“We’ve been born in a time and place where we have the luxury of hearing, contemplating, and putting into action teachings that awaken us to our enlightened mind.  We’re relatively healthy, we have a roof over our head and food in our mouths.  We have family and friends.  We’ve encountered someone who can teach us how to train our mind and open our heart.  Being threatened by nuclear war, terrorism, and global warming is a reminder that we can’t take such conditions for granted.  We’re just these tiny vulnerable beings riding on a blue dot in space.  Yet sometimes we act as if we’re the center of the universe.  The enlightened alternative is to appreciate how incredibly rare and precious human life is.  The enlightened alternative is to appreciate everything.  By appreciating whatever we encounter, we can use it to further our journey of warriorship.  We are good as we are, and it is good as it is.  Once we have this understanding, we’ll see that we are living in a sacred world.” ~ Sakyong Mipham, Turning the Mind Into An Ally (Page 143)