Since death is certain and the time of death is uncertain, what is the most important thing?

One way to practice staying present is to simply sit still for a while and listen. For one minute, listen to the sounds close to you. For one minute, listen to the sounds at a distance. Just listen attentively.

When you refrain from habitual thoughts and behavior, the uncomfortable feelings will still be there. They don’t magically disappear. Over the years, I’ve come to call resting with the discomfort “the detox period,” because when you don’t act on your habitual patterns, it’s like giving up an addiction. You’re left with the feelings you were trying to escape. The practice is to make a wholehearted relationship with that

Buddhism itself is all about empowering yourself, not about getting what you want.

Compassion practice is daring. It involves learning to relax and allowing ourselves to move gently toward what scares us.

We tend to forget that we are part of the natural scheme of things.

Openness doesn’t come from resisting our fears but rather from getting to know them well.