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

The force of the kindness of others is so strong, we can't possibly measure it.

Whoever told you that practice and enlightenment are separate?

The more we witness our emotional reactions and understand how they work, the easier it is to refrain.

The more we care for the happiness of others, the greater our own sense of well-being becomes.

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 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 key to transformation is not to fight with our experience but to open to it with awareness.

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

If you want to climb a mountain, begin at the top.

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

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

The practice of mindfulness is the practice of being alive in the present moment.

Compassion is not something we develop. It arises naturally as we see the truth of what is.

The best way to control people is to encourage them to be mischievous. Then they will be in control in a wider sense.

The treasure house within you contains everything, and you are free to use it. You don't need to seek outside.

Concentration is a cornerstone of mindfulness practice. Your mindfulness will only be as robust as your capacity to ground your attention in the present moment.

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

Liberation is not found by running away from our experience but by looking deeply into it.

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

The only thing that we truly have control over is our attitude toward experience.

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

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.

The purpose of meditation is not to create a new state of mind, but to recognize what is already present.

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

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.

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

The greatest achievement is selflessness. The greatest worth is self-mastery.

Ethical conduct is not a constraint upon our freedom but a condition of our freedom.

Just as a mother would protect her only child with her life, even so let one cultivate a boundless love towards all beings.

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

At the bottom of great doubt lies great awakening. If you doubt fully, you will awaken fully.

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.

Not by hatred is hatred conquered, but by love alone. This is an eternal law.

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

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

Just as a snake sheds its skin, we must shed our past over and over again.

The practice of meditation requires both energy and patience, both effort and relaxation.

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

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

The truth of suffering is not to be feared but to be understood through direct observation.

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.

If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.

When you generate negativity, you are the first victim of your negativity.

People who study a lot but don't practice are like a ladle in a soup pot. It's in the soup every day, but it doesn't know the taste of the soup.

The path of insight is a path of discovery, not a path of creation. We are discovering what is already there.

When walking, just walk. When sitting, just sit. Above all, don't wobble.

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

Compassion is not mere sentiment but a powerful force that can transform both ourselves and others.

To have faith is to trust yourself to the water. When you swim you don't grab hold of the water, because if you do you will sink and drown. Instead you relax, and float.

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

Generosity generates its own enthusiasm. We don't have to force ourselves to be generous; we just need to start.

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

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

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

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

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

Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.