Without loving-kindness for ourselves, it is difficult, if not impossible, to genuinely feel it for others.

It's helpful to remind yourself that meditation is about opening and relaxing with whatever arises, without picking and choosing.

Nothing ever goes away until it has taught us what we need to know.

If you work with your mind, instead of trying to change everything on the outside, that's how your temper will cool down.

There's something delicious about finding fault with something. And that can be including finding fault with one's self, you know?

All the terrible things we do to ourselves and others from alcoholism to character assignation to abuse to murder come from one cause: the inability to stay present with an uncomfortable feeling in the body and seek short-term relief.

Cool loneliness allows us to look honestly and without aggressionat our own minds. We can gradually drop our ideals of who we think weought to be, or who we think we want to be, or who we think other peoplethink we want to be or ought to be. We give it up and just look directlywith compassion and humor at who we are. Then loneliness is no threat andheartache, no punishment.