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

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

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

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

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

When one sees with wisdom that all phenomena are empty of inherent existence, one is liberated from suffering.

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

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

The person who clings to nothing of the past, present and future, who has no attachment and no aversion, has no conceptual imprints.

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

In the spiritual world there are no time divisions such as the past, present and future; for they have contracted themselves into a single moment of the present where life quivers in its true sense.

Instead of having a deep understanding of the teaching, we need a strong confidence in our teaching, which says that originally we have Buddha nature.

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

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.

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.

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

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

True happiness is not found through the multiplication of desires but through their simplification.

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

When we know the truth, we become people who don't have to think much, we become people with wisdom.

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

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

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

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

Wisdom says we are nothing. Love says we are everything. Between these two our life flows.

Through continuous mindfulness practice, the true nature of physical and mental phenomena becomes clear.

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.

Appearances are mind, mind itself is emptiness, emptiness itself is spontaneous presence.

What Zen wants us to do is to acquire an entirely new point of view whereby to look into the mysteries of life and the secrets of nature.

All worldly pursuits have but one unavoidable and inevitable end, which is sorrow; acquisitions end in dispersion; buildings in destruction; meetings in separation; births in death.

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

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

Just as the great ocean has one taste, the taste of salt, so also this teaching and discipline has one taste, the taste of liberation.

The instant you speak about a thing, you miss the mark.

The root of suffering is attachment.

The purpose of our lives is to be happy.

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

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

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

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

Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.

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

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

The purpose of our lives is to be happy, and happiness is found in benefiting others.

This very body is the Buddha. And this very earth the lotus paradise.

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

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.

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

By understanding emptiness, one understands all phenomena. Without understanding emptiness, one understands nothing.

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

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.

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

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 mind that sees its own nature becomes free from all extremes.

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

The three characteristics - impermanence, suffering, and non-self - are not philosophical concepts but aspects of experience to be directly observed.

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

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

The greatest wisdom is seeing through appearances.