We feel crowded by other people; we feel crowded by social rules; we feel crowded by ourselves, mainly.

When you visit the Zen Monasteries, one of the first things required is that you bring a donation. They have to pay for those monasteries. The upkeep is fantastic. The monks have to be fed, and so on.

In Zen we strive to bring both the mind and the body into perfect combination, so that there is no intrinsic difference between them.

Most people exist in very clouded states of mind. It's sort of like when you're underwater in a big swimming pool and you open your eyes, and you can't see very far and everything is distorted.

What gets frustrating for some people is the fact that you might get very high, but you find yourself pulled down again. There are forces of illusion or maya that cause us to make mistakes.

I do have a staff of what some people would consider to be very attractive, chic women. They are not on the staff because they are attractive and chic but because they care about the welfare of others.

There are people who will think of you in negative ways. You will feel it sometimes. It can actually be physically painful if they're somewhat powerful. You simply have to remove yourself inwardly from these individuals.