Wisdom is not something we have to strive to acquire. Rather, wisdom arises naturally as we open our hearts to the truth of what is.

Anxiety and excitement are the same emotion. The only difference is our attitude toward the experience.

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

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

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

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

Mindfulness is being aware of what is happening right now, without wishing it were different.

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

Self-awareness is the key to freedom. The more we understand ourselves, the more we understand how to be free.

Be a lamp unto yourself. Work out your liberation with diligence.

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

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

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

The superior person is like water, bringing benefit to all without competing.

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

The cave I live in is empty and so is my mind. I live simply and at ease.

Metta is the ability to embrace all parts of ourselves, as well as all parts of the world.

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

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

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.

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

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. If you let go completely, you will have complete peace.

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

Mind training is based on the idea that two opposite mental factors cannot happen at the same time.

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

When you note effectively, there is no time for defilements to arise. The mind becomes pure through noting.

The essence of Buddhist practice is to reduce our selfishness and to work for the benefit of others.

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

Forgiveness means giving up all hope for a better past.

The essence of bravery is being without self-deception.

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.

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

When you note pain, you should not dwell on the thought, "I feel pain." Simply recognize the presence of pain.

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

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

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.

The purpose of Buddhist practice is not to become a Buddhist but to awaken to the nature of reality.

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

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

Study how water flows in a valley stream, smoothly and freely between the rocks.

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

The movement of love is what creates the beauty in our lives.

Where there is great doubt, there is great awakening; small doubt, small awakening; no doubt, no awakening.

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

Radiate boundless love towards the entire world — above, below, and across — unhindered, without ill will, without enmity.

The purpose of studying Buddhism is not to study Buddhism, but to study ourselves.

The goal of Buddhist practice is not to escape from the world but to transform our relationship with it.

Maintain the state of undistractedness and distractions will fly away.

Mindfulness is being aware of what's going on, not trying to control what's going on.

Don't be a bodhisatta; don't be an arahant; don't be anything at all. Being something makes you suffer.

Right View is not just a matter of intellectual understanding but of seeing things as they really are.

The master's introduction is direct recognition of one's own nature. Meditation is maintaining the continuity of this recognition.

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 greatest obstacle to meditation is our expectation about what it should be.

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

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

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

We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.

The goal of meditation is not to reach some highest place, but to remain in the place where you already are.