The spiritual path is not easy. We all know this. We have such a stubborn tendency to battle against our suffering, and against our problems. Instead, we must learn the practice of embracing our suffering with great kindness. But this goes against our deepest conditioning, and if we try to go this road alone, we sooner or later drift into forgetfulness of the practice. In an authentic spiritual community, however, there is always a brother or sister who can help us return to the practice when we stray.
— Jean-Pierre Cartier, Thich Nhat Hanh by Jean-Pierre Cartier, Rachel Cartier