“A lot of people, after seeking a bit, have some experience, and sometimes will believe they're enlightened. One has to be careful about that. Especially Americans, who are very external stimulus oriented. When they have some type of deep inner experience, often they think that was the ultimate experience.” PeopleThinkingBelieveSometimesBitsTypeUltimateCarefulSeekingEnlightenedBe CarefulStimulus Author:Robert Thurman
“Every time you have a big blast-out experience you think that's the ultimate-everything, and of course it isn't, although you can get hints. The key however, is not to take those hint experiences to be the ultimate experience. There always needs to be a balance. For example, when you find something, by having some experience, you always want to keep looking because there could be more to it.” ThinkingWantNeedsBigsCoursesExampleKeysBalanceUltimateHintsBlast Author:Robert Thurman
“People in Tibet have an expression. When you reach a certain degree of venerableness and age, and people ask, "How are you?," there is an expression that people use that means, "Just barely not dead." Some people might be frightened by it but I think it's quite funny.” PeopleThinkingMeanUseMightAgeCertainAsksExpressionDegreesFrightenedTibet Author:Robert Thurman
“I think about the trends at the moment in the planet and how it looks for my grandchildren. I don't panic over it, even though rationally maybe I should. I have faith that these terrible trends will change, and they will not go to their logical conclusions of climate change, militarism, pollution, overpopulation.” ThinkingShouldLooksMomentsPlanetsTerribleClimateClimate ChangeConclusionOver ItLogicalTrendsHave FaithPanicPollutionShould IGrandchildrenMilitarismMy GrandchildrenOverpopulation Author:Robert Thurman
“I think humans will find their humanity sometime, somehow.” ThinkingHumansHumanity Author:Robert Thurman
“This question, Is loving your enemy a life practice?, I like that question. It is a life practice, certainly, for everyone. It relates to the idea of, Is this a householder practice or is it a monk practice? I think it's both. Everyone has that practice.” ThinkingIdeasEnemyPracticeRelateMonkLoving YouLoving Your Enemies Author:Robert Thurman
“You take up energy towards someone because you think loving your enemy doesn't just mean caving into your enemy. It means first of all liberating yourself.” ThinkingFirstsMeanEnergyEnemyLiberatingLoving YouLoving Your Enemies Author:Robert Thurman
“The problem in our society is the ego psychology and conventional wisdom about "look out for #1." That conventional wisdom thinks that "love your enemy" is to some a principle no one can ever live by.” ThinkingLooksProblemEnemyPrinciplesPsychologyLove YouEgoOur SocietyLive ByConventionalConventional WisdomLove Your Enemies Author:Robert Thurman
“The Buddhists think that, because we've all had infinite previous lives, we've all been each other's relatives. Therefore all of you, in the Buddhist view, in some previous life ... have been my mother - for which I do apologize for the trouble I caused you.” ThinkingHas BeensSoulGodMotherSpiritualityViewsTroubleInfiniteBuddhistApologizingPrevious Life Author:Robert Thurman
