When you run after your thoughts, you are like a dog chasing a stick. Every time a stick is thrown, you run after it. Instead, be like a lion who, rather than chasing after the stick, turns to face the thrower.

The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

The path to liberation requires both understanding and practice, both pariyatti and patipatti.

Do not follow the ideas of others, but learn to listen to the voice within yourself.

Awareness is like the sun. When it shines on things, they are transformed.

True happiness comes from a sense of inner peace and contentment, which in turn must be achieved through cultivation of altruism, of love, of compassion.

The purpose of a spiritual discipline is to give us a way to stop the war, not by our force of will, but through understanding and through letting go.

The most important things in our practice are our physical posture and our way of breathing.

The farther you enter into truth, the deeper it is.

The first step toward faith is to admit that we don't know everything.

The realization of impermanence leads not to despair but to a deeper appreciation of the preciousness of each moment.

The practice of Buddhism is fundamentally a practice of expanding our happiness and diminishing our suffering.

External phenomena are like a dream, whatever appears is not real. Recognize the nature of dream-like phenomena to be dream-like.

The path to liberation requires both individual effort and the support of the spiritual community.

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

As a flower that is lovely and beautiful, but is scentless, even so fruitless is the well-spoken word of one who does not practice it.

True freedom is not the absence of commitment but the presence of choice.

The essence of Buddhist practice is to reduce our selfishness and to work for the benefit of others.

The future is completely open, and we are writing it moment to moment.

Awareness is always with us. We don't need to create it or achieve it - we just need to recognize what's already there.

Man suffers only because he takes seriously what the gods made for fun.

The greatest obstacle to connecting with our joy is resentment.

True happiness is born of letting go of what is unnecessary.

To see nothing is to perceive the Way, and to understand nothing is to know the Dharma.

Whatever precious jewel there is in the heavenly worlds, there is nothing comparable to one who is awakened.

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

The way is not in the sky. The way is in the heart.

The practice of Zen mind is beginner's mind. In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities; in the expert's mind there are few.

Meditation in the midst of activity is a thousand times superior to meditation in stillness.

The mind is intrinsically empty. It's empty of all that we perceive as being intrinsically "me" and "mine."

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

The treasure house within you contains everything, and you are free to use it. You don't need to seek outside.

The purpose of meditation is to make our mind calm and peaceful. If our mind is peaceful, we will be free from worries and mental discomfort.