Just as the wise do not take a mirage to be water, nor an echo to be a voice, so the enlightened do not take the world to be real.

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

Life is like an ever-shifting kaleidoscope - a slight change, and all patterns alter.

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

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

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

Zen in its essence is the art of seeing into the nature of one's own being, and it points the way from bondage to freedom.

Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.

Since all things are empty of inherent existence, anything is possible. If things had inherent existence, nothing would be possible.

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

Birth and death are neither two things nor one thing. Life is not an appearance, death is not a disappearance.

Our true nature is like a diamond - pure, brilliant, and indestructible. No matter how much dirt covers it, its essential nature remains unchanged.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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 present moment is the only moment available to us, and it is the door to all moments.

The nature of all things is like a magical illusion, a mirage, a dream, a reflection of the moon in water.

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

The essence of mind is empty like space; yet it contains all things, like a mirror.

In the moment of pure noting, there is no self - only the knowing and the known.

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

Things derive their being and nature by mutual dependence and are nothing in themselves.

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

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

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

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

Where ignorance is our master, there is no possibility of real peace.

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

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

When you walk in the mist, you get wet.

Because you are alive, everything is possible.

My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.

The Buddha's teaching is a teaching of self-reliance, of being one's own master, one's own refuge.

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 root of suffering is attachment.

My actions are my only true belongings. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. My actions are the ground upon which I stand.

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

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

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

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

Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.

To study the Way is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be enlightened by all things.

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

The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.

The path is not about moving from one place to another. It's about recognizing where we already are.

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

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

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.

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

The greatest wisdom is seeing through appearances.

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

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

You are the sky. Everything else is just the weather.

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

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

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