Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.

The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.

Zen teaches nothing; it merely enables us to wake up and become aware. It does not teach, it points.

The lamp of wisdom burns constantly, illuminating the nature of mind.

The quality of every moment depends on the state of our minds.

Things derive their being and nature by mutual dependence and are nothing in themselves.

If you want to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be miserable, expect something in return.

The nature of all things is like a magical illusion, a mirage, a dream, a reflection of the moon in water.

There are many ways to meditate. But at the heart of them all is mindfulness.

Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.

The one who grasps at existence suffers in samsara, while the one who grasps at non-existence will find no liberation.

Drop by drop is the water pot filled. Likewise, the wise man, gathering it little by little, fills himself with good.

The rising and falling of the abdomen is not the main object. The main object is to develop mindfulness, concentration, and insight.

The things that matter most in our lives are not fantastic or grand. They are the moments when we touch one another.

The more you understand, the more you love; the more you love, the more you understand.

Only to the extent that we expose ourselves over and over to annihilation can that which is indestructible be found in us.

You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.

The more you understand impermanence, the more you appreciate every moment.

The most fundamental aggression to ourselves, the most fundamental harm we can do to ourselves, is to remain ignorant by not having the courage and the respect to look at ourselves honestly and gently.

In Zen there must be satori; there must be a general mental upheaval which destroys the old accumulations of intellection and lays down the foundation for a new life.

The more clearly you see the arising and passing of phenomena, the less you will be attached to them.

Like a dream, like an illusion, like a city of gandharvas, that's how birth, and that's how living, that's how dying are taught to be.

The root of suffering is resisting the certainty that no matter what the circumstances, uncertainty is all we truly have.

Faith is not a commodity that you either have or don't have - it is an inner quality that unfolds as we learn to trust our own deepest experience.

Moment after moment, completely devote yourself to listening to your inner voice.

Choose to be optimistic, it feels better.

Mindfulness means keeping one's consciousness alive to the present reality.

We think that the point is to pass the test or overcome the problem, but the truth is that things don't really get solved. They come together and they fall apart. Then they come together again and fall apart again. It's just like that. The healing comes from letting there be room for all of this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy.

Enlightenment is like the moon reflected on the water. The moon does not get wet, nor is the water broken.

When you listen to someone, you should give up all your preconceived ideas and your subjective opinions.

Meditation practice isn't about trying to throw ourselves away and become something better. It's about befriending who we are already.

Just as true humor is laughter at oneself, true humanity is knowledge of oneself.

Trees, mountains, and vines all exist in nature according to their own truth. They are born and die following their nature. They remain this way because that's what they are. They don't practice meditation or do anything special.