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

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

The more you meditate, the more you understand yourself and the better friend you become to yourself.

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

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

No valid plans for the future can be made by those who have no capacity for living now.

The practice of Buddhism is fundamentally a practice of expanding our happiness and diminishing our suffering.

Don't be afraid of the future. The future is good.

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

Instead of having a deep understanding of the teaching, we need a strong confidence in our teaching, which says that originally we have Buddha nature.

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

The essence of meditation is not something complicated or exotic. It is simply taking a break from our habitual patterns.

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

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

Misery ceases to exist when we stop reacting to sensations.

Do not follow the ideas of others, but learn to listen to the voice within yourself.

The heart is like a garden. It can grow compassion or fear, resentment or love. What seeds will you plant there?

The path to liberation requires both understanding and practice, both pariyatti and patipatti.

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

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

Wisdom arises when you see the true characteristics of phenomena through direct experience.

Zen does not confuse spirituality with thinking about God while one is peeling potatoes. Zen spirituality is just to peel the potatoes.

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

The source of love is deep in us and we can help others realize a lot of happiness. One word, one action, one thought can reduce another person's suffering and bring that person joy.

May all beings be happy, be peaceful, be liberated.

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

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.

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

The supreme path is not to fabricate anything. The supreme meditation is not to be distracted.

The great gift of meditation is that it returns us to the simplicity of our own being.

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

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.

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

Meditation is not just about sitting quietly, it's about transforming the mind.

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

A good friend who points out mistakes and imperfections and rebukes evil is to be respected as if he reveals a secret of hidden treasure.

Mindfulness isn't difficult, we just need to remember to do it.

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

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

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

The highest mantra is to be without deception. The highest medicine is to have few desires. The highest meditation is not to be attached.

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

The heart of the path is quite simple. No need for long explanations. Give up clinging to love and hate, just rest with things as they are.

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

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

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

The practice of ethics is not about following rules but about developing inner purity and freedom.

Every sensation shares the same characteristic - arising, passing. Arising, passing. Learn to observe objectively.

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

The way to change the world is to change your own mind.

The practice of Dharma is a constant battle within oneself.

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

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

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

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

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

Each of you is perfect the way you are... and you can use a little improvement.

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

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