Should you desire the great tranquility, prepare to sweat white beads.

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

Wisdom and compassion must be developed equally and harmoniously.

The development of wisdom requires both study and practice, both learning and direct experience.

The way is not in the sky. The way is in the heart.

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

True peace comes not from controlling the world, but from letting go of control.

The force of the kindness of others is so strong, we can't possibly measure it.

In my youth I studied, in my prime I practiced, now all my doubts are cleared.

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

Personal experience is everything in Zen. No ideas are intelligible to those who have no backing of experience.

Misery ceases to exist when we stop reacting to sensations.

The true understanding is that the practice itself is enlightenment.

If we learn to open our hearts, anyone, including the people who drive us crazy, can be our teacher.

Compassion is the radicalism of our time.

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.

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

Our own life has to be our message.

As surely as there is a voyage away, there is a journey home.

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

If you want to climb a mountain, begin at the top.

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

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

Kindness is the solution to all of life's problems.

The greatest achievement is selflessness. The greatest worth is self-mastery.

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

You are your own teacher. Looking for teachers can't solve your own doubts. Investigate yourself to find the truth - inside, not outside.

When you see forms or hear sounds fully engaging body-and-mind, you intuit dharma intimately.

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.

The development of wisdom does not occur in isolation but requires the cultivation of the entire Noble Eightfold Path.

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

Mindfulness is attention to life, and life itself is sacred.

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

Don't try to change the world. First, change yourself.

Zen is a way of life, not a theory or a piece of knowledge to be stored away in our minds.

The deepest happiness comes from having an enduring sense of purpose, one that gives our lives meaning beyond the endless pursuit of pleasure and success.

The practice of vipassana is the study of the self. When you study physical and mental phenomena, you are studying the truth about yourself.

When we look directly at our thoughts, they dissolve like bubbles in water.

Meditation is not about stopping thoughts, but recognizing that we are not our thoughts.

If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.

People who study a lot but don't practice are like a ladle in a soup pot. It's in the soup every day, but it doesn't know the taste of the soup.

Meditation is not about escaping from difficulty but about meeting it with awareness.

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.

What is the sound of one hand clapping?

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

There are only two days in the year that nothing can be done. One is called yesterday and the other is called tomorrow, so today is the right day to love, believe, do and mostly live.

The quieter you become, the more you can hear.

Our emotions are like waves in the ocean. We can't stop the waves, but we can learn to surf.

It is under the greatest adversity that there exists the greatest potential for doing good, both for oneself and others.

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

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

Choose to be optimistic, it feels better.

You will not be punished for your anger; you will be punished by your anger.

The source of love is deep in us and we can help others realize a lot of happiness. One word, one action, one thought can reduce another person's suffering and bring that person joy.

The Buddha never taught a sectarian religion; he taught Dhamma - the way to liberation - which is universal.

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

Meditation is not an escape from life but a way to fully engage with life.

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.

The practice of Zen mind is beginner's mind. In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities; in the expert's mind there are few.

The dharma is not outside of you. Looking for it elsewhere is like placing a Buddha on your head while searching for him everywhere else.