As Shantideva says, suffering has many good qualities because it purifies our negative karma, increases our renunciation and compassion, reduces our pride, and helps us to overcome our bad mental habits. If we think in this way we will feel that difficult circumstances are our best friends. When our mind is balanced in this way it becomes as stable as Mount Meru, and nothing can cause it to shake.

Compassion is a Shepherd, Always tending his herd.

Learning to cherish others is the best solution to our daily problems, and it is the source of all our future happiness and good fortune.

We need to keep a constant watch over our mind and learn to distinguish between the beneficial and harmful thoughts that are arising moment by moment. Those who are able to do this are truly wise.

The moment we let go of our obsessive concern for our own welfare, our mind naturally relaxes and becomes lighter.

When the turbulence of distracting thoughts subside and our mind becomes still, a deep happiness and contentment naturally arises from within.

Our mind is like a field, and performing actions is like sowing seeds in that field.