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

Unconditional good heart toward others is not even a possibility unless we attend to our own demons.

Simply be present with your own shifting energies and with the unpredictabilit y of life as it unfolds.

When you have made good friends with yourself, your situation will be more friendly too.

The root of compassion, is compassion for oneself.

Sticking with uncertainty is how we learn to relax in the midst of chaos, how we learn to be cool when the ground beneath us suddenly disappears. We can bring ourselves back to the spiritual path countless times every day simply by exercising our willingness to rest in the uncertainty of the present moment—over and over again.

The Buddha’s principal message that day was that holding on to anything blocks wisdom. Any conclusion that we draw must be let go. The only way to fully understand the bodhichitta teachings, the only way to practice them fully, is to abide in the unconditional openness of the prajna, patiently cutting through all our tendencies to hang on.