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

Generosity generates its own enthusiasm. We don't have to force ourselves to be generous; we just need to start.

The essence of bravery is being without self-deception.

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

Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet.

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.

At the bottom of great doubt lies great awakening. If you doubt fully, you will awaken fully.

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

The practitioner and practice are like fire and wood. The more you practice, the more you burn.

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

Concentration and insight are like two wings of a bird: both are necessary for the flight to liberation.

The object of meditation and the mind which knows it must be noted as they occur. If they are not noted, desire arises and disturbs concentration.

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

Smile, breathe, and go slowly.

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

The movement of love is what creates the beauty in our lives.

Meditation is the road to happiness.

The dharma wheel turns from the beginning. There is neither excess nor deficiency. The whole universe is moistened with nectar, and the truth is ready to harvest.

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

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

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

Hasten slowly and you will soon arrive.

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

The way to overcome anger is to be too busy being kind to have time to be angry.

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.

Liberation is found in the practice, not in the theory.

The door of your heart can only be opened from the inside.

Look at situations from all angles, and you will become more open.

Better to have one moment of genuine meditation than to perform religious activities for a thousand years.

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

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

When we get too caught up in the busyness of the world, we lose connection with one another – and ourselves.

The more precisely you note, the more clearly you understand. The more clearly you understand, the stronger your insight becomes.

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

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

Our own life has to be our message.

The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.

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

The practice is not about achieving special states but about seeing ordinary experience with extraordinary clarity.

The seed of suffering in you may be strong, but don't wait until you have no more suffering before allowing yourself to be happy.

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 trouble is, you think you have time.

The archer ceases to be conscious of himself as the one who is engaged in hitting the bull's-eye which confronts him. This state of unconsciousness is realized only when, completely empty and rid of the self, he becomes one with the perfecting of his technical skill.

The true understanding is that the practice itself is enlightenment.

Rejoicing in ordinary things is not sentimental or trite. It actually takes guts.

The practitioner and practice are like fire and wood. The more you practice, the more you burn.

Meditation is not about achieving anything. It's about letting go of everything.

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

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

Words have the power to both destroy and heal. When words are both true and kind, they can change our world.

The more we care for the happiness of others, the greater our own sense of well-being becomes.

When walking, just walk. When sitting, just sit. Above all, don't wobble.

The most important things in our practice are our physical posture and our way of breathing.

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.

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

Zazen is not step-by-step meditation. Rather it is simply the easy and pleasant practice of a Buddha, the realization of the Buddha's Wisdom.

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 idea of Zen is to catch life as it flows. There is nothing extraordinary or mysterious about Zen. I raise my hand; I take a book from the other side of the desk; I hear the boys playing ball outside my window; I see the clouds blown away beyond the neighboring wood: all these I do in Zen.

Meditation practice isn't about trying to throw ourselves away and become something better. It's about befriending who we are already.

The most profound meditation is to think nothing at all.