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

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

The ocean does not reject any water; therefore it is great. The mountain does not select its stones; therefore it is great.

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

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

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

Neither from itself nor from another, nor from both, nor without a cause, does anything whatever, anywhere arise.

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

Just to be alive is enough.

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.

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

When we understand that peace is not dependent on external conditions, we can find it in the midst of any circumstance.

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

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

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

The nature of mind is the unity of awareness and emptiness.

The greatest wisdom is seeing through appearances.

Enlightenment is not about becoming something special, but about realizing what we already are.

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

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

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

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

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 victorious ones have said that emptiness is the relinquishing of all views. Those who are possessed of the view of emptiness are said to be incurable.

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

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

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

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

The Buddha and all sentient beings are nothing but expressions of the one mind. There is nothing else.

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

When mindfulness becomes continuous, the distinction between the observer and the observed begins to break down.

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

The farther you enter into truth, the deeper it is.

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

Zen is not necessarily against words, but it is well aware of their limitations.

The path to liberation requires both understanding and practice, both pariyatti and patipatti.

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.

The Dhamma is not a collection of doctrinal formulas but a path leading to direct insight into the nature of reality.

Problems that remain persistently insoluble should always be suspected as questions asked in the wrong way.

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

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

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

Love is not about possession. Love is about appreciation.

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

The more we understand impermanence, the more we appreciate each moment of our lives.

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

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

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

Enlightenment is not the end of change but the end of resistance to change.

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.

When you recognize that pain and suffering are impermanent, you become free.

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

The essence of the spiritual journey is the uncovering of what is always already present.

The Buddha's teaching is not about belief but about investigation, not about accepting but about examining.

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

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

The future is completely open, and we are writing it moment to moment.

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