I'm here, and I know that it's finite; I know that I'm not going to always be here.

Waking up in the morning isn't a choice, you know.

We all have a dark side, and we have to confront our dark side. That's pop American psychology.

I think I've always had a pretty good time in life. I mean, I've had major trouble, and major brain surgeries, and challenges in relationships - like anyone else - but overall, when I wake up in the morning, and I'm aware, I'm like, "Ok. What's happening today? What's next?"

There must be something here for me to get or to share or to do. So I have the duty that I do, the dharma that I do - which I love - with my teaching, with my family, my son, my students, my girlfriend.

I'm in a body, and when my sleep ends, I'm awake. I don't really understand the... that's not really a choice. I mean unless I chose to stay in bed, but I'd still be awake.

When I was twenty, and my family were business people, and I had disappeared to India and they were like, "What are you doing?" I had a good relationship with them, and it wasn't like a rejection or anything, but they couldn't understand why I was going to India.