Pema Tsewang, Shastri, a former Fulbright scholar at Harvard University, has served as the chairman of the board of directors for the Tibetan Association of Boston. He currently works at Wisdom Publications. This collection of Tibetan proverbs with annotations by the author conveys both the folk wisdom of this very special country and the spirituality which has animated its monastic culture for centuries. He opens the book with the following:

"Honey is sweet to the mouth;
proverb is music to the ear."

Proverbs are both interesting and gratifying with their sagacious mix of brevity and commentary on the human condition. Oftentimes, these Tibetan observations on the way things are come across as witty and clever. Cycled around and down through time, they deliver truth and meaning for those who have eyes to see and ears to hear.

Here are a few of our favorites:

On Happiness
"You can't get from the meadow of happiness
without climbing the cliff of hardship."

For Couples
"Ride the horse of happiness together;
bear the load of suffering together."

On Speech and Amends
"One cannot withdraw what is spoken from one's mouth,
but one can always return back from a mistaken path."

On Diversity
"One mouth, different thoughts;
one pillow, different dreams."

On Dedication
"One becomes skilled in what one likes."

On Poison
"Even poison can be turned into medicine
if one knows how to use it."