The practice of metta begins with oneself, for only when we have developed loving-kindness towards ourselves can we truly offer it to others.

The way to change the world is to change your own mind.

There is no need to have a deep understanding of Zen. Even though you read much Zen literature, you must read each sentence with a fresh mind.

To have faith is to trust yourself to the water. When you swim you don't grab hold of the water, because if you do you will sink and drown. Instead you relax, and float.

Compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded. It's a relationship between equals.

Rather than letting our negativity get the better of us, we could acknowledge that right now we feel like a piece of shit and not be squeamish about taking a good look.

The Noble Eightfold Path is a path of training: training in ethical conduct, training in mental discipline, and training in wisdom.

The only way to fail at meditation is to stop doing it.

Whatever is happening is the path to enlightenment.

The basic idea of Zen is to come in touch with the inner workings of our being, and to do this in the most direct way possible, without resorting to anything external or superadded.

The technique of self-observation is the technique of observing the reality about oneself at the experiential level.

Metta is the ability to embrace all parts of ourselves, as well as all parts of the world.

The practice of mindfulness is simple: whatever you experience, you observe and note it.

Just as parents care for their children, you should bear in mind the whole universe.

You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.

The more you give, the more you have. That's the economics of kindness.

The Buddha's teaching is not a philosophical system but a practical guide to living.

Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love; this is the eternal rule.

Even if you speak of 'understanding,' this understanding is not a matter of knowledge. It is what fills the entire body and mind.

We deal with our mind from morning until evening, and it can be our best friend or our worst enemy.

As a flower that is lovely and beautiful, but is scentless, even so fruitless is the well-spoken word of one who does not practice it.

When dharma fills your body and mind, you realize that something is missing.

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

Be a lamp unto yourself. Work out your liberation with diligence.

Compassion is a verb.

The more you are motivated by love, the more fearless and free your actions will be.

True happiness comes from a sense of inner peace and contentment, which in turn must be achieved through cultivation of altruism, of love, of compassion.

Though the view should be as vast as the sky, keep your conduct as fine as barley flour.

Meditation is the ultimate mobile device; you can use it anywhere, anytime, unobtrusively.

The obstacle is the path.

The purpose of meditation is not to create a mental vacuum but to come to know one's own mind.

Feelings like disappointment, embarrassment, irritation, resentment, anger, jealousy, and fear, instead of being bad news, are actually very clear moments that teach us where it is that we're holding back.

Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it.

Know the rules well, so you can break them effectively.

The signs of practice are not in extraordinary experiences but in extraordinary awareness of ordinary experiences.

The path is not about perfecting ourselves, but about perfecting our love.

The master's introduction is direct recognition of one's own nature. Meditation is maintaining the continuity of this recognition.

The whole path of mindfulness is about letting go. We let go of our attachment to our views, our attachment to our opinions, our attachment to our ideas.

Only to the extent that we expose ourselves over and over to annihilation can that which is indestructible be found in us.

The problem is not the problem; the problem is your attitude about the problem.

Letting go gives us freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness.

Genuine happiness comes from having developed basic human qualities, such as attention, emotional balance, and generosity.

The path of insight is a path of discovery, not a path of creation. We are discovering what is already there.

Mindfulness is being aware of what is happening right now, without wishing it were different.

The stages of insight unfold naturally when mindfulness is continuous. There is no need to desire them or try to make them happen.

There is no way to happiness - happiness is the way.

When we are mindful, deeply in touch with the present moment, our understanding of what is going on deepens, and we begin to be filled with acceptance, joy, peace and love.

Every small positive change we make in ourselves repays us in confidence in the future.

Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.

Where there is great doubt, there is great awakening; small doubt, small awakening; no doubt, no awakening.

Zen teaches nothing; it merely enables us to wake up and become aware. It does not teach, it points.

In meditation, we're not trying to get rid of thoughts but to recognize their true nature.

The only thing that we truly have control over is our attitude toward experience.

You are the master of your own mind. You can be your best friend or your worst enemy.

The practice of meditation requires both energy and patience, both effort and relaxation.

May all beings be happy, be peaceful, be liberated.

Meditation is the road to happiness.

Time passes unhindered. When we make ourselves better, we make the world better.

True love is not for the faint-hearted.

Do not mistake understanding for realization, and do not mistake realization for liberation.