To put it concisely, we suffer when we resist the noble and irrefutable truth of impermanence and death.

One of the deepest habitual patterns that we have is to feel that now is not enough.

The difference between theism and nontheism is not whether one does or does not believe in God. . . Theism is a deep-seated conviction that there's some hand to hold: if we just do the right things, someone will appreciate us and take care of us. . . Nontheism is relaxing with the ambiguity and uncertainty of the present moment without reaching for anything to protect ourselves.

It's not a terrible thing that we feel fear when faced with the unknown. It is part of being alive, something we all share.

We are like children building a sand castle. We embellish it with beautiful shells, bits of driftwood, and pieces of colored glass. The castle is ours, off limits to others. We’re willing to attack if others threaten to hurt it. Yet despite all our attachment, we know that the tide will inevitably come in and sweep the sand castle away. The trick is to enjoy it fully but without clinging, and when the time comes, let it dissolve back into the sea.

The greatest obstacle to connecting with our joy is resentment.

Just where you are-that's the place to start!