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

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.

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

The heart of the path is quite simple. No need for long explanations. Give up clinging to love and hate, just rest with things as they are.

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

The six realms of existence are like a dream, why build a prison for yourself?

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

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

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

Understanding means throwing away your knowledge.

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

Life is an art, and like perfect art it should be self-forgetting.

The more a thing tends to be permanent, the more it tends to be lifeless.

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

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

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

The mind that notes and the object that is noted are both impermanent. Understanding this leads to liberation.

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.

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

Real happiness comes from having an unshakable connection to the deep wellspring of peace and happiness that is not dependent on external conditions.

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

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

The path to enlightenment is not a path at all. It is a realization that where you are is where you have always been.

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

Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.

Emptiness which is conceptually liable to be mistaken for sheer nothingness is in fact the reservoir of infinite possibilities.

Enlightenment is intimacy with all things.

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

The water in the ocean can be rough or calm. It can be clear or murky. But the water itself doesn't mind.

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

The mind is like water. When it's turbulent, it's difficult to see. When it's calm, everything becomes clear.

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

The mind is the forerunner of all things. Our present life is the result of our past thoughts, and our future life will be the result of our present thoughts.

The path of practice requires both faith and wisdom, both devotion and understanding.

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.

Ethical conduct is not a constraint upon our freedom but a condition of our freedom.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The path to liberation is through understanding the true nature of mind and matter through direct observation.

The nature of everything is illusory and ephemeral, those with dualistic perception regard suffering as happiness, like they who lick the honey from a razor's edge.

When you realize the emptiness of all phenomena, compassion will arise in your heart for all sentient beings who do not understand this truth.

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

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

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

The experience of emptiness engenders compassion.

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

The first noble truth of the Buddha is that life contains suffering. The second noble truth is that the cause of suffering is craving.

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

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

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

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

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