Joining the Sangha and renouncing worldly life is necessary in order to devote your whole life and all your energies toward the Dharma.

There are certain teachers who shouldn't be teachers.

We have met with the dharma. Many of us have met with teachers. We do have some idea of what to do and how to practice. And we should not be lazy.

We don't always need to be sitting at the foot of the teacher, but from time to time we need someone who can overview us and give us direction.

For so many centuries women have been suppressed and regarded as inferior. And that of course is not right at all, that we all have buddha-nature - so what's the difference?

Merit clears away obstacles.

When one has a decisive realization of the inherent nature of the mind, which has no ego, it has no sense of duality between oneself and the cup, and a deep sense of interpenetration of the whole dharma. Then whatever we do is spontaneously perfect Buddha activity. And anybody who is even slightly tuned in will get a very deep experience of that.