Life is painful. It has thorns, like the stem of a rose. Culture and art are the roses that bloom on the stem. The flower is yourself, your humanity. Art is the liberation of the humanity inside yourself.

The differences between people need not act as barriers that wound, harm and drive us apart. Rather, these very differences among cultures and civilizations should be valued as manifestations of the richness of our shared creativity.

A person's true nature is revealed at times of the greatest adversity.

Strength is happiness. Strength is itself victory. In weakness and cowardice there is no happiness

There is no true joy in a life lived closed up in the little shell of the self. When you take one step to reach out to people, when you meet with others and share their thoughts and sufferings, infinite compassion and wisdom well up within your heart. Your life is transformed.

True happiness means forging a strong spirit that is undefeated, no matter how trying our circumstances.

Human beings are inherently endowed with the power to bring out the best possible results from the worst possible circumstances.