Grant that I have enough suffering that my heart really opens to the great compassion of this world, that I be given enough so that I don't wall myself off from the world, that it breaks down the heart and the separation and the ego and the fear, and it lets me touch the nectar, the milk of kindness itself, of something greater.

This life is a test-it is only a test. If it had been an actual life, you would have received further instructions on where to go and what to do. Remember, this life is only a test.

Know that the freedom you seek can be found right here where you are.

With mindfulness, we are learning to observe in a new way, with balance and a powerful disidentification.

Yet I knew that spiritual practice is impossible without great dedication, energy, and commitment.

Embodied courage chooses not to wait until illness or notice of death demands attention.

We must look at our life without sentimentality, exaggeration or idealism. Does what we are choosing reflect what we most deeply value?