One thing in the Buddhadharma is that we are not our body, we are not our gender.

Still all the tulkus being born are men.

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

When you learn an instrument, it takes an awful lot of time to just learn the scales, and then eventually when you have completely mastered the instrument, the music plays for you. But you still have to keep practicing. And it takes an awful lot of practice. Nonetheless, if you diligently practice, hours and hours and hours and hours, you probably won't get it. You'll probably just end up hurting your fingers.

To become effortless takes a lot of effort. It's good to compare it to learning an instrument or learning a sport.

We have produced many of our problems through our confused mental states.

Just entering into the dharma and taking refuge and bodhisattva vows is a tremendous amount of merit, but we need more and more and more.