I wanted to bring the book out right now because I think anyone who cares about Tibet knew there would be disturbances in the run up to the Olympics [2008]. Many Tibetans feel it's their last chance to broadcast their suffering and frustration and pain to the world before the Olympics take place and China is accepted as a modern nation and the world forgets about Tibet.

I think China's view of freedom has to do with material wealth and modernity, and the Dalai's Lama view of freedom is liberation in the Buddhist sense, which is freedom from ignorance and freedom from suffering.

The more we run from a problem, the more we're actually running into it.

A holy day, after all, is a day for considering everything you otherwise think too little about.

Technology, in short, cannot teach me how to do without technology.

American dreams are strongest in the hearts of those who have seen America only in their dreams.

I suddenly realized I was racing around so much, I could never catch up with my life