Thanissaro Bhikkhu on the Ultimate Goal

"You place your bets on the idea that a deathless happiness is possible. That’s a safer hypothesis than saying it’s not possible. If you believe it’s not possible, you’re never going to do the actions that might possibly take you there. Now, if it turns out that it’s not true that the deathless is attainable, still you’ve lived an honorable life. So even at the very beginning, it’s a good bet." ~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu "To Escape the Prison of Time" (Meditations11)

"Learn how to develop as much goodness within yourself as you can, so that even though you have to be guarded in this world, you can treat people with goodwill [mettā] . The basic attitude of goodwill is that you wish them well — realizing that, in some cases, the best thing for you and that other person may be to stay away from each other. This realization comes, not from ill will, but from noticing that this relationship is not working out — it’s not going in the right direction. And fortunately, we don’t all have to join in some enlightened society in order to be enlightened. It’s an individual quest. And you have to face the fact that, with some people, you’re never going to find reconciliation. But you don’t get worked up over impossibilities. You focus on doing good where you can — both inside and out — and that becomes your strength." ~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu "Guarded"

"There's a passage where the Buddha says, "The world, the origination of the world, the cessation of the world, and the path leading to the cessation of the world all lie within this fathom-long body." Which means that all you have to do is look at the body and you see everything you need to know for the sake of liberation." ~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu "This Fathom-Long Body"