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.

It is never too late to turn on the light.

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

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

The true mark of a spiritual practitioner is that your own behavior is better, not that you can criticize others well.

Each of you is perfect the way you are... and you can use a little improvement.

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

The entire path is a path of self-responsibility. Nobody else can walk it for you.

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

Do everything with a mind that lets go. Don't accept praise or gain or anything else. If you let go a little, you will have a little peace; if you let go a lot, you will have a lot of peace.

The affairs of the world will go on forever. Do not delay the practice of meditation.

The most precious gift we can offer others is our presence. When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers.

The mind of the beginner is empty, free of the habits of the expert, ready to accept, to doubt, and open to all the possibilities.

The path to liberation is a gradual path of self-discipline, self-development, and self-transformation.

The practice is simply this: keep coming back to your breath during the day. This will give your mind a steadiness and your life a balance.

The yogi's joy is in the solitude of mountains, where all distractions naturally dissolve into emptiness.

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

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

In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's there are few.

The supreme path is not to fabricate anything. The supreme meditation is not to be distracted.

Try to be mindful and let things take their natural course. Then your mind will become still in any surroundings, like a clear forest pool.

The practice of meditation is not about achieving states of bliss but about seeing things as they really are.

Compassion is not just about being kind to others. It's about being kind to ourselves as well.

In the monastery of your body, the monk of your mind must stay in retreat.

What is the sound of one hand clapping?

Every experience is an opportunity to practice awareness.

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

The perfect moment is this one, not the one you're waiting for.

Meditation is not an escape from reality but a way to understand reality as it truly is.

The zazen I speak of is not meditation practice. It is simply the dharma gate of joyful ease.

The law of nature is the law of cause and effect. As you sow, so shall you reap.

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

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

The practice of Dharma is a constant battle within oneself.

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.

The most important thing is to enjoy your life - to be happy. This is the goal of Buddhist practice.

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.

Our defilements are like tame tigers. If you feed them, they're tame. If you stop feeding them, they'll eat you up.

The Buddha's teaching is not a philosophy or a religion; it is a method of practice.

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

The essence of Buddhist practice is to bring everything onto the path. Every experience becomes an opportunity for awakening.

Your mind is like a garden. Your thoughts are the seeds. You can grow flowers or you can grow weeds.

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

Don't think that only sitting with the eyes closed is practice. If you do think this way, then quickly change your thinking.

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

Every moment is a fresh beginning. Every breath is a new chance.

Every moment of mindfulness is a step on the path to liberation. Each step is valuable, no matter how small.

Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.

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

The Buddha's teaching is not about belief but about investigation, not about accepting but about examining.

When mindfulness is weak, defilements are strong; when mindfulness is strong, defilements are weak.

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

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

If it isn't good, let it die. If it doesn't die, make it good.

Concentration is a cornerstone of mindfulness practice. Your mindfulness will only be as robust as your capacity to ground your attention in the present moment.

The development of insight is gradual, but the realization of truth is sudden.

Life is nothing but a continuous chain of sensations. Pleasant or unpleasant, observe them objectively.

The noting mind and the object noted appear to occur as a pair. Through concentration they are seen to arise and vanish together.

Knowledge must be stabilized by meditation. Without meditation, knowledge is like a child in battle.

The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.