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

Birth and death are neither two things nor one thing. Life is not an appearance, death is not a disappearance.

If you want to know your past life, look into your present condition; if you want to know your future life, look into your present actions.

The ultimate purpose of Buddhism is to serve and benefit humanity.

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

Right View is not just a matter of intellectual understanding but of seeing things as they really are.

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

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

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

True happiness is born of letting go of what is unnecessary.

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

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

Life is like an ever-shifting kaleidoscope - a slight change, and all patterns alter.

When the iron bird flies and horses run on wheels, the Tibetan people will be scattered like ants across the face of the earth.

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

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 deepest happiness comes from having an enduring sense of purpose, one that gives our lives meaning beyond the endless pursuit of pleasure and success.

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

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 truth you believe and cling to makes you unavailable to hear anything new.

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

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

Just to be alive is enough.

The three characteristics - impermanence, suffering, and non-self - are not philosophical concepts but aspects of experience to be directly observed.

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

The mind of the past is ungraspable; the mind of the future is ungraspable; the mind of the present is ungraspable.

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

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.

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.

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

Emptiness is not nothingness. Emptiness is the space of possibility.

The teaching of the Buddha is based on two truths: conventional truth and ultimate truth. Without understanding the relationship between these two, the deeper meaning of the Buddha's teaching cannot be understood.

Enlightenment is not a state of perfection but of authenticity.

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

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

True freedom is not the absence of commitment but the presence of choice.

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

In the moment of pure noting, there is no self - only the knowing and the known.

Enlightenment is intimacy with all things.

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 Buddha's teaching challenges us to master the art of living, to live in a way that leads to the extinction of suffering.

For whom emptiness is possible, everything is possible. For whom emptiness is not possible, nothing is possible.

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

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

People who study a lot but don't practice are like a ladle in a soup pot. It's in the soup every day, but it doesn't know the taste of the soup.

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

To live is enough.

You are an aperture through which the universe is looking at and exploring itself.

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

Wisdom arises when you see the true characteristics of phenomena through direct experience.

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

Life is available only in the present moment.

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

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

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

Through continuous mindfulness practice, the true nature of physical and mental phenomena becomes clear.

The path of practice requires both faith and wisdom, both devotion and understanding.

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

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

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