Awareness of death is the very bedrock of the entire path. Until you have developed this awareness, all other practices are obstructed.

If a person's basic state of mind is serene and calm, then it is possible for this inner peace to overwhelm a painful physical experience.

The compassion we feel normally is biased and mixed with attachment. Genuine compassion flows towards all living beings, particularly your enemies. If I try to develop compassion towards my enemy, it may not benefit him directly, he may not even be aware of it. But it will immediately benefit me by calming my mind. On the other hand, if I dwell on how awful everything is, I immediately lose my peace of mind.

Although attempting to bring about world peace through the internal transformation of individuals is difficult, it is the only way.

I consider myself to be just one among 7 billion human beings. If I were to think of myself as different from others, or as something special, it would create a barrier between us. What makes us the same is that we all want to lead happy lives and gather friends around us. And friendship is based on trust, honesty and openness.

Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned.

An affectionate disposition not only makes the mind more peaceful and calm, but it affects our body in a positive way too.