The mind is the root from which all things grow. If you can understand the mind, everything else is included.

All beings by nature are Buddha, as ice by nature is water. Apart from water there is no ice; apart from beings, no Buddha.

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

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

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.

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

Happiness is found in the simplest of things. It is not in the things you own, but in the love you share.

The menu is not the meal.

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.

Understanding means throwing away your knowledge.

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

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

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

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

Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.

The nature of life is change. The nature of change is painful. The nature of pain is temporary.

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.

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

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

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

Awareness is the basis, or what you might call the "support," of the mind. It is steady and unchanging, like the pole to which the flag of ordinary consciousness is attached.

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

The whole moon and the entire sky are reflected in one dewdrop on the grass.

Life is available only in the present moment.

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

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.

Real freedom is not about controlling our experience, but about being free within our experience.

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

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

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

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

The period of greatest gain in knowledge and experience is the most difficult period in one's life.

The deepest form of happiness comes from discovering the natural peace of our own awareness.

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 ultimate revolution is the spiritual revolution, where we learn to see reality as it truly is.

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

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.

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

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

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

The biggest prison is the one we build in our own mind.

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

When you walk in the mist, you get wet.

Past thoughts are traceless, clear, and empty. Future thoughts are unborn and fresh. The present moment abides naturally and unconstructed.

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

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

Enlightenment is like the moon reflected on the water. The moon does not get wet, nor is the water broken.

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.

The essence of Buddhism is not a belief system but a systematic investigation of our experience.

The highest truth cannot be taught except through the conventional truth.

The Buddha's path is not about becoming somebody different but about becoming more and more who you really are.

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

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

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

The path to liberation requires both individual effort and the support of the spiritual community.

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

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.

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

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

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