The spiritual journey is not about heaven and finally getting to a place that's really swell.

The most difficult times for many of us are the ones we give ourselves.

We don't set out to save the world; we set out to wonder how other people are doing and to reflect on how our actions affect other people's hearts.

The root of suffering is resisting the certainty that no matter what the circumstances, uncertainty is all we truly have.

The essence of bravery is being without self-deception.

Feelings like disappointment, embarrassment, irritation, resentment, anger, jealousy, and fear, instead of being bad news, are actually very clear moments that teach us where it is that we're holding back.

Rejoicing in ordinary things is not sentimental or trite. It actually takes guts.

Only to the extent that we expose ourselves over and over to annihilation can that which is indestructible be found in us.

Hope and fear come from feeling that we lack something; they come from a sense of poverty. We can't simply relax with ourselves. We hold on to hope, and hope robs us of the present moment.

The more we witness our emotional reactions and understand how they work, the easier it is to refrain.

Rather than letting our negativity get the better of us, we could acknowledge that right now we feel like a piece of shit and not be squeamish about taking a good look.

Nothing ever goes away until it has taught us what we need to know.

When things fall apart and we're on the verge of we know not what, the test of each of us is to stay on that brink and not concretize.

Meditation practice isn't about trying to throw ourselves away and become something better. It's about befriending who we are already.

Whatever is happening is the path to enlightenment.

If we learn to open our hearts, anyone, including the people who drive us crazy, can be our teacher.

You are the sky. Everything else is just the weather.

Fear is a natural reaction to moving closer to the truth.

The most fundamental aggression to ourselves, the most fundamental harm we can do to ourselves, is to remain ignorant by not having the courage and the respect to look at ourselves honestly and gently.

The only reason we don't open our hearts and minds to other people is that they trigger confusion in us that we don't feel brave enough or sane enough to deal with.