What good are thoughts and emotions-in fact all of our experiences-if not to increase our realization?

The experience of emptiness is not found outside the world of ordinary appearance, as many people mistakenly assume. In truth, we experience emptiness when the mind is free of grasping at appearance.

When we look in the mirror, the one thing we don't want to see is an ordinary human being.

Seeing that nothing is solid or permanent you begin to make yourself at home in the unknown.

We cannot be fearful all the time; we have to rise above our fear, whatever is to happen to us, however our conditions may challenge us. To be fearless is a decision that one must make. And this fearlessness becomes the fundamental ground of nonviolence.

A mantra is like meeting the Buddha or Bodhisattva himself.

Self-reflection is the gateway to freedom. It also brings greater appreciation and enjoyment. We begin to enjoy spending time with our own mind, and we enjoy reflecting on our experience of the teachings. Like the sun emerging from behind the clouds, the teachings of the dharma become clear.