Life and death are of supreme importance. Time swiftly passes by and opportunity is lost. Each of us should strive to awaken. Awaken! Take heed, do not squander your life.

Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.

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

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.

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

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

Where is the place that your original face has not yet emerged?

Conquer anger with non-anger. Conquer evil with good. Conquer stinginess with giving. Conquer deceit with truth.

The purpose of a spiritual discipline is to give us a way to stop the war, not by our force of will, but through understanding and through letting go.

The path is not about moving from one place to another. It's about recognizing where we already are.

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

Much of spiritual life is self-acceptance, maybe all of it.

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

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

The root of all mind is your own present pure awareness. Rest in that essence without seeking elsewhere.

The cultivation of loving-kindness is the thread that runs through all Buddhist teachings.

Your work is to discover your work and then with all your heart to give yourself to it.

This is the real secret of life -- to be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now. And instead of calling it work, realize it is play.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

Each moment of mindfulness is a moment of purification.

The four foundations of mindfulness are not separate practices but different aspects of the same practice of clear awareness.

In true vipassana practice, there is no room for likes and dislikes. There is only observation.

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

The spiritual journey begins with the recognition that beneath our surface happiness there lies a deep inner pain.

The first step toward faith is to admit that we don't know everything.

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

The Dhamma unfolds in accordance with a definite sequence: faith, virtue, learning, generosity, wisdom, and insight.

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

Just observe whatever arises. Don't try to create anything, and don't reject anything.

Work out your own salvation. Do not depend on others.

If you love someone, the greatest gift you can give them is your presence.

External seeking only leads to exhaustion. When you imitate others, you lose your own authenticity.

The mind is like a wild monkey, jumping here and there. But through meditation, we learn to see whatever arises in our mind with more spaciousness and clarity.

Maintain the state of undistractedness and distractions will fly away.

Compassion is not a sign of weakness but a sign of strength.

The challenge in meditation is not to eliminate thinking but to understand the nature of thought itself.

Our task is to learn to see clearly what is happening in each moment, rather than be lost in our reactions and judgments.

Observe the reality as it is, not as you wish it to be.

Compassion is a verb.

The Buddha's teachings are not about abandoning our lives but about bringing the fullness of our attention to our lives.

There is no way to happiness - happiness is the way.

The Buddha's teaching is a teaching of self-reliance, of being one's own master, one's own refuge.

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

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

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

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

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.

Meditation is the ultimate mobile device; you can use it anywhere, anytime, unobtrusively.

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

Drop by drop is the water pot filled. Likewise, the wise man, gathering it little by little, fills himself with good.

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

The most profound meditation is to think nothing at all.

Forgiveness is letting go of the hope that the past could have been any different.