No amount of meditation, yoga, diet, and reflection will make all of our problems go away, but we can transform our difficulties into our practice until little by little they guide us on our way.

In opening we can see how many times we have mistaken small identities and fearful beliefs for our true nature and how limiting this is. We can touch with great compassion the pain from the contracted identities that we and others have created in the world.

In this there is no judgment and no blame, for we seek not to perfect the world but to perfect our love for what is on this earth.

Some other people think that awakened consciousness is really about fullness or presence, being completely present for every moment, but these experiences are only one of the dimensions of awakened consciousness. Understanding these different dimensions as facets of awakening can help with the confusion surrounding the different spiritual paths. They're not leading to different places, but rather reflect the luminous and liberated aspects of consciousness itself. These qualities are not far away; in fact, they are right here.

The basic principle of spiritual life is that our problems become the very place to discover wisdom and love.

Whenever we forgive, in small ways at home, or in great ways between nations, we free ourselves from the past.

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