1. “As a Buddhist, I was trained to be tolerant of everything except intolerance.” – U Thant
2. “Governments, systems, ideologies come and go, but it is humanity which remains.” – U Thant
3. “Respect for the truth comes close to being the basis for all morality.” – U Thant
4. “It is far from my intention to claim that I have reached a very high stage on the path to attainment of the highest wisdom, or that I have attained complete “inner peace.” However, I can claim that I practice bhavana every day. I try to cultivate the ethical aspects of Buddhism, and I believe that I have attained a greater degree of emotional equilibrium than most people.” – U Thant
5. “The world will not Change and find peace if there is not a new education.” – U Thant
6. “As a Buddhist, I was trained to be tolerant of everything except intolerance. I was brought up not only to develop the spirit of tolerance but also to cherish moral and spiritual qualities such as modesty, humility, compassion, and, most important, to attain a certain degree of emotional equilibrium.” – U Thant
7. “The concept of peaceful coexistence has been criticized by many who do not see the need to make the world safe for diversity. I wonder if they have ever paused to ask themselves the question: What is the alternative to coexistence?” – U Thant
8. “Wars begin in the minds of men, and in those minds, love andcompassion would have built the defenses of peace.” – U Thant
9. “The war we have to wage today has only one goal, and that is to make the world safe for diversity.” – U Thant
10. “In modern war there is no such thing as victor and vanquished… There is only a loser, and the loser is mankind.” – U Thant
11. “To understand my feelings — and my conception of the role of Secretary General — the nature of my religious and cultural background must first be understood. I should therefore like to outline not only my beliefs but also my conception of human institutions and of the human situation itself.” – U Thant
12. “Every human being, of whatever origin, of whatever station, deserves respect. We must each respect others even as we respect ourselves.” – U Thant
13. “Understanding, love and tolerance are the highest forms of interest on out small and interdependent planet.” – U Thant
14. “The single most important impediment to global institutions is the concept of “my country, right or wrong”.” – U Thant
15. “I don’t like to be disturbed at home; I tell the cable office not to call me before 6:30 AM, unless there’s a war.” – U Thant
16. “I am afraid if the present trend in Vietnam continues that direct confrontation, first of all between Washington and Peking, is inevitable.” – U Thant
17. “Respect for the truth comes close to being the basis for all morality.” – U Thant