It can be easy to love all beings from a distance; it can be a great challenge when we have to live with them.

People who do not see their choices do not believe they have choices. They tend to respond automatically, blindly influenced by their circumstances and conditioning. Mindfulness, by helping us notice our impulses before we act, gives us the opportunity to decide whether to act and how to act.

One of the things that kills Buddhist spiritual life is excessive seriousness.

Buddhism’s cardinal ethical principle is to avoid causing harm.

Repetition and ritual and their good results come in many forms: changing the oil filter, wiping noses, going to meetings, picking up around the house, washing dishes, checking the dipstick . . . such a round of chores is not a set of difficulties we hope to escape from so that we may do our practice, which will put us on the path. It is our path.

Freedom from clinging allows us bring love into all aspects of our life.

Freedom from clinging gives room in our hearts to grow.