The mind creates the abyss, and the heart crosses it.

The Buddha's teaching is a teaching of self-reliance, of being one's own master, one's own refuge.

The purpose of Buddhist practice is not to become a Buddhist but to awaken to the nature of reality.

The highest truth cannot be taught except through the conventional truth.

The zazen I speak of is not meditation practice. It is simply the dharma gate of joyful ease.

Mindfulness is attention to life, and life itself is sacred.

Your own treasure house contains everything you need; why search outside?

The more we understand our mind, the more we understand the world.

The knowledge of dissolution comes when you see both the noting mind and noted object dissolving together.

Time passes unhindered. When we make mistakes, we cannot turn the clock back and try again. All we can do is use the present well.

The door of your heart can only be opened from the inside.

When you realize how perfect everything is, you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky.

Silence is so much more productive of wisdom and clarity than thinking.

Technical knowledge is not enough. One must transcend techniques so that the art becomes an artless art, growing out of the unconscious.

The practice of patience guards us against losing our presence of mind.

The essence of mind is empty like space; yet it contains all things, like a mirror.

Because you are alive, everything is possible.

The more we understand the nature of our mind, the more we understand the nature of our world.

The affairs of the world will go on forever. Do not delay the practice of meditation.

If in our daily life we can smile, if we can be peaceful and happy, not only we, but everyone will profit from it. This is the most basic kind of peace work.

Don't be afraid of the future. The future is good.

The spiritual journey is not about heaven and finally getting to a place that's really swell.

Don't try to change the world. First, change yourself.

Every thought, every word, and every action leaves an imprint on our mind.

You will not be punished for your anger; you will be punished by your anger.

Conquer anger with non-anger. Conquer evil with good. Conquer stinginess with giving. Conquer deceit with truth.

Sankharas are the seeds of consciousness that manifest as sensations. By observing sensations equanimously, we stop creating new sankharas.

The entire path is a path of self-responsibility. Nobody else can walk it for you.

Everybody has the light of Buddha within, but they don't look for it.

Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.

Just as a snake sheds its skin, we must shed our past over and over again.

The essence of bravery is being without self-deception.

Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.