The grass is greener where you water it.

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

The more you suffer the deeper grows your character, and with the deepening of your character you read the more penetratingly into the secrets of life.

The biggest prison is the one we build in our own mind.

Equanimity is not indifference. It is the balanced mind that sees things clearly without reaction.

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

Just as treasures are uncovered from the earth, so virtue appears from good deeds, and wisdom appears from a pure and peaceful mind.

The practice is simply this: keep coming back to your breath during the day. This will give your mind a steadiness and your life a balance.

Meditation is not about trying to change your experience; it's about changing your relationship to your experience.

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

Zen is a way of life, not a theory or a piece of knowledge to be stored away in our minds.

Breathing in, there is only the present moment. Breathing out, it is a wonderful moment.

True freedom is a freedom from the tyranny of our own thoughts and afflictive emotions.

The contradiction so puzzling to the ordinary way of thinking comes from the fact that we have to use language to communicate our inner experience, which in its very nature transcends linguistics.

Enlightenment is not a state of perfection but of authenticity.

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

The Four Noble Truths are not mere doctrinal propositions but a framework for understanding and transforming our lives.

The real meaning of enlightenment is to gaze with undimmed eyes on all darkness.

Life is available only in the present moment.

Don't try to push away the darkness. Just light a lamp. The darkness will disappear by itself.

Everything that has a beginning has an ending. Make your peace with that and all will be well.

Karma is not fate but the law of moral causation, showing us that we are the architects of our own destiny.

Feelings like disappointment, embarrassment, irritation, resentment, anger, jealousy, and fear, instead of being bad news, are actually very clear moments that teach us where it is that we're holding back.

When you practice gratefulness, there is a sense of respect toward others.

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.

Through violence, you may solve one problem, but you sow the seeds for another.

Concentration and insight are like two wings of a bird: both are necessary for the flight to liberation.

Mindfulness is the key to the present moment. Without it we cannot see the world clearly, and we cannot make the wisest choices in our lives.

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

A flower falls, even though we love it; and a weed grows, even though we do not love it.

You are your own teacher. Looking for teachers can't solve your own doubts. Investigate yourself to find the truth - inside, not outside.

Just observe whatever arises. Don't try to create anything, and don't reject anything.

Emptiness is not nothingness. Emptiness is the space of possibility.