Leave behind the passive dreaming of a rose-tinted future. The energy of happiness exists in living today with roots sunk firmly in reality's soil.

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.

But I think we need to remember that democracy everywhere is by its nature incomplete, a work in progress.

It is by fighting and triumphing over the enemies of the Buddha that we ourselves become Buddhas.

Hope transforms pessimism into optimism. Hope is invincible.

How aware are we of our own inner life, our spirituality-something so intangible yet so priceless? How much effort do we make to perceive that which is not obvious, which can neither be seen nor heard? I believe the exploration and enrichment of the human spirit is what determines our very humanity. Such enrichment provides an inner compass that can lead civilizations to greatness.

Hope is the sun. It is light. It is passion. It is the fundamental force for life's blossoming.