Interestingly, the capacity to be in the present moment helps me to take what is happening as an isolated event, without tagging interpretations and judgments onto it.

I was aware that if I didn’t take care of my body and keep it physically fit, my mind would continue to weaken, and then my body would become weaker too. The mind and body affect one another.

Our Teacher has often said that allowing yourself to rest after lunch is the most civilized thing to do.

All of our monasteries are away from cities, and they’re always in a natural environment surrounded by trees. This constant exposure to nature lightens up our thinking and softens our hearts.

Suffering is caused by ignorance, which is manifested as wrong views and wrong thinking. With Right View, healing and the other elements of true love manifest naturally.

It is essential during illness to be aware of the improvements as well as the active symptoms, because sometimes we’re so drowned in our pain, fear, or depression that even when there’s some improvement we don’t recognize it or refuse to acknowledge it because it seems minimal or fleeting. When we first become sick, our loved ones offer us much

As much as I enjoy and cherish my monastic life, the tendency for attachment is still alive in me. In the depth of my peace and quietude, I touch an undercurrent of yearning for someone, a loving look, a handholding, closeness and affection. I sit quietly and breathe with these waves of yearning. Deep in my heart, I know that true love is

To be loved unconditionally by one person in your life is a great fortune. It helps you to move through the difficulty, loneliness, and despair in your life.

Besides visualizing ourselves as a tree, we can also practice “tree hugging meditation.” Stand in front of a tree, look at it, and breathe mindfully. When you close your eyes, you will see the image of the tree in your mind’s eye. You see yourself as the tree, and then you bow to the tree, hug it, and breathe with it. In moments of stillness, you