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.

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 measure of success in spiritual life is how peaceful you are.

Insight knowledge comes from direct experience, not from intellectual understanding.

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

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

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

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.

The goal is not to be better than the other man, but your previous self.

Smile, breathe, and go slowly.

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

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.

Devotion is the head of meditation, as is often said. When you are inspired by some spiritual teacher, you can have a very strong connection with that person, and thereby the blessings can enter.

Don't think that only sitting with the eyes closed is practice. If you do think this way, then quickly change your thinking.

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

Look at situations from all angles, and you will become more open.

In meditation, we are continuously discovering who and what we are.

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.

Hasten slowly and you will soon arrive.

What is the sound of one hand clapping?

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

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

The practice of mindfulness transforms the mind from a place of suffering into an instrument of enlightenment.

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.

When we are mindful, deeply in touch with the present moment, our understanding of what is going on deepens, and we begin to be filled with acceptance, joy, peace and love.

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

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

Awareness is like the sun. When it shines on things, they are transformed.

When you let go of trying to control everything, you can relax and enjoy life.

The practice of mindfulness leads naturally to concentration. Concentration leads naturally to wisdom.

Each decision we make, each action we take, is born out of an intention.

The trouble is, you think you have time.

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.

When you listen to someone, you should give up all your preconceived ideas and your subjective opinions.

The dharma wheel turns from the beginning. There is neither excess nor deficiency. The whole universe is moistened with nectar, and the truth is ready to harvest.

The more you are motivated by love, the more fearless and free your actions will be.

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

Every morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.

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

Work diligently. Diligently. Work patiently and persistently. Patiently and persistently. And you're bound to be successful. Bound to be successful.

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

We don't set out to save the world; we set out to wonder how other people are doing and to reflect on how our actions affect other people's hearts.

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

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

The Four Noble Truths are not mere doctrinal propositions but a framework for understanding and transforming our lives.

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

Try to be mindful and let things take their natural course. Then your mind will become still in any surroundings, like a clear forest pool.

The practice is not about achieving special states but about seeing ordinary experience with extraordinary clarity.

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

The idea of Zen is to catch life as it flows. There is nothing extraordinary or mysterious about Zen. I raise my hand; I take a book from the other side of the desk; I hear the boys playing ball outside my window; I see the clouds blown away beyond the neighboring wood: all these I do in Zen.

The Buddha taught that wealth does not bring happiness and security. The pursuit of wealth is a matter of living in balance.

Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.

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

The silence between the notes is as important as the notes themselves.

The way to change others' minds is with affection, and not anger.

There is no need to have a deep understanding of Zen. Even though you read much Zen literature, you must read each sentence with a fresh mind.

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 grass is greener where you water it.

Meditation is the road to happiness.

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