Dependent origination is not a theory about the origin of the world but a teaching that shows how suffering originates in dependence on our own mental processes.

Life is available only in the present moment.

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

If I had any position, I would thereby have a flaw. But since I have no position, I alone am without flaw.

Few among men are they who cross to the further shore. The others merely run up and down the bank on this side.

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

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.

The five aggregates are not a theoretical model but a description of lived experience to be investigated through mindfulness.

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

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

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.

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

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

To live fully is to let go and die with each step.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happiness is found in the simplest of things. It is not in the things you own, but in the love you share.

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

Just to be alive is enough.

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

The purpose of our lives is to be happy.

The Buddha taught that wealth does not bring happiness and security. The pursuit of wealth is a matter of living in balance.

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.

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

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

Awareness is like the sun. When it shines on things, they are transformed.

The lamp of wisdom burns constantly, illuminating the nature of mind.

Love is not about possession. Love is about appreciation.

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

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

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

True peace is found not in the absence of experience but in the clear seeing of all experience.

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

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

When you realize the emptiness of all phenomena, compassion will arise in your heart for all sentient beings who do not understand this truth.

The nature of everything is illusory and ephemeral, those with dualistic perception regard suffering as happiness, like they who lick the honey from a razor's edge.

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

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

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

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

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

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

For things to reveal themselves to us, we need to be ready to abandon our views about them.

Karma is not fate but the law of moral causation, showing us that we are the architects of our own destiny.

To live – is that not enough? To love – is that not everything?

Worry pretends to be necessary but serves no useful purpose.

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

The path to enlightenment is not a path at all. It is a realization that where you are is where you have always been.

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

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

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

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

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

Those who grasp at things as truly existent are like someone trying to catch the reflection of the moon in water.