I always tell people that if you get upset over what someone says, imagine him or her with a clown's nose on and you won't get so angry.

Let me give you a wonderful Zen practice. Wake up in the morning...look in the mirror, and laugh at yourself.

Our tendency in life is to avoid things that frighten us. But in order to become whole, we need to go deeper and deeper into ourselves by reaching further and further into the things we fear.

When we don't ask, we don't let others give. When we fear rejection, we don't let generosity arise.

In every area, working with what you habitually reject is one of the best ways to facilitate growth and transformation.

Our work may be important, but we don't take it too seriously. Otherwise, we get attached to one relatively small thing and ignore the rest of life.

Take the selfishness out of anger and you're left with determination.

We're creating a little niche for ourselves instead of working the whole canvas.

The pursuit of enlightenment is for the purpose of the world, not merely for the purpose of the individual. Practices for enlightenment must lead to action in the world.

People get stuck a lot because they're afraid to act; in the worst case,...we get so attached to some end result that we can't function. We need help just to move on, only life doesn't wait.

The basic problem, actually, is how to get rid of the idea that we're going to get rid of our problems. Only then can we relate directly with the real issues of our life.

If privacy had a gravestone it might read: 'Don't Worry. This Was for Your Own Good.

Lifting your eyes from the things of this world is an activity that must begin WHERE YOU ARE.

When you read the New Testament, you see the Holy Spirit was supposed to change everything so that this gathering of people who call themselves Christians had this supernatural element about them.

I just write the sort of book that I would enjoy reading myself, a book that is both scholarly and recreates the experience of people at that time.

Lost in the solitude of his immense power, he began to lose direction.

This was my prayer: an adequate portion of land with a garden and a spring of water and a small wood to complete the picture.

Turns out, that's how it is with weddings. You just keep getting in deeper and deeper until you want to throw up.

...and I wrote a book and that means I can do anything

I cannot make my days longer so I strive to make them better.

Do not throw in the towel; use it for wiping the sweat off your face.