"The more open our heart is, the more we feel others' suffering as our own. But that doesn't mean we feel depressed and despondent. The suffering of others doesn't weigh us down because we are buoyed by the warmth of our tenderness toward them. For someone who is guided by bodhichitta, the wish to benefit all beings by attaining enlightenment, living in samsara is a joyful experience. Every minute that your heart is open is a minute to cherish. There is no sense of heaviness and no bewilderment about what you should be doing. Every moment, there is something you can do to benefit sentient beings. Even if you are alone, you can warm your heart toward others, you can make aspirations and prayers on their behalf, and you can dedicate your merit to their well-being and their eventual enlightenment. The ability to perform altruistic activities throughout the day -- day in and day out, year after year, life after life — is what keeps the bodhisattva feeling so light. It is what brings the perpetual smile to the face of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and others like him.

"The future of the world depends on tsewa. This is fortunate because tsewa is something we are all born with. We all have a heart that can open, and we can feel the difference between an open heart and a closed heart. Out of habit or ignorance, we may choose to keep our heart closed, or we may not realize we have a choice. But when we begin to understand the power of tsewa and how we can cultivate it, our innate wisdom will guide us toward greater and greater warmth and tenderness, until there is no difference between our heart and the heart of the Buddha, the perfect compassionate guide. We all have this infinite potential, and we will realize it sooner rather than later. Thanks to tsewa — the wish-fulfilling jewel that you and I and all sentient beings possess — the future is in good hands."