The Buddha himself said, "I still use conceptual thinking, but I'm not formed by it." And that's the Buddha.

We're not lowly sinners, we're not worthless beings. We are something jewel-like and beautiful.

We have to transform those ordinary actions of our day into dharma practice because otherwise nothing is going to move.

To be a nun is a very great blessing. It's a great inspiration to think that the Sangha goes all the way back to the Buddha and that so many fantastic, really truly-realized beings have been ordained. Thinking of all those members, such a wonderful, exalted and holy order - I love the Sangha.

I think, for East and West, the first thing we need is a good grounding in basic Buddhadharma.

Try to develop some genuine love and compassion, some real caring for others.

We're not making up merit scores for ourselves. We're making up merit scores so that we can be reborn in a situation where we can really live to benefit ourselves and others.