What is it that dies? A log of wood dies to become a few planks. The planks die to become a chair. The chair dies to become a piece of firewood, and the firewood dies to become ash. You give different names to the different shapes the wood takes, but the basic substance is there always. If we could always remember this, we would never worry about the loss of anything. We never lose anything; we never gain anything. By such discrimination we put an end to unhappiness. (118-119)

The stones of a river start out rough, but with the current continually bumping and polishing them, they end up being beautiful.

If your heart is beautiful, your face will be beautiful, your life will be beautiful, everything will be beautiful.

Every pain has a gain behind it

There’s no value in digging shallow wells in a hundred places. Decide on one place and dig deep. Even if you encounter a rock, use dynamite and keep going down. If you leave that to dig another well, all the first effort is wasted and there is no proof you won’t hit rock again. (52)

Calming the mind is yoga, not just standing on the head

The purification of the mind is very necessary. (72)