Some males are intelligent, some are dumb. Some females are intelligent, some are dumb. We're all human beings, no one is superior.

We shouldn't be too naïve, or taken in by charisma.

The first thing is to learn how to quiet the mind, relax the mind, and bring the awareness to the front so that we are conscious of what we're doing when we're doing it without all the commentary.

If we want to be musicians, dancers or sportspeople, we can download a certain amount and watch DVDs and read books, but in the end we need someone to assess us and give us personal instruction. The two go together.

I remember asking my mother if she believed in reincarnation and she said that that sounded very sensible, and I thought, yes, it does to me too. So I always believed in it. I can't remember when I didn't.

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

The problem is that our inherent ignorance keeps us in samsara and unable to benefit ourselves and others on a really deep level.