My actions are my only true belongings. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. My actions are the ground upon which I stand.

"Buddhism defines karma as the triple action of our words, thoughts, and action that continue into the world long after we are gone. This is one of my favorite parts about Buddhism. It's the reward for struggling through all the nonattachment and for all the diligence of paying attention. I do not know if the compost that I will one day become will sprout a flower next to Plum's flower, but I do believe that my thoughts, words, and actions continue to have an impact after I am gone. Once they are out in the world, they can not be taken back. Our well-being, this reminds us, depends on us being fully engaged with the world. Our involvement is not just a matter of a hobby or doing what is morally good, our involvement with others is the ground upon which we stand.

"Thay says, 'The greatest relief you can get from Buddhist practice is to go beyond the notion of birth and death and thinking you are going to die, that your life only lasts these eighty or 100 years.' What we say, what we do, and what we think matters not just for our lifetime but for the world after we're gone. For me, this isn't as good as getting to stay alive forever, but it's better than the alternative."