Yes, there are troubles in the world. There's war and hatred, there's sickness and difficulty. And there is also an undying spirit, an inviolable consciousness that is born in each of us. It is who we are, and it's everything and it's nothing.

The light around someone who speaks truth, who consistently acts with compassion for all, even in great difficulty, is visible to all around them.

A bulging portfolio of spiritual experiences matters little if it does not have the power to sustain us through the inevitable moments of grief, loss, and change. Knowledge and achievements matter little if we do not yet know how to touch the heart of another and be touched. Wisdom is alive only as long as it is lived, understanding is liberating only as long as it is applied.

There are many ways up the mountain and each of us must choose a practice that feels true to our heart.

True love is not for the faint-hearted.

Since death will take us anyway, why live our life in fear? Why not die in our old ways and be free to live?

In our charade with ourselves we pretend that our war is not really war. We have changed the name of the War Department to the Defense Department and call a whole class of nuclear missiles Peace Keepers!