Wise spiritual teachers from all traditions have taught how the path of service is the most important of all, as it means we are less self-obsessed; through caring for others we can step out of indulgence and into big-heartedness, releasing any sense of separateness.

There's a bright light of awareness that shines through each of us and guides us home, and we're never separated from this luminous awareness, any more than waves are separated from the ocean.

Mindfulness and heartfulness catalyze a partnership of opposites. They integrate together meaningfully to effect a more functional quality to daily living.

If you believe in God or some other organizing force in the universe, why would it be any further of a stretch to see soul contracts?

Could it be that it is in your greatest moments of loneliness, you are most called to be by yourself because there is something stirring within that seeks your undivided attention and perhaps has a message for you?

By letting go of harmful desire, I got more of the physical depth that I'd wanted before, yet the shapes of the poses barely mattered now. What did matter was how good it felt to just be with what is and let go of what isn't.

One of the great teachings in spiritual life is this: It doesn't matter what is happening. What matters is how we respond. How we respond is what determines our happiness and peace of mind.

Empathy minus the feeling of being overwhelmed moves us in the direction of compassion. It enables us to be a loving force for good in the world.

Lately I find myself engaging with friends in an ancient and revered form of discourse whose origins lie in the dim past of humanity. To take part in this talking ritual requires only that you have reached a certain age and are willing to expose your innermost self.

Wisdom is the Bodhisattva perfection that brings true and lasting happiness as well as the end of all suffering. With the attainment of this virtue, a Bodhisattva becomes a fully-enlightened being. He or she knows, from experience, the complete path to enlightenment.

A consistent, daily practice of yogic meditation chips away at the workings of the mind. As we devote ourselves to this practice over time, we empower ourselves to observe our ego as being separate from ourselves. This allows a more natural insight to emerge.

There are said to be three principle aspects of the path to Buddhahood -- renunciation, bodhicitta and wisdom. These are called "principle aspects" because of the crucial role they play in following the path.

Love became my "true north" -- my guiding principle for acting from my highest and best self. When I am confused and upset, I need something simple and easy to remember. So my "guiding question" in a tough moment is: "What would love do?"

When we first came to America a long time ago, Ngoai, my maternal grandmother, suffered a sort of crisis of faith. She prayed and lit incense sticks and tapped the copper gong to call our ancestors' spirits, but she was no longer convinced that her prayers were heard.

To meet, manifest, or fulfill our dreams, we must accept where and who we are today. Life dreams are not hallucinations or fantasies that thrust us out of the present moment, but are instead about living in ultimate alignment with the truth of who we are in the present moment.

Guidance comes through when you're willing to let go of your attachment to "the answer" and willing to live in the question of what it is you want to create. You must be willing to release your expectations of life. There is no "trying" in receiving guidance. It is an act of surrender.

Oneness is not simply an idea; it is a choice about how to be human, engage with life and align our intentions and actions. It is an intentional, mindful way of being that joins us with others in creating a more hopeful, compassionate and peaceful world.

As teachers, we hope to empower and enliven our students so much that they are able to stand fully on their own two feet, imbued with the wisdom that they've taken on as their own.

From a metaphysical and metaphorical perspective, the process of casting, relative to our spiritual evolution, can be likened to our soul being poured into the mold of our present-time body, which is itself cast to play a specific role and intentioned life purpose.

When used properly, questions have the potential to connect us to the world of another. A heartfelt "How are you?" or "How was your day?" can become the bridge that keeps us in relationship to the lives of those we love.

These days, it's important to look more closely at things like food labels for our health. Isn't it equally important to look at our views on who and what is right?

How many times have you accepted this excuse and settled for what you have at this very moment, never giving a thought to what you could have?

My personal favorite factor in arriving at happiness is the attribute of equanimity, the space of calm that arises from the deepest place at the core of our being.