The first noble truth of the Buddha is that life contains suffering. The second noble truth is that the cause of suffering is craving.

We can learn to be present with whatever is happening in our lives, and in this way, we can begin to transform our relationship to difficulty.

The dharma is not about collecting more beliefs but about becoming free from the power of belief itself.

Every time we become aware of a thought, as opposed to being lost in a thought, we experience that opening of the mind.

Our task is to learn to see clearly what is happening in each moment, rather than be lost in our reactions and judgments.

The great gift of meditation is that it returns us to the simplicity of our own being.

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

Suffering comes from our resistance to what is. Peace comes from our acceptance of what is.

Each moment of mindfulness is a moment of purification.

When we see the nature of the mind, we see that we are not our thoughts.

The challenge in meditation is not to eliminate thinking but to understand the nature of thought itself.

Mindfulness is the quality and power of mind that is aware of what's happening—without judgment and without interference.

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 more we understand impermanence, the more we understand that we can't hold on to anything.

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

The path of awakening is not about becoming who you are. Rather it is about unbecoming who you are not.

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 deepest happiness comes from having an enduring sense of purpose, one that gives our lives meaning beyond the endless pursuit of pleasure and success.

The essence of the spiritual journey is the uncovering of what is always already present.

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.