The ultimate purpose of Buddhism is to serve and benefit humanity.

Just know what is happening in your mind - not happy or sad about it, not attached. If you suffer, see it, know it, be empty.

Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.

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.

Metta (loving-kindness) becomes truly effective only when it arises from a peaceful mind, a pure mind, a balanced mind.

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

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

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

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

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

Anger or hatred is like a fisherman's hook. It is very important for us to ensure that we are not caught by it.

The practice of mindfulness begins in the small, remote cave of your unconscious mind and blossoms with the sunlight of your conscious life.

What you are is what you have been. What you'll be is what you do now.

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

When you do something, you should burn yourself completely, like a good bonfire, leaving no trace of yourself.

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

If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete.

In a mind clear as still water, even the waves, breaking, are reflecting its light.

There are many ways to meditate. But at the heart of them all is mindfulness.

Whatever is happening is the path to enlightenment.

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.

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

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

When we recognize that our thoughts are just thoughts, we can choose whether or not to follow them.

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

The essence of Buddhism is not a belief system but a systematic investigation of our experience.

Meditation is the road to happiness.

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

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

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

Our practice cannot be perfect, but without being discouraged by this, we should continue it. This is the secret of practice.

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

Meditation is like catching a fish. If you try to catch it quickly, you'll miss it. If you have patience and know how to wait, the fish will come.

The quieter you become, the more you can hear.

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

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

Meditation in the midst of activity is a thousand times superior to meditation in stillness.

Compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded. It's a relationship between equals.

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

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

Hope and fear come from feeling that we lack something; they come from a sense of poverty. We can't simply relax with ourselves. We hold on to hope, and hope robs us of the present moment.

We need the courage to learn from our experience and the wisdom to be willing to change and grow.

The practice of metta begins with oneself, for only when we have developed loving-kindness towards ourselves can we truly offer it to others.

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

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

The more clearly you see the arising and passing of phenomena, the less you will be attached to them.

The everyday practice is simply to develop complete acceptance and openness to all situations and emotions.

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

The key to meditation is to recognize the nature of your mind rather than trying to change it.

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

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

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.

Waking up this morning, I smile. Twenty-four brand new hours are before me. I vow to live fully in each moment.

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

Misery ceases to exist when we stop reacting to sensations.

Panic is a gateway to wisdom. When we learn to stay present with our panic, it becomes our teacher.

Mindfulness is not just bare attention but wise attention that leads to understanding and insight.

The truth of Zen is the truth of life, and life means to live, to move, to act, not merely to reflect.