Suffering is not the end of the story; it is the middle of the story.

Like a dream, like an illusion, like a city of gandharvas, that's how birth, and that's how living, that's how dying are taught to be.

The purpose of life is to be happy, to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate. It is not to be well known, cited, or powerful.

Where ignorance is our master, there is no possibility of real peace.

Wisdom says we are nothing. Love says we are everything. Between these two our life flows.

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

If you see certainty in that which is uncertain, you are bound to suffer.

When concentration is developed, wisdom arises. When wisdom arises, one becomes disenchanted with the five aggregates.

Recognize the emptiness of all phenomena, but do not become attached to emptiness itself.

Expectations are the thieves of joy.

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

Enlightenment is like the moon reflected on the water. The moon does not get wet, nor is the water broken.

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

The experience of emptiness engenders compassion.

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

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

Wisdom is not about accumulating knowledge, but about seeing through all knowledge.

When you realize how perfect everything is, you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky.

Neither from itself nor from another, nor from both, nor without a cause, does anything whatever, anywhere arise.

The Buddha's teachings are not a religion, but a science of mind.

The purpose of our lives is to be happy, and happiness is found in benefiting others.

Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.

The Buddha never taught a sectarian religion; he taught Dhamma - the way to liberation - which is universal.

If you want to know your past life, look at your present condition. If you want to know your future life, look at your present actions.

The Noble Eightfold Path is not a path of mere intellectual understanding but a path of practice, of inner transformation.

The spiritual journey is not about heaven and finally getting to a place that's really swell.

The mind is like water. When it's turbulent, it's difficult to see. When it's calm, everything becomes clear.

Zen is not necessarily against words, but it is well aware of their limitations.

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 Buddhism is not a belief system but a systematic investigation of our experience.

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

All beings by nature are Buddha, as ice by nature is water. Apart from water there is no ice; apart from beings, no Buddha.

Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck.

The dharma wheel turns from the beginning. There is neither excess nor deficiency. The whole universe is moistened with nectar, and the truth is ready to harvest.

Life is an art, and like perfect art it should be self-forgetting.

By understanding emptiness, one understands all phenomena. Without understanding emptiness, one understands nothing.

Who would then deny that when I am sipping tea in my tearoom I am swallowing the whole universe with it and that this very moment of my lifting the bowl to my lips is eternity itself transcending time and space?

Enlightenment is not a state of perfection but of authenticity.

The ultimate source of happiness is not money and power, but warm-heartedness.

The lamp of wisdom burns constantly, illuminating the nature of mind.

The purpose of meditation is to gain right understanding of the true nature of mental and physical phenomena.

Nothing we see or hear is perfect. But right there in the imperfection is perfect reality.

True happiness is not about getting rid of all our problems, but about changing our relationship to them.

Loving-kindness is not something we need to manufacture. It's a natural expression of our awakened nature.

The most important thing is to enjoy your life - to be happy. This is the goal of Buddhist practice.

This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.

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

Although all phenomena are empty of inherent existence, they function perfectly well.

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

Real happiness comes from having an unshakable connection to the deep wellspring of peace and happiness that is not dependent on external conditions.

What we call "I" is just a swinging door which moves when we inhale and when we exhale.

Buddhas and ordinary beings are not two. Enlightenment and delusion are not different paths.

My actions are my only true belongings. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. My actions are the ground upon which I stand.

The world is its own magic.

The nature of mind is like a mirror. It is not affected by whatever appears in it, yet it never fails to reflect everything perfectly.

In our struggle for freedom, truth is the only weapon we possess.

The present moment is the only moment available to us, and it is the door to all moments.

The eye with which I see Buddha is the same eye with which Buddha sees me.

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.

When you understand that all phenomena are impermanent, unsatisfactory, and non-self, attachment naturally falls away.