God often used bitter experiences to make us better. Gold can be a helpful servant, but a cruel master.

Prison life taught him how little one can get along with, and what extraordinary spiritual freedom and peace such simplification can bring. I remember again, ironically, that today more of us in the world have the luxury of choice between simplicity and complication of life. And for the most part, we, who could choose simplicity, choose complication. War, prison, survival periods, enforce a form of simplicity on us. The monk and the nun choose it of their own free will. But if one accidentally finds it, as I have for a few days, one finds also the serenity it brings.

When one is a stranger to oneself, then one is estranged from others, too.

Certain springs are tapped only when you're alone.

I must try to be alone for part of each year...and part of each day...in order to keep my core, my center...Women must be still as the axis of a wheel in the midst of her activities. She must be the pioneer of achieving this stillness, not only for her own salvation, but for the salvation of family life, of society, perhaps even of our civilization.

For happiness one needs security, but joy can spring like a flower even from the cliffs of despair.

The wave of the future is coming and there is no fighting it.