Few among men are they who cross to the further shore. The others merely run up and down the bank on this side.

To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don't need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself.

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.

The most important point is to accept yourself and stand on your two feet.

Live in joy, in love, even among those who hate. Live in joy, in health, even among the afflicted. Live in joy, in peace, even among the troubled. Look within, be still.

The nature of mind is not something we need to achieve - it's something we need to recognize.

The essence of the teaching is emptiness and compassion. Without emptiness, compassion can become attachment. Without compassion, emptiness can become cold and distant.

My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.

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

When you talk, you are only repeating what you already know. But if you listen, you may learn something new.

The real secret of the arts: always be a beginner.

Every moment is a fresh beginning. Every breath is a new chance.

The role of Zen is neither to stand above life nor to run away from it, but to face it with a spirit of determination.

The entire path is a path of self-responsibility. Nobody else can walk it for you.

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

Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.

Mindfulness helps you go home to the present. And every time you go there and recognize a condition of happiness that you have, happiness comes.

To live – is that not enough? To love – is that not everything?

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

In true dialogue, both sides are willing to change.

My father is the intrinsic awareness, Samantabhadra. My mother is the ultimate sphere of reality, Samantabhadri. I belong to the caste of non-duality of these two.

The practice of mindfulness leads naturally to concentration. Concentration leads naturally to wisdom.

The truth you believe and cling to makes you unavailable to hear anything new.

Meditation is not about trying to change ourselves. Meditation is about being aware of what is.

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

If a problem is fixable, if a situation is such that you can do something about it, then there is no need to worry. If it's not fixable, then there is no help in worrying. There is no benefit in worrying whatsoever.

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.

Meditation is not about stopping thoughts, but recognizing that we are not our thoughts.

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.

Every experience is an opportunity to practice awareness.

In my youth I studied, in my prime I practiced, now all my doubts are cleared.

The practice of mindfulness is simply to bring awareness to what we are doing, what we are saying, and what we are thinking.

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