I have come to the conclusion that whether or not a person is a religious believer does not matter. Far more important is that they be a good human being.

The feeling of being happy or unhappy rarely depends on our absolute state, but on our perception of the situation, on our capacity to be satisfied with what we have.

Criminals, people who commit crimes, usually society rejects these people. They are also part of our society. Give them some form of punishment to say they were wrong, but show them they are part of society and can change. Show them compassion.

The basic condition of human life is happiness.

I describe myself as a simple Buddhist monk. No more, no less.

All good qualities must be sown and cultivated. We can’t expect to change overnight from an ordinary person into one with high realizations.

Meditation is valuable for all of humanity because it involves looking inward. People don't have to be religious to look inside themselves more carefully. It is constructive and worthwhile to analyze our emotions, including compassion and our sense of caring, so that we can become more calm and happy.