The Buddha said that samsara by its nature is painful. He didn't say it was a joyride.

It's interesting that in those countries like Taiwan or Korea, where nuns are given equal opportunities for study and practice, they also develop great social awareness.

We have produced many of our problems through our confused mental states.

In the texts, and as His Holiness the Dalai Lama reminds us, we should check the person's behavior not when they're sitting on a big throne, but behind the scenes. How do they treat ordinary people - not the big sponsors - but just ordinary people who are of no particular importance to them.

If you're meeting with the dharma, you have probably been a human being before.

I think the problem with Western students is they're very ambitious.

When we read history we find that in all ages people have thought, this is the dark age.