Things are as bad and as good as they seem. There's no need to add anything extra.

The next time you encounter fear, consider yourself lucky. This is where the courage comes in. Usually we think that brave people have no fear. The truth is that they are intimate with fear. When I was first married, my husband said I was one of the bravest people he knew. When I asked him why, he said because I was a complete coward but went ahead and did things anyhow.

If you ask why we meditate, I would say it's so we can become more flexible and tolerant to the present moment.

Life's work is to wake up, to let the things that enter your life wake you up rather than put you to sleep.

It is possible to move through the drama of our lives without believing so earnestly in the character that we play.

Generosity is an activity that loosens us up. By offering whatever we can - a dollar, a flower, a word of encouragement - we are training in letting go.

If seeing that other person's pain brings up your fear or anger or confusion (which often happens), just start doing tonglen for yourself and all the other people who are stuck in the very same way.