The spiritual journey involves going beyond hope and fear, stepping into unknown territory, continually moving forward. The most important aspect of being on the spiritual path may be just to keep moving.

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

Remember that this is not something we do just once or twice. Interrupting our destructive habits and awakening our heart is the work of a lifetime.

The approach is that the best way to use unwanted circumstances on the path of enlightenment is not to resist but to lean into them.

Compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded. It’s a relationship between equals.

Usually we regard loneliness as an enemy. Heartache is not something we choose to invite in. It's restless and pregnant and hot with the desire to escape and find something or someone to keep us company. When we can rest in the middle, we begin to have a nonthreatening relationship with loneliness, a relaxing and cooling loneliness that completely turns our usual fearful patterns upside down.

Impermanence is a principle of harmony. When we don't struggle against it, we are in harmony with reality.