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

Why are we sitting? Why are we practicing? Why are we doing anything? It's not so I can be happy. It's so I can embody the dharma in order to benefit other beings.

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

The answer lies within ourselves. If we can't find peace and happiness there, it's not going to come from the outside.

At one time I thought that if I could really understand renunciation and bodhichitta from the depths of my heart, then, for this lifetime that would be enough.

I think it would help if, when people are first ordained, they underwent a period of strict training, maybe for several years. During this time they would learn basic Buddhist philosophy in a monastic community where all the teaching and training was directed toward living a perfect monastic life and wasn't channeled out to fit into the lay life - which is what usually happens in Dharma centers where the teachings are directed toward how to live the Dharma in your everyday life.

Either we're aware and present, or we're not. There is no half way.