Merit clears away obstacles.

I know many Catholic priests and nuns who use the Buddhist teachings to become better Catholics, and Jews who use them to become better Jews. Why not?! It just takes us towards more deeply recognizing our original nature, which is what we all share after all.

We've been human countless times and done everything you can imagine. So we've been planting all these negative seeds, and they're going to come up.

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

In the beginning especially, we won't realize we're changing.

Western Tibetan Buddhists are always looking out there at the distant snow peaks and they lose the flowers along the path.

It's interesting that in those countries like Taiwan or Korea, where nuns are given equal opportunities for study and practice, they also develop great social awareness.