And here we go again — I think it’s some kind of conspiracy. Now there is a new quote being attributed to the Dalai Lama and of course it’s another hoax — just some quote that is pasted on a picture of the Dalai Lama.
“People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they’re not on your road doesn’t mean they’ve gotten lost” < —– This is totally fake. The Dalai Lama never said this or wrote this. Can’t you tell by the use of familiar English and the contractions? This is so stupid that it defies all logic.
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 AGAIN it’s about the Dalai Lama and his ruminations about roads and happiness. 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 again see this kind of wrongful quote in a handout we received as part of our fundraising,” said Laksmi Shamar, a devout Buddhist and still 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 just as she had not heard of the previous one.
“Like I told you before, moralizing is not the tone and has never been the intent of the Dalai Lama, but the internet perpetuates this madness”
Again, the same applies:
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/
a good quote is a good quote, if no one wants to take credit for it then it really doesn’t matter who said it. I also wouldn’t be surprised if the dalai lama at least agrees with this idea.
A good quote is a good quote, yes. But — when one does not know the origin of the quote, it is still put within quotation marks with the notation that it is… anonymous. It does matter who says it — what if we were to put a quote on Fidel Castro’s photo that reads: “Democracy is not something you believe in or a place to hang your hat, but it’s something you do. You participate. If you stop doing it, democracy crumbles.” [Fidel Castro] <----would this "matter" you frigging jidrool!
This quote is from H. Jackson Brown Jr., best known for “Life’s Little Instruction Book”.
the lama is a big slave owning phony
Hello Damien! I stumbled upon this page after I saw the quote on a Pinterest post and found it bizarre because I actually said that and posted it! I remember making that post on facebook and even found the post and took a screenshot of when I posted it in 2012! HH Dalai Lama did not say that and I am not sure how it was used as such! I would be glad to send you a screenshot of my post, Damien. Thank you, I was just as surprised as you!
Amy H.
I posted that on october 12, 2011.