The meaning of life is just to be alive. It is so plain and so obvious and so simple. And yet, everybody rushes around in a great panic as if it were necessary to achieve something beyond themselves.

Love is not about possession. Love is about appreciation.

Trees, mountains, and vines all exist in nature according to their own truth. They are born and die following their nature. They remain this way because that's what they are. They don't practice meditation or do anything special.

The awareness that you are here, right now, is the ultimate fact.

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.

Wisdom is not something we have to strive to acquire. Rather, wisdom arises naturally as we open our hearts to the truth of what is.

The menu is not the meal.

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

Forgiveness means giving up all hope for a better past.

When concentration is developed, wisdom arises. When wisdom arises, one becomes disenchanted with the five aggregates.

When you practice zazen you should not try to attain anything. You should just sit in the complete calmness of your mind and not rely on anything.

You will not be punished for your anger; you will be punished by your anger.

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

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

The most important thing is to enjoy your life - to be happy. This is the goal of Buddhist practice.

Sleep is the best meditation.

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.

To be in harmony with the wholeness of things is not to have anxiety over imperfection.

The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.

The more a thing tends to be permanent, the more it tends to be lifeless.

The problem is not the problem; the problem is your attitude about the problem.

Compassion is not mere sentiment but a powerful force that can transform both ourselves and others.

If we learn to open our hearts, anyone, including the people who drive us crazy, can be our teacher.

The greatest achievement is selflessness. The greatest worth is self-mastery.

In the spiritual world there are no time divisions such as the past, present and future; for they have contracted themselves into a single moment of the present where life quivers in its true sense.

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

Meditation is the road to happiness.

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

Every sensation shares the same characteristic - arising, passing. Arising, passing. Learn to observe objectively.

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

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

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