The more a thing tends to be permanent, the more it tends to be lifeless.

Peace is within oneself to be found in the same place as agitation and suffering. It is not found in a forest or on a hilltop, nor is it given by a teacher.

The path to liberation requires both individual effort and the support of the spiritual community.

The most important factor in achieving happiness is the mind. Happiness and suffering are mental states and therefore depend on the mind.

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

There is no way to happiness - happiness is the way.

If you forget yourself, you become the universe.

True happiness is not found through the multiplication of desires but through their simplification.

To live is enough.

The path to enlightenment is not a path at all. It is a realization that where you are is where you have always been.

The whole moon and the entire sky are reflected in one dewdrop on the grass.

If you want to know the past, look at the present. If you want to know the future, look at the present.

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

The key to the Buddha's teaching is not grasping, not trying to hold onto things that are essentially impermanent and unstable.

The more we understand the nature of our mind, the more we understand the nature of our world.

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

Happiness is not about getting what you want, but wanting what you've got.

The truth of suffering is not to be feared but to be understood through direct observation.

The one who grasps at existence suffers in samsara, while the one who grasps at non-existence will find no liberation.

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.

Just to be alive is enough.

Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them.

The only things that are truly mine are my actions and their results.

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

When you are you, Zen is Zen. Big mind is just big mind.

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

Whatever is dependently co-arisen, that is explained to be emptiness. That, being a dependent designation, is itself the middle way.

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

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

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

Happiness is found in the simplest of things. It is not in the things you own, but in the love you share.

Each moment of clear seeing is a moment of freedom from the illusion of permanence, satisfaction, and self.

When we understand others, we understand ourselves. When we love others, we love ourselves.

Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.

The ocean does not reject any water; therefore it is great. The mountain does not select its stones; therefore it is great.

The cultivation of loving-kindness is the thread that runs through all Buddhist teachings.

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

The Buddha's path is not about becoming somebody different but about becoming more and more who you really are.

The mind is the source of all happiness and the source of all suffering.

The path is not about moving from one place to another. It's about recognizing where we already are.

The Buddha taught that wealth does not bring happiness and security. The pursuit of wealth is a matter of living in balance.

We should find perfect existence through imperfect existence.

Awareness is the basis, or what you might call the "support," of the mind. It is steady and unchanging, like the pole to which the flag of ordinary consciousness is attached.

Your own treasure house contains everything you need; why search outside?

Enlightenment is not a state of perfection but of authenticity.

The greatest wisdom is seeing through appearances.

The secret of happiness is to want what you already have.

Looking for peace is like looking for a turtle with a mustache: you won't be able to find it. But when your heart is ready, peace will come looking for you.

When you walk in the mist, you get wet.

The purpose of Buddhist practice is not to become a Buddhist but to awaken to the nature of reality.

The farther you enter into truth, the deeper it is.

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

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

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

My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.

When mindfulness becomes continuous, the distinction between the observer and the observed begins to break down.

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

There is no difference at all between samsara and nirvana. There is no difference at all between nirvana and samsara.

The nature of the mind is like the sky, and our thoughts, emotions, and experiences are like clouds passing through it.

The past is just a memory. The future is just a dream. Be here now.