Real happiness lies within. It cannot be found in external objects or achievements.

In my youth I studied, in my prime I practiced, now all my doubts are cleared.

Whatever we do, we should see ourselves. Reading books doesn't show us our defilements. Watch yourself. Watch your mind.

The noting mind and the object noted appear to occur as a pair. Through concentration they are seen to arise and vanish together.

We do not "come into" this world; we come out of it, as leaves from a tree.

The greatest wisdom is seeing through appearances.

Anxiety and excitement are the same emotion. The only difference is our attitude toward the experience.

When I run from suffering, it follows me. When I face suffering with equanimity, it runs from me.

Feelings like disappointment, embarrassment, irritation, resentment, anger, jealousy, and fear, instead of being bad news, are actually very clear moments that teach us where it is that we're holding back.

As surely as there is a voyage away, there is a journey home.

Let none find fault with others; let none see the omissions and commissions of others. But let one see one's own acts, done and undone.

A disciplined mind leads to happiness, and an undisciplined mind leads to suffering.

We don't set out to save the world; we set out to wonder how other people are doing and to reflect on how our actions affect other people's hearts.

Panic is a gateway to wisdom. When we learn to stay present with our panic, it becomes our teacher.

Don't expect or desire anything. Just keep noting whatever arises in the present moment.

The best way to solve a problem is to help someone else solve their problem.

The path to liberation is through understanding the true nature of mind and matter through direct observation.

When one sees with wisdom that all phenomena are empty of inherent existence, one is liberated from suffering.

There is no way to happiness - happiness is the way.

The nature of the mind is like the sky, and our thoughts, emotions, and experiences are like clouds passing through it.

Enlightenment is intimacy with all things.

The practice of Zen is forgetting the self in the act of uniting with something.

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

To be fully alive, fully human, and completely awake is to be continually thrown out of the nest.

The Dhamma is not a collection of doctrinal formulas but a path leading to direct insight into the nature of reality.

Love is not a feeling. It's a capability.

It is under the greatest adversity that there exists the greatest potential for doing good, both for oneself and others.

Forgiveness is not a moral issue. It's a power issue. When we hold onto grievance and resentment, we are giving our power away.

Change is possible because there is nothing inherently permanent about our disturbing emotions.

The willingness to empty ourselves and then seek our true nature is an expression of great and courageous love.

The true mark of a spiritual practitioner is that your own behavior is better, not that you can criticize others well.

Awareness is the basis, or what you might call the "support," of the mind. It is steady and unchanging, like the pole to which the flag of ordinary consciousness is attached.

The more you meditate, the more you understand yourself and the better friend you become to yourself.