I still noticed that little streak of rebelliousness coming up in me again - the same sense of dissatisfaction I had felt earlier with the empty rituals and institutionalized values of all religious traditions.

True wisdom is free of the dramas of culture or religion and should bring us only a sense of peace and happiness.

That is the essence and mission of 'rebel buddha': to free us from the illusions we create by ourselves, about ourselves, and from those that masquerade as reality in our cultural and religious institutions.

We actually need intelligent doubt and skepticism; they protect us against mistaken views and propaganda.

There is no emptiness without appearance, and there is no appearance without emptiness. That is what we call the interdependent nature.

Meditation is simply getting to know your mind.

There is no inherent awakening power in cultural forms that have become dissociated from the wisdom and practicality that gave birth to them. They turn into illusions themselves and become part of the drama of religious culture. Although they can make us happy temporarily, they can't free us from suffering, so at some point, they become a source of disappointment and discouragement. Eventually, these forms may inspire nothing more than resistance to their authority.