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

The real purpose of Zen is to see things as they are, to observe things as they are, and to let everything go as it goes.

The trick is to keep exploring and not bail out, even when we find out that something is not what we thought.

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

The path of practice moves from faith through understanding to direct realization.

The practice of meditation is like tuning an instrument. Too tight, and the strings break. Too loose, and they won't play.

Compassion is a verb.

Whatever we do, we should see ourselves. Reading books doesn't show us our defilements. Watch yourself. Watch your mind.

We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.

Sticking with uncertainty, getting the knack of relaxing in the midst of chaos, learning not to panic—this is the spiritual path.

The moment you note a thought, it disappears. The noting mind keeps the hindrances away.

The four foundations of mindfulness are not separate practices but different aspects of the same practice of clear awareness.

Conquer anger with non-anger. Conquer evil with good. Conquer stinginess with giving. Conquer deceit with truth.

Smile, breathe, and go slowly.

The essence of meditation is not something complicated or exotic. It is simply taking a break from our habitual patterns.

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

Should a person do good, let him do it again and again. Let him find pleasure therein, for blissful is the accumulation of good.

Technical knowledge is not enough. One must transcend techniques so that the art becomes an artless art, growing out of the unconscious.

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.

Work diligently. Diligently. Work patiently and persistently. Patiently and persistently. And you're bound to be successful. Bound to be successful.

Concentration develops naturally through continuous noting. Don't try to force concentration to arise.

The practice of mindfulness transforms the mind from a place of suffering into an instrument of enlightenment.

If you want to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be miserable, expect something in return.

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

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

The past is gone, the future is not yet here. Live in the present moment with awareness.

The most important point is to accept yourself and stand on your two feet.

Let none find fault with others; let none see the omissions and commissions of others. But let one see one's own acts, done and undone.

This is the real secret of life -- to be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now. And instead of calling it work, realize it is play.

External seeking only leads to exhaustion. When you imitate others, you lose your own authenticity.

Short moments, many times. That is the essence of meditation practice.

Each moment of noting is a moment of purification, a moment of cultivating the path.

Just as a mother would protect her only child with her life, even so let one cultivate a boundless love towards all beings.

Panic, anxiety, and stress are not obstacles to the practice. They are the path to wisdom and compassion.

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

Face your own anger and you will be free from anger. Face your own fears and you will be free from fear.

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

The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the green earth, dwelling deeply in the present moment and feeling truly alive.

Sensations are not your enemy. They are your teacher. Through observing them, you understand the truth of existence.

Self-awareness is the key to freedom. The more we understand ourselves, the more we understand how to be free.

Don't expect or desire anything. Just keep noting whatever arises in the present moment.

The practice of Zen is forgetting the self in the act of uniting with something.

Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality.

The path is the goal. Every step of the journey is the journey.

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

The root of happiness is altruism — the wish to be of service to others.

Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves - slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future.

Start from where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.

We need to learn to let our emotions pass through us like waves, without getting caught in their undertow.

The true path is not difficult; just avoid picking and choosing.

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

Zen proposes its solution by directly appealing to facts of personal experience and not to book-knowledge.

The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness.

Every time we become aware of a thought, as opposed to being lost in a thought, we experience that opening of the mind.

Hasten slowly and you will soon arrive.

Meditation is like a gym in which you develop the powerful mental muscles of calm and insight.

Where is the place that your original face has not yet emerged?

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.

The rising and falling of the abdomen is not the main object. The main object is to develop mindfulness, concentration, and insight.

Live in joy, in love, even among those who hate. Live in joy, in health, even among the afflicted. Live in joy, in peace, even among the troubled. Look within, be still.