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

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

The root of all suffering is ignorance. The antidote to ignorance is wisdom that realizes emptiness.

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.

The secret of happiness lies not in getting what we want, but in learning to want what we already have.

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

Only one book is worth reading: the heart.

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

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

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

People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth.

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

The past is for learning from, not for living in.

The knowledge of dissolution comes when you see both the noting mind and noted object dissolving together.

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

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

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

Don't take life too seriously. No one gets out alive anyway.

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

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

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

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

Trying to define yourself is like trying to bite your own teeth.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Awareness is always with us. We don't need to create it or achieve it - we just need to recognize what's already there.

The person who clings to nothing of the past, present and future, who has no attachment and no aversion, has no conceptual imprints.

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

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

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

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

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

Intrinsically all living beings are Buddhas, just as ice and water are of the same substance.

Sankharas are the seeds of consciousness that manifest as sensations. By observing sensations equanimously, we stop creating new sankharas.

In Zen there must be satori; there must be a general mental upheaval which destroys the old accumulations of intellection and lays down the foundation for a new life.

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.

The six realms of existence are like a dream, why build a prison for yourself?

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

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.

Past thoughts are traceless, clear, and empty. Future thoughts are unborn and fresh. The present moment abides naturally and unconstructed.

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

Enlightenment is not a state of perfection but of authenticity.

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

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.

Just to be alive is enough.

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

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

We should find perfect existence through imperfect existence.

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

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

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

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

Enlightenment is intimacy with all things.

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