In this course you have learned of the importance of being compassionate and of controlling negative emotions like anger and hatred that can cloud one's vision and better judgment. Our underlying premise has been that doing so helps improve the world. True compassion — a sense of concern for others that stems from feelings of equality with them — the Dalai Lama says, drives peace.
An ethic of compassion contributes to an "inner disarmament." In concert with a sense of universal responsibility compassion can help people get along and eventually lead to world peace. Without inner disarmament, it is very difficult to achieve genuine, lasting world peace.
In this lesson we look briefly at the issues of non-violence, peace and disarmament from the perspective of universal responsibility and personal ethics.