You are on a vast wheel of birth and death. You have been through thousands of lifetimes, thousands yet to come.

The essence of all practice is to be cool. Life is not worth getting excited about because whatever you perceive is an illusion.

The cult phenomenon is definitely journalistically 'in'. But if we were to apply for a financial aid grant as a cult, I'm afraid we would be turned down for lack of proper qualifications.

Meditation is a refocusing on symbols. It's not emptiness. We are using symbols, doorways to step from one world to another, from darkness into light, from death to immortality.

What is evil? There is no such thing. In Buddhism we don't recognize evil and therefore we don't give it any power over us.

Take a yoga class, study different forms of self-discovery. Some people are crazy and fanatical, avoid them. People who are balanced and calm and introspective, associating with them will raise your energy level.

The big problem with power, of course, is obsession. Once you get some of it and feel it, it dominates your whole life and it's all you can think about. That doesn't have to happen.