Every morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.

As long as our orientation is toward perfection or success, we will never learn about unconditional friendship with ourselves, nor will we find compassion.

The teaching is simple: act with kindness and compassion. If you cannot do this, at least try not to harm others.

We can learn to be present with whatever is happening in our lives, and in this way, we can begin to transform our relationship to difficulty.

Zazen is not step-by-step meditation. Rather it is simply the easy and pleasant practice of a Buddha, the realization of the Buddha's Wisdom.

The way to change the world is to change your own mind.

Neither from itself nor from another, nor from both, nor without a cause, does anything whatever, anywhere arise.

The development of wisdom requires both study and practice, both learning and direct experience.

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

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

Concentration is a cornerstone of mindfulness practice. Your mindfulness will only be as robust as your capacity to ground your attention in the present moment.

Better to have one moment of genuine meditation than to perform religious activities for a thousand years.

True love is not for the faint-hearted.

The technique of self-observation is the technique of observing the reality about oneself at the experiential level.

Nothing we see or hear is perfect. But right there in the imperfection is perfect reality.

The way to change others' minds is with affection, and not anger.

Smile, breathe, and go slowly.

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

The fundamental delusion of humanity is to suppose that I am here and you are out there.

Few among men are they who cross to the further shore. The others merely run up and down the bank on this side.

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

Mindfulness is being aware of what's going on, not trying to control what's going on.

Choose to be optimistic, it feels better.

The essence of Buddhist practice is to bring everything onto the path. Every experience becomes an opportunity for awakening.

Face your own anger and you will be free from anger. Face your own fears and you will be free from fear.

Enlightenment is not about becoming divine. Instead, it's about becoming more fully human.

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.

The first noble truth of the Buddha is that life contains suffering. The second noble truth is that the cause of suffering is craving.

The most important factor in achieving happiness is the mind. Happiness and suffering are mental states and therefore depend on the mind.

If you cannot find the truth right where you are, where else do you expect to find it?

To live – is that not enough? To love – is that not everything?

In true vipassana practice, there is no room for likes and dislikes. There is only observation.

If you want to understand suffering, you must look into the situation at hand. The teachings say that wherever a problem arises it must be settled right there.