Calmness of mind leads to a joyful life

As long as there is a lack of the inner discipline that brings calmness of mind, no matter what external facilities or conditions you have, they will never give you the feeling of joy and happiness that you are seeking. On the other hand, if you possess this inner quality of calmness of mind, a degree of stability within, then even if you lack various external facilities that you would normally consider necessary for happiness, it is still possible to live a happy and joyful life.

-Dalai Lama

True Regret

When we meditate, things from the past come up. We may remember times when we treated others horribly -hurting their feelings, deceiving, manipulating them. While regret is necessary to purify these karmas, we often fall into guilt instead. Guilt and shame are obstacles, because they keep us trapped in our self-centered melodrama entitled "How Bad I Am." Regret, on the other hand, motivates us to refrain from acting like that again.

-Dalai Lama