Quotes from Tenzin Palmo

This precious life is our opportunity. We are not the millions and millions of other things that are not human.

Joining the Sangha and renouncing worldly life is necessary in order to devote your whole life and all your energies toward the Dharma.

There are many wonderfully qualified teachers out there, but that doesn't mean that each teacher is suitable to the same person, anymore than people fall in love with the same person.

We all have our own karma and so different teachers will be meaningful to different students.

Monastic life cuts off the distractions and emotional entanglements one becomes involved in, in the lay life.

This is a time that calls for extreme restraint. In a world of outright aggression and violence there can be no winners. To respond to violence with counter-violence only throws oil on the fire.

In this life you have obstacles.

If you become a monk because it's an easy life, because you're going to be fed, and sheltered and people will respect you, then that is not a very meritorious motivation.

I do think that someone who decides to devote themselves entirely to the spiritual life, that that is more meritorious.

We do have the precious opportunity of this human life.

It's unlikely that you were a frog in a past life.

Basically, I feel to spend the rest of my life doing retreat.

There is a basic problem that a lot of Western monks and nuns become ordained without really understanding or appreciating what the monastic life is all about.

We need to be sincere in our practice, but at the same time we can't take ourselves too seriously.

If you take the time to study how to be a doctor and how to use your scalpel and your medicine, then there are endless beings out there to help.

At one time I thought that if I could really understand renunciation and bodhichitta from the depths of my heart, then, for this lifetime that would be enough.

We don't always need to be sitting at the foot of the teacher, but from time to time we need someone who can overview us and give us direction.

I think if you really start practicing, the energy comes. I was always very happy and grateful for the opportunity to have the time, solitude and good health to be able to do it.

Until time and space exist... I vow to come back for the benefit of other beings.

Many people are benefiting beings, but from a dharma point of view, if you are a dharma practitioner, then the first priority is to get yourself together.

Try to develop some genuine love and compassion, some real caring for others.

Because we're trying, because we want, it's very hard to get.

Why do some people, when they want to practice, keep coming against problems and difficulties, and obstacles - inner obstacles and outer obstacles? It's because of the lack of merit.

There are wars, there's pestilence, there are plagues, there is corruption in religious circles, corruption in the government, when was it not?