This very body is the Buddha. And this very earth the lotus paradise.

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

To forget the self is to be actualized by myriad things.

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

The Buddha's teaching is a middle way between all extremes, between eternalism and annihilationism, between self-indulgence and self-torture.

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

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

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

When concentration is developed, wisdom arises. When wisdom arises, one becomes disenchanted with the five aggregates.

The biggest prison is the one we build in our own mind.

Our basic nature is pure awareness that simply cognizes experience. Everything else is temporary and adventitious.

Real peace comes from seeing things as they really are, not as we want them to be.

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

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

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

Man suffers only because he takes seriously what the gods made for fun.

Just as the great ocean has one taste, the taste of salt, so also this teaching and discipline has one taste, the taste of liberation.

The ultimate revolution is the spiritual revolution, where we learn to see reality as it truly is.

When one sees with wisdom that all phenomena are empty of inherent existence, one is liberated from suffering.

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

The water in the ocean can be rough or calm. It can be clear or murky. But the water itself doesn't mind.

The way we look at the world is the way the world looks.

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

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

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

Without accepting the fact that everything changes, we cannot find perfect composure.

Suffering is not the end of the story; it is the middle of the story.

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

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

What we learn about the world is colored by the way we approach it.

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

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

What Zen wants us to do is to acquire an entirely new point of view whereby to look into the mysteries of life and the secrets of nature.

All worldly pursuits have but one unavoidable and inevitable end, which is sorrow; acquisitions end in dispersion; buildings in destruction; meetings in separation; births in death.

The heart of the path is quite simple. No need for long explanations. Give up clinging to love and hate, just rest with things as they are.

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

The dharma wheel turns from the beginning. There is neither excess nor deficiency. The whole universe is moistened with nectar, and the truth is ready to harvest.

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

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

The Noble Eightfold Path is not a path of mere intellectual understanding but a path of practice, of inner transformation.

My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.

Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.

Wherever you are, you are one with the clouds and one with the sun and the stars you see. You are one with everything. That is more true than I can say, and more true than you can hear.

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

There is no path to happiness: happiness is the path.

Impermanence, suffering, and non-self are not philosophical concepts but realities to be directly perceived through mindfulness practice.

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

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

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

Just to be alive is enough.

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

The menu is not the meal.

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

Enlightenment is intimacy with all things.

As long as you seek for something, you will get the shadow of reality and not reality itself.

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

Real happiness lies within. It cannot be found in external objects or achievements.

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