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

Although all phenomena are empty of inherent existence, they function perfectly well.

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.

The Four Noble Truths are not mere doctrinal propositions but a framework for understanding and transforming our lives.

Enlightenment is not a state of perfection but of authenticity.

The awareness that you are here, right now, is the ultimate fact.

Life is available only in the present moment.

Everything that has a beginning has an ending. Make your peace with that and all will be well.

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

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

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

Those who understand interdependent origination understand suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path.

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

The Buddha never taught a sectarian religion; he taught Dhamma - the way to liberation - which is universal.

The time of the past becomes the present, the time of the present becomes the future, the time of the future becomes the present, and the time of the present becomes the past.

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.

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

Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

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.

Life is like stepping onto a boat which is about to sail out to sea and sink.

The eye with which I see Buddha is the same eye with which Buddha sees me.

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 color of the mountains is Buddha's body; the sound of running water is his great speech.

The spiritual journey is not about heaven and finally getting to a place that's really swell.

The greatest wisdom is seeing through appearances.

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

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

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

The goal of the Buddhist path is not to add something to our existence but to discover something that has been there all along.

Sankharas are the seeds of consciousness that manifest as sensations. By observing sensations equanimously, we stop creating new sankharas.

The essence of all phenomena is empty and clear like space. The nature of mind is awareness-emptiness like the sun and sky.

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

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

Enlightenment is not about becoming divine. Instead, it's about becoming more fully human.

The true person is not anyone in particular. But like the deep blue color of the limitless sky, it is everyone, everywhere in the world.

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

Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck.

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

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

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

To carry yourself forward and experience myriad things is delusion. That myriad things come forth and experience themselves is awakening.

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

The experience of emptiness engenders compassion.

There is no difference at all between samsara and nirvana. There is no difference at all between nirvana and samsara.

The purpose of life is to be happy, to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate. It is not to be well known, cited, or powerful.

Like a dream, like an illusion, like a city of gandharvas, that's how birth, and that's how living, that's how dying are taught to be.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

Recognize the emptiness of all phenomena, but do not become attached to emptiness itself.

Understanding means throwing away your knowledge.