Many sections are taken up with political discussions and how the way of the ruler, the merchant, the householder, and the army interact with the Tao.

It's suggested that enlightenment has some tremendous compassion, some driving necessity to help humanity. I don't think that's the case at all. I think humanity wishes it were the case since it's humanity that writes the various scriptures.

Nirvana isn't a physical place. It is not like going to heaven. It just means no more individualized awareness, no aggregate body of experience.

In my very early childhood, when I was only 3 or 4 or 5, I would enter for many hours into meditative states in which the world would become light and energy and I would transcend the boundaries of the senses.

The hallmark of a person who is following the pathway to enlightenment is that they bring excellence into everything, no matter how crappy they feel.

The world appears solid to most people. It is filled with their pain, their desires, their private ecstasies, their expectations. They are that world - nothing glows.

We may have a tiny little room that we rent, and if we keep it clean and it's impeccable, then we gain a power from that.