The heart itself is beyond control. That is its power, and its weakness.

In life, it's best not to take anything for free - unless it's from someone who wishes you well.

Buddha's Wife tells a fascinating story, little known in the west, about the woman whom Buddha left behind. Gabriel Constans focuses the reader's attention on the strong and complicated women who surrounded Buddha and makes us re-think the nature of spiritual life.

Everyone breathes in air, but it's a wise person who knows when to use that air to speak and when to exhale in silence.

Your childhood hunger is the one that never leaves you.

...this time I didn't launch into my usual tirade. Was it a memory of Krishna, the cool silence with which he countered disagreement, that stopped me? I saw something I hadn't realized before: words wasted energy.

That's how it is sometimes when we plunge into the depths of our lives. No one can accompany us, not even those who would give up their hearts for our happiness.