When we have gone beyond the boundaries of hope and fear, we are able to work with whatever comes our way.

This is bravery: using the challenge of daily life to sharpen our mind and open our heart.

You have people who are good at English but don't have the training in Buddhism or Shambhala, or they have the training but are not good in English. Getting that mixture is really rare.

I would say courage first; then wisdom, which is a sense of knowledge and confidence; and also the wish and desire to uplift. The underlying notion is "How do I help?" That attitude really is a spiritual journey and a path.

If you decide to go on a Buddhist path, you have to be careful if you start mixing a lot of different traditions you are not totally familiar with - mixing this kind of meditation with that kind of practice or this kind of visualization with that kind of mantra. Then you really are concocting your own thing, and you have no idea what is going to happen.

I want people to know you can live a life that is less aggressive and still have success.

Meditation practice is relevant because in meditation our conceptual mind relaxes and we can feel who we are at heart.