Only gratefulness, in the form of limitless openness for surprise, lays hold of the fullness of life in hope.

The hope that is left after all your hopes are gone - that is pure hope, rooted in the heart.

One single gift acknowledged in gratefulness has the power to dissolve the ties of our alienation.

Only gratefulness, in the form of limitless openness for surprise, lays hold of the fullness of life in hope.

Among the many things that profoundly impress me about the Dalai Lama, quite high up on the list is his ability to say "I don't know". I've often wished that other people in prominent positions wouldn't feel the compulsion to have an answer for everything and would feel equally free to say "I don't know." It's a sign of wisdom to know that you don't know and a sign of stupidity to think that you know everything. I admire it enormously in him, and wonder why so few people in leading positions reach that stage.

The universe is gratis. It cannot be earned, nor need it be earned.

Gratefulness is the gallantry of a heart ready to rise to the opportunity a given moment offers.