoting a man who already has enough aggravation. http://www.tanc.org/about/advisory-council/
I’m kind of lost now DDM…lol
The first time I heard this was from the following website in 2001.
Bruce — you enetered a fake email address so I will not post your link. I don’t care when people put up fake emails but if you want a llink left in your comment, you have to use a REAL email. I am not in business to promote your world.
Always beware when you see the words should be, or ought to prohibited when concerned with folks deciminating information. I shouldn’t have to say this put don’t be afraid to have your own opinion, and disagree with should and ought to be/not to be folks. Laws in the category of those proposed here limit freedom of speech and should never be considered. How did you like that “should”? We should educate folks to think for themselves…not censor them.
I found this website because I shared that exact photo on Facebook. I shared the quote, but that doesn’t mean I necessarily believe the Dalai Lama said it, nor do I care if he did, didn’t, or if someone else did. I just think it’s a good quote; wherever it came from. I think that’s what most people think, which is why they share it.
BUT THE FRIGGING QUOTE IS ATTRIBUTED TO THE DALAI LAMA !!! How fucking hard is it to realize that one does not go around inventing quotes simply because they “sound nice” — SIMPLETON!!!
I believe this is a quote (or very similar to), a quite from Ali ibne Abu Talib from a book called Peak of Eloquence written like a 1000 years ago.
I agree with what mac says.
ok – agreed you’ve got a point abt the internet virus spreading thru these kinda shares. But there’s nothin more to it.
so what if this quote isn’t by DL ? Ppl shared this coz its something that inspires them and something they can relate to. Pardon me – not coz,they are mindless or jobless.
And ofcourse its stupid to use a famous person’s name to popularise a quote. But facebooker who share thus are concerned abt the QUOTE and NOT the person.
Why create a chaos? Ultimately, the saying matters. Not so much the artist. 🙂
If they’re concerned about the QUOTE, then they should share the QUOTE, and leave the famous person (the Dalai Lama, Morgan Freeman, Chris Hedges and/or Abraham Lincoln, whomever) OFF it. Or do they think the quote can’t stand alone without the veneer of respectability the picture and name of the famous person grant…?
I have covered in greath length the reasons why people pass quotes around and attach them to famous people who did NOT say the words. One reason people do this is because they’re simple-minded, and the other reason is that they’re morons. I know that sounds silly, but there are no other logical explanations. The people who originate these things can, in many cases, be trying to give legs to words which would otherwise have been ignored.
Folks this is not a fake quote. I heard HHDL speak these exact words last year at Syracuse University. The picture is even accurate as it looks like the SU hat given to him.
NICKI! YOU ARE A LIAR! HE NEVR SAID IT. DON’T LIE! I WILL BLOCK YOUR IP ADDRESS IN BATAVIA and YOU WILL NEVER EVER BE ABLE TO READ THIS SITE AGAIN BECAUSE YOU’RE A FUCKING LIAR.
Actually I am not a liar, but I will gladly not peruse this page again. But do your research asshole.
YOU ARE A LIAR — YOU ARE A FUCKING LIAR.
@DDM I understand your disappointment that your hero is being misquoted (allegedly) but your language and lack of understanding of other’s point of view shows me you haven’t heard a word the great man has said. Show a little tolerance and don’t judge people for spreading a positive message, whether the Dalai Lama said it or not.
Firstly, Mark, DDM is not a person. That is an email address for TheDamienZone. Damien Direct Mail — hence the DDM. Anyway, the Dalai Lama is not my hero — not by a longshot. I just see him as an ersatz celebrity like the Kardashians or Honey Boo Boo. I don’t give a shit what he says or doesn’t say. My objective is to point out to his legions of dopey fans that he’s being misquoted, and that if they really adore him so much, they would decry these misquotes because a lie can never be a positive message. A lie is a lie. The purpose of this website is to point out stupidity and dumbness and lying is often inherent to those two entities. Often I have to stoop to the level of the defenders of stupidity and dumbness because you can’t bring a slingshot to a gun fight. I have no tolerance for stupidity — even my own. It pains me when I have to write stuff like this. I feel like part of the problem.
Damien LeGallienne
Editor
Whenever I would see this photo or similar on Facebook I always had this feeling in my gut; the kind of feeling that feels like illusion. Never able to place my finger on it, I just went on about things with maybe an eyeroll.
But yesterday, after burying a friend who died young, I came home and saw this photo again (shared by a well-intentioned and sweet friend). And again, the quote…yes I read it again…did not sit well.
I scoured for the source. Nothing. Maybe an hour or so later I find your page and feel validated. I REALLY appreciate your research into this.
This world has many wholesale buying of illusions to start with and as benign as something like this may seem it offers people another illusion and reinforces in them the idea to trust or spread gossip/illusions/falseness JUST because they LIKE the belief it supports.
If one likes the message, fine; So quote it and leave HHDL out of it; Leave Einstein out of it who also never said half the stuff the internetz claim.
When someone attributes ME or when I attribute someone, there should be a standard of truth I can expect to receive and offer. Journalists get fired for faking quotes at reputable newspapers. This is why academia SOURCES original work in reference. This is why plagiarism is punishable in schools and universities. This is why libel, slander, and perjury are offenses. This is why we have copyright infringement.
And as social media continues to blur those lines at a rate never before seen, this is exactly WHY The Damien Zone (and others who continue to point at the unpopular truth) is appreciable.
So what? It’s only a Facebook image w/ false attribution? Oh, to me, it represents so much more.
Thanks for letting me share my opinion.
I don’t usually make comments on blogs likes these, simply because I find too many to be a waste of time and far from any statistical reality. However, this one carries a most intriguing paradox.
1. I have no idea where the Dalai Lama is at this very moment. Whoever does know whereabouts is more likely to be an authority on what he has or hasn’t said.
2. With all due respect to the Dalai Lama, he himself is entitled to speak on his own behalf, or at least tell us what he thinks of the quote.
3. If the Dalai Lama has no interest in this matter, then I say LOL.
4. The level of anxiety and tension of this discussion (whether it be real or a dramatized and brilliantly disguised marketing tool), it is inevitably heading in the right direction. That is to fulfill the alleged quote, which should in truth be inscribed on a someone’s tombstone.
5. In all fairness, I see no substantial evidence to suggest the this quote is fake nor none that would authenticate it. What my expertise does tell me is this. Either someone here has suffered severe, neurological damage through some type of unforgivable emotional trauma, or we have ourselves the dramatization of a brilliant actor (actors?). Sadly, often times those are one in the same.
All patterned comments to this comment have been accurately anticipated and measured.
So damien, you say you have no patience for dumbness and only lookng yo correct the stupidity of all the facebookers spreading viruses….however, your insulting assault on the millions who have shared proves that you speak with an uncontrolled boiling pressure, you speak as a hothead insulting millions of people you never met, by doing so…you put your own self on a pedestal silently saying you are much smarter then those who shared….by doing so you show your own moronic stupidty….also, you make a reference of never bringing a slingshot to a gunfighy…lol, and what experience do you have with entering a gun fight? Have you ever been to war? I have, so if not…leave out the tough quotes you moron. If you have a problem with the falsitity of this quote, learn to do so in a more respectful mannet.
So damien, you say you have no patience for dumbness and only lookng yo correct the stupidity of all the facebookers spreading viruses….however, your insulting assault on the millions who have shared proves that you speak with an uncontrolled boiling pressure, you speak as a hothead insulting millions of people you never met, by doing so…you put your own self on a pedestal silently saying you are much smarter then those who shared….by doing so you show your own moronic stupidty….also, you make a reference of never bringing a slingshot to a gunfighy…lol, and what experience do you have with entering a gun fight? Have you ever been to war? I have, so if not…leave out the tough quotes you moron. If you have a problem with the falsitity of this quote, learn to do so in a more respectful manner
Taz — I think you need to take some reading comprehension tests. To say that you can’t bring a slingshot to a gunfight is to imply that if you enegage in some kind of war — a war of words in this case — you better come prepared — and I do. If you feel insulted by anything I wrote, then you have some kind of guilty conscience about perhaps being one of the dumb ones. It certainly seems like it when you make a silly comparison between a euphemism and an actual act of war.
I’ve seen this quote doing the rounds for years now, and a year or so ago, I nearly fell over when I say the Dalai Lama’s name next to it. Picked it for a hoax straight away. When I mentioned this politely on the site, I was attacked by all the pseudo followers, which surprised me considering the teachings they so proclaim to live by. Comments such as: who cares who said it? Who questions the Dalai Lama anyway? Who do you think you are? And on and on it went> Demoralising. Not for me, but for how easily people are fooled & for how much they want to believe what’s rammed down their throat without even questioning it. It seems questioning the authenticity of a statement is considered unjust, even if the comment is found to be untrue. Well, I don’t proclaim to be much, just a searcher of the truth. And what I’ve learned is there’s a cost in searching for that truth. I stand my ground on this though; if he didn’t say it; he just didn’t say it. Simple! I don’t think we should be saying he did, when he didn’t. This world frightens me a bit. That’s why.
well.. in case anyone posting here may care.. here is what HHDL actually did say:
“The more we care for the happiness of others, the greater our own sense of well-being becomes. Cultivating a close, warm-hearted feeling for others automatically puts the mind at ease. This helps remove whatever fears or insecurities we may have and gives us the strength to cope with any obstacles we encounter. It is the ultimate source of success in life.”
Personally, I don’t care who said it. They are good words to consider in today’s world.
Ahuge, you prove my point about the need in our world to expose stupidity and dumbness — THAT WAS NOT THE POINT OF THE STORY!!!!!
Damien, your call for censorship of the net, so only “True” quotes can be posted anywhere is quite childish!! Of course such a censored net is what the Chinese , the Iranians,North Korea, and other Totalitarian societies/religions are working on and are already doing.
So, in the event of the entire web being censored, will YOU be the one who controls ALL information, to protect us “morons” from mis-quoted quotes ??
Now just WHO is the Moron ?? LOL Your extremely self-centered importance is awesomely silly !:-)
Dear Unable TO READ Glenn — You really need to bone up on your reading comprehension — but I have become accustomed to that kind of DUMBNESS from Dalai Lama people. I suggested that morons (people like you) should investigate the origins of a quote before they share it mindlessly via Faceboook or anywhere else where morons go to spread stupidity. Okay, Glenn — lesson over. I know you will not understand so accept my grade of F in advance.
Damien LeGallienne
Wow Damien. You are harsh. I find the topic interesting, but your ferocious tone a bit detestable. All that rage you manifest towards us “morons” can’t possibly be good for your health or peace of mind.
you are very funny. Dalai Lama didn’t say that, I did. I hate this quote smearing. The Maxwell Effect, I guess. It drives me crazy too, especially when otherwise smart-seeming people pass gas like this. I agree. Why not just pass along the thought without having to say Yogi Lama-Berra said it, when he didn’t.
Damien, you’re right on the money. For these morons to say “it doesn’t matter who said it, the quote is good” when the only reason it gets shared is the false sense of spiritual authority with which it is delivered — not just the picture, but the preface to the quote itself (“preface” in this case means the “…when asked what surprised him” part, for you brain-dead moron fucks out there) — just proves how fucking stupid and lazy people are across the board to begin with. Sharing shit like this is not the disease; it’s just one symptom.
My favorite euphemism for someone of extremely limited intelligence and resourcefulness here lately is: “voter”.
This typical 21st century arguement is a reflection of where humans and humanity is at today.
Is the message less diminished or relevant because it is from/not from the Dalai Lama?
A simple sequence of words have been used to communicate an idea (that has hurt no one and could ‘possibly’ benefit others) but has become a platform for exchange of anger,insults,angression and hate.
What does it matter if its credited to the Dalai Lama, My mother or Anonymous? What should it matter to the ‘enlightened’ if the’moron’chooses to believe/forward it OR the ‘moron’ that the ‘enlightened’ has lost his way for not beleiving the authenticity or lack thereof of the source?
Is the message of any relevance?to you?(keep it) or others?(ignore it)
Can we as occupants of the same space and time come up with a template that ensures our harmonious existence?
Scenes like these are far too common on social media and am puzzled that for an age (in history) where man has the most access to information and knowledge,this much chaos can be found.
What the hell are you talking about. Obatomi? I’ll tell you how we can resolve this little problem of yours — the one where you don’t seem to understand why attributing a quote to someone who didn’t say it is a bad thing. Please send me a photo of yourself. On that photo I will write — “Human beings suck ass and they should all be as enlightened as I am because I’m real smart.” ~Obatomi Abubakar~ How would you like that? The Dalai Lama has followers who heed his word. If you misquote him, you could cause trouble. How hard is that to understand?
I think the writer needs to relax a little. People are sharing this because it’s a nice quote, regardless of its origin. I recall the Dali Lama once advising people not to have children because they complicate people’s lives too much. I was surprised by this, but he certainly is capable of moralizing in this way, in the sense of giving advice to people about their lives.
I can never relax about this, Rudy, because people like you (simpletons) make it impossible to relax. You say, “People are sharing this because it’s a nice quote” — okay — but it’s a misquote. It’s wrong. If you want to share the quote, paste it over a picture of a cloud or a waterfall and don’t attribute it to anyone unless you know — beyond the shadow of a doubt — who said it. Listen, Rudy, please send me your best selfie. On your selfie, I will emboss this, “It doesn’t matter who really said something because in reality, we are all children of Satan and he loves us when we share stupid shit on Facebook” ~Rudy Weitz~ Then, I will share it on this blog where a lot of people will see it — about 1 million per year — and I will put it on Reddit and Facebook and so on and so on and so on. You got that, Rudy — LADIES and GENTLEMAN ! “Rudy and people like him, make this blog interesting to some extent. If you have a Rudy in your family, be kind to him. He’s a simpleton and he needs your support.” You can quote me on that. Damien LeGallienne.
Damien wrote: “I can never relax….” But we already knew this.
Damien, you couch your views in the language of emotional confrontational that is at odds with rational discussion. It would be better for the quality of your blog not to follow the lead of the likes of Bill O’Reilly and other showboaters.
Rudy — Kindly do not try to talk down to me — it’s not only impossible, it’s annoying and hopelessly cloying. You will keep in mind, Rudy, that I am the skilled blogger and YOU are the armchair comment person. I am the rare bird, but you are about as common as tulips in Rotterdam or pictures of kittens on Facebook. When you can get 1 million people per year to read something you write in less than 12 minutes per day — which is essentially how much traffic I get and how long I devote to writing a blog entry — you will be qualified to give me advice. Until you can do what I do, and earn what this blog earns with nary an ounce of effort, I am not going to change anything to suit your image of what I should be. If I were to do that, I would become the tulip or the Facebook kitten. I am VERY GOOD at this – deal with it.
Damien, my dear, what is YOUR problem? Facebook is a social media. Everyone who pays for their internet connection has the right to write ANYTHING they want. AND, everyone can choose to read peoples posts or just scroll down to the next post. As far as blogs go, I am so happy for you and your 1 million people per year that CARE about what YOU HAVE TO SAY… You sure do have some EGO………………………., dear boy…………………. By the way, anybody can write their own blog…………………. Grow up!
I do not understand why you are so mad? Constantly you refer to your brothers as simpletons. Be wary friend, superiority complex is the hardest of barriers for the soul to pass.
Damien LeGallienne
Please block me from your site so I never have to read your anything that comes out of your cock sucker.
The quote is real and you are the fucking moron admit it and fuck off dipshit.
Your site sucks cock too wish I had never accidentally visited.
Eat a bag of dicks.
And another thing, Damien, how come when someone voices their opinion, you come back in FULL ATTACK mode……? You call people mean and down right nasty names… Nasty…. Why? Do you have such a low self-esteem that you can only reply in anger? Or, were you bullied in school and now you have this blog so you can “fight back?” Calm down, sweetheart…….. Here’s the great part, your attack comments were down right funny to me. Here’s a quote I read yesterday. “Care about what other people think, and you will always be their prisoner.” You, Damien, are in prison…………..
FIVE MILLION, VERA! FIVE.
Freddy, you can insult me all you want if it gives you any amount of pleasure, but the quote is fake,
Vera, you answered your own question — and that’s okay because you are a crazy person. Please read what you wrote to me and then ask yourself, “Why does this guy come out in full attack mode?”
Im just laughing at how long you have shat “whiny baby cry cry angry feces” all over decent people looking for answers……. Oct of 2011 to Jan of 2015…… Woweee!!!!! I looked at this page because I thought id find answers, instead all I read was a blog post written by an unhealthy angry binded and REBUKED child. BLESSINGS and Chappi Knew Yeer kiddo. Lol l0l
This site is under illuminati control like the most stremmedia. It does not important if he said it or not. Its the trught. People from america you Are fucked up and you were kidnapted abaut 50 years ago maiby even few decades before… Be spiritual, they are trying to prevenge it… You Are so strong /powerfull you Canot imagine… We All have potencial to make telekinezis, organizacija stuff like that But in school they reapide that you cannot soo many Times that you actualy believe them… Start to meditate and punc them in the face with your love…
What’s funny about stupidity is that it goes both ways. A person can claim someone is stupid based off their own perceptions of stupid, while the other can do the same. We all have the right to opinions but none of it makes it fact. Now, I can share a true quote from an ancient Chinese philosopher by the name of Laozi (Lao Tzu). “He who speaks, does not know. He who knows, does not speak.” In other words, those who think they know everything have closed off their portal of learning, often skipping out on new information; those who know that they don’t know, are an open book, ready to receive an unlimited amount of new information and are always learning. We tend to find that the individuals who ready to be loud mouthed do not know what they speak. It is better to keep silence yourself so you can listen and learn. 🙂
Damien, my dear, what you need is a hug.
What you need, Matilda, is a reading comprehension test and a lesson in why misquotes are dangerous.
It’s a great quote, yes. But the Dalai Lama never said it, nor ever would; it really isn’t his style. Apparently is comes from “Ecological Literacy: Educating Our Children for a Sustainable World,” by David W. Orr.
Thank you, 2300 skidoo — now I can take a deep breath and shut these morons up.