Every country that meets Buddhism molds it into their own indigenous religion, as America will. A very clear example of this is Japan, which threw out almost all the dharma, and just kept that essence, which spoke to them.

The world is full of incredible people who are embodiments of compassion. Some of them have a spiritual path; some of them don't.

Tibetans - at least traditionally - are so totally permeated with the dharma that they don't see any difference between dharma and everyday life, really. And therefore they enjoy it because they don't make a separation.

This precious life is our opportunity. We are not the millions and millions of other things that are not human.

There are certain teachers who shouldn't be teachers.

I think to dwell continually on the dark side creates gloom and despair and anger and hatred, and that just adds to the darkness. So rather than that, we need to think of the beauty in the world, and also send out love and compassion to all beings in this world. Not just the people we like, but people who we find difficult. Because they are very deeply in need of compassion.

People get very deep experiences and they think they're enlightened. That's not enlightenment, that's just some realization.