Veganism is simply letting compassion guide our choice of food. As such, it is a basic Buddhist practice that ought to be expected of everyone who takes refuge vows.

The beginning of mindful eating is the realization that eating meat is not about the meat-eater; it is about the animals who are tormented and killed.

If we are not able to bring the churches, the synagogues, [and] the mosques around to the animal rights view, we will never make large-scale progress for animal rights in the United States.

The Buddha's teaching leads us to the realization that we must always strive to harm no sentient being, human or nonhuman, whether or not it is in our selfish interest to do so.

It is a feeble compassion that pulls up short where self-interest begins.

Just because you can't believe it, doesn't mean it's not happening

She looked at the girl in the chair and she saw what youth was. It was oblivious, with things in its ears.

I worry about kids today not having time to build a tree house or ride a bike or go fishing. I worry that life is getting faster and faster.

You can't make everybody happy.

If you're sensitive, you will have a hard time with me.

It may seem unrealistic to think we can ever become free from hatred, but Buddhists have systematic methods for gradually developing a tolerance powerful enough to give such freedom.

What we have to be judged by is the work we try to do. It's public service, not perfect service.

We were creating a world where the smartest way to survive is to be bland.

I got eight O-levels at school...zero in every subject.

... he broke her heart and made her crave his touch even while she was trying to figure out where to hide his body.