Most of us were taught that God would love us if and when we change. In fact, God loves you so that you can change. What empowers change, what makes you desirous of change is the experience of love. It is that inherent experience of love that becomes the engine of change.

When we fail we are merely joining the great parade of humanity that has walked ahead of us and will follow after us.

The two Virtues of Equanimity and Compassion become more available to the person whose ego-shell has been smashed-either by great suffering or by great love-or by both.

In the second half of life, people have less power to infatuate you. But they also have much less power to control you or hurt you.

If we do not transform our pain, we will most assuredly transmit it.

The recurring theme of all religions is a sympathy, empathy, connection, capacity between the human and the divine - that we were made for union with one another. They might express this through different rituals, doctrines, dogmas, or beliefs, but at the higher levels they're talking about the same goal. And the goal is always union with the divine.

I decided years ago that if I'm going to keep teaching contemplation, then the last years of my life should be contemplative.