To be enlightened doesn't mean you end up stupefied and unable to function.

A dog, however nice he is, and sweet-tempered, doesn't have much of a range of options. A human being does.

For any practice to work, the mind which is meditating on the object must merge. Often they are facing each other. One has to become completely absorbed, then the transformation will occur.

I think many monks hesitate to change things.

We're reborn every second, every moment.

Buddhism is the most active one! The whole time, we're dealing with the mind and how to tame it, and how to transcend our ordinary conventional mind. This takes an enormous amount of determination and perseverance. It also requires an attitude of being relaxed and spacious, rather than tense and stressed. It's certainly not a matter of lying back and expecting it all to happen. If we don't make it happen, it won't!

To be enlightened doesn't mean you end up stupefied and unable to function.