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

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.

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

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

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

Love is not about possession. Love is about appreciation.

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

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

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

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.

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

The truth of suffering is not to be feared but to be understood through direct observation.

The Buddha's teachings are not a religion, but a science of mind.

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

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

True happiness is not about getting rid of all our problems, but about changing our relationship to them.

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

My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.

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

We should find perfect existence through imperfect existence.

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

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

Worry pretends to be necessary but serves no useful purpose.

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.

Everybody has the light of Buddha within, but they don't look for it.

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.

All that appears and exists, all of samsara and nirvana, has one ground, two paths, and two results. This is the magical display of awareness and unawareness.

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

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.

Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.

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

My father is the intrinsic awareness, Samantabhadra. My mother is the ultimate sphere of reality, Samantabhadri. I belong to the caste of non-duality of these two.

Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

Through our eyes, the universe is perceiving itself. Through our ears, the universe is listening to its harmonies. We are the witnesses through which the universe becomes conscious of its glory, of its magnificence.

Looking for peace is like looking for a turtle with a mustache: you won't be able to find it. But when your heart is ready, peace will come looking for you.

The practice of Buddhism is fundamentally a practice of expanding our happiness and diminishing our suffering.

Suffering comes from our resistance to what is. Peace comes from our acceptance of what is.

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

Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship.

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

Loving-kindness is not something we need to manufacture. It's a natural expression of our awakened nature.

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

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

The path of awakening is not about becoming who we think we should be, but about unbecoming who we are not.

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