The teaching of the Buddha is based on two truths: conventional truth and ultimate truth. Without understanding the relationship between these two, the deeper meaning of the Buddha's teaching cannot be understood.

The spiritual journey begins with the recognition that beneath our surface happiness there lies a deep inner pain.

The path is the goal. Every step of the journey is the journey.

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

The master's introduction is direct recognition of one's own nature. Meditation is maintaining the continuity of this recognition.

There are only two days in the year that nothing can be done. One is called yesterday and the other is called tomorrow, so today is the right day to love, believe, do and mostly live.

The difference between buddhas and sentient beings is that buddhas recognize their nature while sentient beings fail to recognize it.

If you want to know your past life, look into your present condition; if you want to know your future life, look into your present actions.

This very body is the Buddha. And this very earth the lotus paradise.

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

The dharma wheel turns from the beginning. There is neither excess nor deficiency. The whole universe is moistened with nectar, and the truth is ready to harvest.

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

It is never too late to turn on the light.

When you recognize that pain and suffering are impermanent, you become free.

The mind is like a room with many windows. Open them all and let the fresh air in.

The greatest obstacle to connecting with our joy is resentment.

The precious pot containing my riches becomes my teacher in the very moment it breaks.

By understanding emptiness, one understands all phenomena. Without understanding emptiness, one understands nothing.

The four foundations of mindfulness are not separate practices but different aspects of the same practice of clear awareness.

What is the sound of one hand clapping?

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

There is no path to happiness: happiness is the path.

The greatest wisdom is seeing through appearances.

We can learn the art of fierce compassion - redefining strength, deconstructing isolation and renewing a sense of community, practicing letting go of rigid us-vs.-them thinking.

Recognize the emptiness of all phenomena, but do not become attached to emptiness itself.

Birth and death are neither two things nor one thing. Life is not an appearance, death is not a disappearance.

The practice of mindfulness is the practice of being alive in the present moment.

To be attached to a thing means that mind and the thing meet and grow into each other.

The practice of meditation is like tuning an instrument. Too tight, and the strings break. Too loose, and they won't play.

To have faith is to trust yourself to the water. When you swim you don't grab hold of the water, because if you do you will sink and drown. Instead you relax, and float.

Peace is not found by changing the world, but by changing your attitude to the world.

The force of the kindness of others is so strong, we can't possibly measure it.

The purpose of our lives is to be happy.