The essence of the spiritual journey is the uncovering of what is always already present.

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

Because you are alive, everything is possible.

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.

The five aggregates are not a theoretical model but a description of lived experience to be investigated through mindfulness.

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

Radiate boundless love towards the entire world — above, below, and across — unhindered, without ill will, without enmity.

The purpose of life is to be happy, to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate. It is not to be well known, cited, or powerful.

Meditation is like catching a fish. If you try to catch it quickly, you'll miss it. If you have patience and know how to wait, the fish will come.

When mindfulness and concentration are strong, insight into the three characteristics naturally unfolds.

The more we witness our emotional reactions and understand how they work, the easier it is to refrain.

Suffering comes from our resistance to what is. Peace comes from our acceptance of what is.

The path of practice requires both faith and wisdom, both devotion and understanding.

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

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.

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

Ethical conduct is not a constraint upon our freedom but a condition of our freedom.

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

The purpose of meditation is not to create a new state of mind, but to recognize what is already present.

Don't be a bodhisatta; don't be an arahant; don't be anything at all. Being something makes you suffer.

What we learn about the world is colored by the way we approach it.

The archer ceases to be conscious of himself as the one who is engaged in hitting the bull's-eye which confronts him. This state of unconsciousness is realized only when, completely empty and rid of the self, he becomes one with the perfecting of his technical skill.

If you love someone, the greatest gift you can give them is your presence.

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

The mind is the source of all happiness and the source of all suffering.

Happiness is not about getting what you want, but wanting what you've got.

You are an aperture through which the universe is looking at and exploring itself.

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

Meditation is not an escape from reality but a way to understand reality as it truly is.

World peace must develop from inner peace. Peace is not just mere absence of violence. Peace is, I think, the manifestation of human compassion.

This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.

Sleep is the best meditation.

The nature of everything is empty and clear, and the mind is beyond both existence and nonexistence.