We only think about the difficult people and the horrible things that happen. That's what gets all the media attention.

If nuns begin getting more empowered, where does that leave us?

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

It's not a matter of how much you know or can define, or how many millions of mantras or thousands of prostrations you have done, or how many months of wangs you've attended. The important thing is whether or not the mind is really changing, whether our negative emotions are really coming under control, whether we are really beginning to understand ourselves, whether our mind is really improving, and whether in our hearts there is genuine love and caring for other people.

Traditionally, women didn't have much a role in Buddhism. The books were all written by monks, for other monks. So the general view of the feminine was rather misogynistic, with women playing the role of the forbidden other, waiting to pounce on innocent little monks! In that society, it was hard for women to become educated and get the deeper teachings and really become accomplished.

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

From the point of view of the relative world, merit is very important.