There is an enormous joy and satisfaction in doing what you really want to do and are best fitted to do. When it all comes together like that, it gives you a wonderful sense of well-being and satisfaction knowing that you have been doing what you were intended to do for this lifetime.

I do think that someone who decides to devote themselves entirely to the spiritual life, that that is more meritorious.

I sometimes feel tremendous compassion and helplessness.

I've often said that the seventh paramita should be a sense of humor, so we don't take ourselves too seriously.

Even if the hermits do not appear to benefit other beings with their presence or teachings, still they are enormously inspiring to many. Perhaps, in this lifetime, they were meant to work on their own practice, to try to purify their own mindstream so that in future lifetimes (that will last a lot longer than this one), they will be fit vessels to give the teachings to others.

We have to transform those ordinary actions of our day into dharma practice because otherwise nothing is going to move.

When I look back I feel very grateful.