The period of greatest gain in knowledge and experience is the most difficult period in one's life.

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

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

The practice of ethics is not about following rules but about developing inner purity and freedom.

Every being has the potential of becoming a Buddha. Our true nature is Buddha nature.

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

The quality of every moment depends on the state of our minds.

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

Altruism is not a luxury, it is a necessity for the survival of humanity.

What is evil? Killing is evil, lying is evil, slandering is evil, abuse is evil, gossip is evil, envy is evil, hatred is evil, to cling to false doctrine is evil; all these things are evil. And what is the root of evil? Desire is the root of evil, illusion is the root of evil.

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

External phenomena are like a dream, whatever appears is not real. Recognize the nature of dream-like phenomena to be dream-like.

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

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

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.

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

Enlightenment is not about becoming divine. Instead, it's about becoming more fully human.

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

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

In the beginning, nothing comes, in the middle nothing stays, in the end nothing goes.

To carry yourself forward and experience myriad things is delusion. That myriad things come forth and experience themselves is awakening.

In the spiritual world there are no time divisions such as the past, present and future; for they have contracted themselves into a single moment of the present where life quivers in its true sense.

The Buddha's teaching is a teaching of self-reliance, of being one's own master, one's own refuge.

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

The meaning of life is just to be alive. It is so plain and so obvious and so simple. And yet, everybody rushes around in a great panic as if it were necessary to achieve something beyond themselves.

The essence of mind is empty like space; yet it contains all things, like a mirror.

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

Those who cling to perceptions and views wander the world offending people.

Enlightenment is not about becoming something special, but about realizing what we already are.

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

The nature of everything is empty and clear, and the mind is beyond both existence and nonexistence.

The essence of all phenomena is empty and clear like space. The nature of mind is awareness-emptiness like the sun and sky.

Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.

To see the truth, do not be for or against. The struggle between for and against is the mind's worst disease.

Only one book is worth reading: the heart.

We do not "come into" this world; we come out of it, as leaves from a tree.

The root of suffering is not in the world outside us but in our own minds.

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.

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

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

Because you are alive, everything is possible.

Just as the wise do not take a mirage to be water, nor an echo to be a voice, so the enlightened do not take the world to be real.

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.

Whatever precious jewel there is in the heavenly worlds, there is nothing comparable to one who is awakened.

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.

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

Change is possible because there is nothing inherently permanent about our disturbing emotions.

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

The mind that notes and the object that is noted are both impermanent. Understanding this leads to liberation.

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

The essence of the teaching is emptiness and compassion. Without emptiness, compassion can become attachment. Without compassion, emptiness can become cold and distant.

True freedom is a freedom from the tyranny of our own thoughts and afflictive emotions.

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.

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

Understanding means throwing away your knowledge.

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

Reality is only a Rorschach ink-blot, you know.

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

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