Life is like stepping onto a boat which is about to sail out to sea and sink.

When you listen to someone, you should give up all your preconceived ideas and your subjective opinions.

Treat every moment as your last. It is not preparation for something else.

The purpose of studying Buddhism is not to study Buddhism, but to study ourselves.

Wherever you are, you are one with the clouds and one with the sun and the stars you see. You are one with everything. That is more true than I can say, and more true than you can hear.

The true understanding is that the practice itself is enlightenment.

The basic teaching of Buddhism is the teaching of transiency, or change.

Instead of having a deep understanding of the teaching, we need a strong confidence in our teaching, which says that originally we have Buddha nature.

Our practice cannot be perfect, but without being discouraged by this, we should continue it. This is the secret of practice.

The world is its own magic.

The best way to control people is to encourage them to be mischievous. Then they will be in control in a wider sense.

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

The state of mind that exists when you sit in the right posture is, itself, enlightenment.

The most important things in our practice are our physical posture and our way of breathing.

The mind of the beginner is empty, free of the habits of the expert, ready to accept, to doubt, and open to all the possibilities.

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

To live is enough.

Leave your front door and your back door open. Allow your thoughts to come and go. Just don't serve them tea.

When you understand one thing through and through, you understand everything. When you try to understand everything, you will not understand anything.

There is no need to have a deep understanding of Zen. Even though you read much Zen literature, you must read each sentence with a fresh mind.