“Sometimes when I am alone in my room in the dark, I practice smiling to myself. I do this to be kind to myself, to take good care of myself, to love myself. I know that if I cannot take care of myself, I cannot take care of anyone else.”

Seek peace. When you have peace within, real peace with others will be possible.

Human beings are not our enemy. Our enemy is not the other person. Our enemy is the violence, ignorance, and injustice in us and in the other person.

The most precious gift we can offer anyone is our attention. When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers.

Life is a miracle, and being aware of simply this can already make us very happy.

The past is gone, the future is not yet here, and if we do not go back to ourselves in the present moment, we cannot be in touch with life.

In true dialogue, both sides are willing to change.

If you love someone but rarely make yourself available to him or her, that is not true love.

The desire to be a free person is very worthwhile. To be free means you are no longer the victim of fear, anger, craving, or suspicion.

At any moment, you have a choice, that either leads you closer to your spirit or further away from it.

Nonviolent action, born of the awareness of suffering and nurtured by love, is the most effective way to confront adversity.

If you think that peace and happiness are somewhere else and you run after them, you will never arrive.

A true partner or friend is one who encourages you to look deep inside yourself for the beauty and love you’ve been seeking.

We have more possibilities available in each moment than we realize.

Enlightenment is always there. Small enlightenment will bring great enlightenment. If you breathe in and are aware that you are alive – that you can touch the miracle of being alive – then that is a kind of enlightenment.

We are here to awaken from our illusion of separateness.

As long as you find something beautiful, good, and true to believe in and abide by, you have the equivalent of God in your life.

Caresses, expressions of one sort or another, are necessary to the life of the affections as leaves are to the life of a tree. If they are wholly restrained, love will die at the roots.

Anyone singing about trucks, in any form, in any song, anywhere, literally just stop – nobody cares!

I don’t care what anybody says about me as long as it isn’t true.

He might as well plant an oak in a flowerpot, and expect it to thrive, as imagine he can restore her to vigour in the soil of his shallow cares!

I hate banks. They do nothing positive for anybody except take care of themselves. They’re first in with their fees and first out when there’s trouble.

My father was always not concerned about the wealth I have, but every year he would ask me, how much have you given in charity? And how much taxes have you paid?

I don’t care about three years ago – I don’t care about two years ago. I don’t care about last year. The only thing I care about is this week.

I don’t care for sex. I find it an embarrassing, dull exercise. I prefer sports, where you can win.