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

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

The mind that sees its own nature becomes free from all extremes.

The time of the past becomes the present, the time of the present becomes the future, the time of the future becomes the present, and the time of the present becomes the past.

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

The mind is the root from which all things grow. If you can understand the mind, everything else is included.

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

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

The more you understand impermanence, the more you appreciate every moment.

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.

The way is basically perfect. It is not a matter of practice or enlightenment.

The sign of wisdom is constant joy.

The path of insight is a path of discovery, not a path of creation. We are discovering what is already there.

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

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

The deepest form of happiness comes from discovering the natural peace of our own awareness.

Life is like a cup of tea. It's all in how you make it.

Change is the nature of every phenomenon. Accept this truth and you will live a happy life.

The mind is the forerunner of all things. Our present life is the result of our past thoughts, and our future life will be the result of our present thoughts.

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

The path to liberation is through understanding the true nature of mind and matter through direct observation.

Expectations are the thieves of joy.

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

The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.

To see nothing is to perceive the Way, and to understand nothing is to know the Dharma.

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

Emptiness which is conceptually liable to be mistaken for sheer nothingness is in fact the reservoir of infinite possibilities.

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

The nature of all things is like a magical illusion, a mirage, a dream, a reflection of the moon in water.

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

The more you understand, the more you love; the more you love, the more you understand.

Peace is not found by changing the world, but by changing your attitude to the world.

Both formerly and now, it is only suffering that I describe, and the cessation of suffering.

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 defilements of the mind are temporary visitors. Pure awareness is your true home.

The practice of Buddhism is fundamentally a practice of expanding our happiness and diminishing our suffering.

The fundamental delusion of humanity is to suppose that I am here and you are out there.

The Buddha's teaching is not a philosophical system but a practical guide to living.

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.

To think in terms of either pessimism or optimism oversimplifies the truth. The problem is to see reality as it is.

Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

The Four Noble Truths are not merely theoretical propositions but a framework for understanding and transforming our experience.

The path to liberation requires both understanding and practice, both pariyatti and patipatti.

Don't be a bodhisatta; don't be an arahant; don't be anything at all. Being something makes you suffer.

The nature of mind is not something we need to achieve - it's something we need to recognize.

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

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.

Trees, mountains, and vines all exist in nature according to their own truth. They are born and die following their nature. They remain this way because that's what they are. They don't practice meditation or do anything special.

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

Not knowing how near the truth is, we seek it far away.

The reason we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else's highlight reel.

The mind is intrinsically empty. It's empty of all that we perceive as being intrinsically "me" and "mine."

The willingness to empty ourselves and then seek our true nature is an expression of great and courageous love.

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

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

The greatest wisdom is seeing through appearances.

Happiness is not the pursuit of an endless succession of experiences but an attitude toward life.

The difference between buddhas and sentient beings is that buddhas recognize their nature while sentient beings fail to recognize it.

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

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