When you set out on the path of awakening, you begin wherever you are. Then - with time, effort, and skillful means - virtue, mindfulness, and  wisdom gradually strengthen and you feel happier and more loving. (pg 15)
...every thought involves a momentary positioning of streaming neural traffic into a coherent assembly of synapses that must soon disperse into fertile disorder to allow other thoughts to emerge (Atmanspacher and Graben 2007). Observe even a single breath, and you will experience its sensations changing, dispersing, and disappearing soon after they arise. (pg 33)
If getting upset about something unpleasant is like being bitten by a snake, grasping for what's pleasant is like grabbing the snake's tail; sooner or later, it will bite you. (pg 41)
[..your brain has a built-in "negative bias"], it generates an unpleasant background of anxiety, which for some people can be quite intense; anxiety makes it harder to bring attention inward for self-awareness or contemplative practice, since the brain keeps scanning to make sure there is no problem. 

...Consequently, the mind continually tends to render unfair verdicts about a person's character, conduct, and possibilities.
To become happier, wiser, and more loving, sometimes you have to swim against ancient currents within your nervous system.
There are a lot more highlights I made and I'll probably add onto this post, but for now.
4/10/2013 05:25:02 am

Great book! Lot's of practical advice for life!

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