A language is not just a body of vocabulary or a set of grammatical rules. ... Every language is an old-growth forest of the mind.

The world in which you were born is just one model of reality. Other cultures are not failed attempts at being you; they are unique manifestations of the human spirit.

The measure of a society is not only what it does but the quality of its aspirations.

The surface of the Earth itself is an immense loom upon which the sun weaves the fabric of existence.

What is science but the pursuit of the truth? What is Buddhism but 2500 years of observation as to the nature of mind?

Risk discomfort and solitude for understanding.

Heroes are never perfect, but they're brave, they're authentic, they're courageous, determined, discreet, and they've got grit.

Its haunting to realize that half of the languages of the world are teetering on the brink of extinction.

Language is an old-growth forest of the mind.

All cultures through all time have constantly been engaged in a dance with new possibilities for life. Change is the one constant in human history.

You know, once something freezes, it's solid. That's the key to the arctic - they didn't fear the cold, they made use of it.

Somehow human authority is never enough

When you get above the line, you're above the line. So my thing is I just want to make music where I am always above that line.

I had body insecurities when I was younger. I still do.

Being a musician, you want to be able to do the hardest stuff there is. People would think it's classical, but in classical, it's all on the page and the difficulty is keeping up with the music.

A church without a missions or a mission without the church are both contradictions. Such things do exist, but only as pseudostructures

It's not the failure that holds us back but the reluctance to begin over again that causes us to stagnate.

If you will keep being your best right where you are, you will come into more favor, promotion and opportunity than you ever imagined.

I came out of the womb looking for the camera angle

Many poets write books. They'll tell you: Well, I've got my next book, but there are two poems I need to write, one about x, one about y. This is a wonder to me.

If something pops in my mind and it's easy, I write it.