Dependent origination is not a theory about the origin of the world but a teaching that shows how suffering originates in dependence on our own mental processes.

The realization of impermanence leads not to despair but to a deeper appreciation of the preciousness of each moment.

The three characteristics - impermanence, suffering, and non-self - are not philosophical concepts but aspects of experience to be directly observed.

The Dhamma is not a collection of doctrinal formulas but a path leading to direct insight into the nature of reality.

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

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

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

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

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

The goal of the Buddhist path is not to add something to our existence but to discover something that has been there all along.

The Buddha's teaching is a teaching of self-reliance, of being one's own master, one's own refuge.

The Dhamma unfolds in accordance with a definite sequence: faith, virtue, learning, generosity, wisdom, and insight.

The purpose of meditation is not to create a mental vacuum but to come to know one's own mind.

The Buddha's teaching is a middle way between all extremes, between eternalism and annihilationism, between self-indulgence and self-torture.

The root of suffering is not in the world outside us but in our own minds.

The Noble Eightfold Path is a path of training: training in ethical conduct, training in mental discipline, and training in wisdom.

The restraint of the senses is not a matter of suppression but of wise attention to our experience.

Liberation is not found by running away from our experience but by looking deeply into it.

The path of practice moves from faith through understanding to direct realization.

The practice of metta begins with oneself, for only when we have developed loving-kindness towards ourselves can we truly offer it to others.