“We train the mind so that we can enjoy greater peace, happiness, wisdom & equanimity.”

“It is the nature of the Kali Yuga that most human beings are now held back from spiritual liberation due to the gravity of inertia, apathy and laziness, (known in Sankrit as the quality of tapas) that overwhelms this age. Despite this seemingly gloomy prognosis, there is a way out of this predicament for those with the will and stamina to awaken from the rampant lethargy, within and outside of themselves, to take action.”

“No one should ever despair because the entrance to his or her chosen career path is clogged. There is an ancient saying: “The persistent drip wears through stone.”

“Once a Buddha, always a Buddha, Sam. Dust off some of your old parables. You have about fifteen minutes.’ Sam held out his hand. “Give me some tobacco and a paper.”

“A boddhisattva is someone who is on the way to becoming a buddha. All of us become boddhisattvas as soon as we start to take our Zen work seriously and the work we do contributes to creating a world in which all good actions become more efficacious.”

“Being a senior doesn’t automatically make one wise but the wise & foolish alike have things to teach us.”

“Meditation is essentially training our attention so that we can be more aware— not only of our own inner workings but also of what’s happening around us in the here & now.”

“We all have issues & we have usually come by them honestly.”

“That’s why it’s called a practice. We have to practice a practice if it is to be of value.”

“The practice of lovingkindness can uplift us & relieve sorrow & unhappiness.”

“People turn to meditation because they want to make good decisions, break bad habits & bounce back better from disappointments.”

“Mindfulness, also called wise attention, helps us see what we’re adding to our experiences, not only during meditation sessions but also elsewhere.”

“Directing the mind to stay in the present can be a formidable task.”

“One doesn’t have to be religious to lead a moral life or attain wisdom.”

“Mindfulness helps us get better at seeing the difference between what’s happening and the stories we tell ourselves about what’s happening, stories that get in the way of direct experience. Often such stories treat a fleeting state of mind as if it were our entire and permanent self.”