When you note pain, you are not trying to make it go away. You are trying to understand its true nature.

The art of living... is neither careless drifting on the one hand nor fearful clinging to the past on the other. It consists in being sensitive to each moment, in regarding it as utterly new and unique, in having the mind open and wholly receptive.

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

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

Every sensation shares the same characteristic - arising, passing. Arising, passing. Learn to observe objectively.

Mindfulness helps you go home to the present. And every time you go there and recognize a condition of happiness that you have, happiness comes.

Every moment of confusion is also a moment of wisdom, if we can learn to recognize it.

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

Our true nature is like a diamond - pure, brilliant, and indestructible. No matter how much dirt covers it, its essential nature remains unchanged.

Wisdom and compassion must be developed equally and harmoniously.

The highest truth cannot be taught except through the conventional truth.

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

The practice of meditation is like learning to play an instrument - it takes patience, regular practice, and a gentle touch.

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

Mindfulness means keeping one's consciousness alive to the present reality.

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

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

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

The Buddha taught us to leave alone the things that don't lead to awakening.

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

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 dharma is not about collecting more beliefs but about becoming free from the power of belief itself.

When both body and mind are at peace, all things appear as they are: perfect, complete, lacking nothing.

We practice to learn how to let go, not how to increase our holding on to things.

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

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

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

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

Choose to be optimistic, it feels better.

The real secret of the arts: always be a beginner.

Every step on the path must be with the understanding of anicca - impermanence. This is the essence of the teaching.

When we develop patience, we find that we develop a reserve of calm and tranquility.

In the moment of love, awareness is very strong. Use that awareness, that strength of consciousness, to look into yourself.

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

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

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

The goal of meditation is not to achieve a blank mind, but to gain insight into the nature of mind itself.

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 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.

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

The dharma is not in the books. If you want to find the dharma, look in your mind.

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.

The precious pot containing my riches becomes my teacher in the very moment it breaks.

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

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

Moment after moment, completely devote yourself to listening to your inner voice.

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

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

Silence is so much more productive of wisdom and clarity than thinking.

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

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

The practice of Dharma is a constant battle within oneself.

Don't be afraid of the future. The future is good.

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

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

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

When we meet real tragedy in life, we can react in two ways - either by losing hope and falling into self-destructive habits, or by using the challenge to find our inner strength.

The most profound meditation is to think nothing at all.

The true understanding is that the practice itself is enlightenment.

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