The quieter you become, the more you can hear.

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

When both body and mind are at peace, all things appear as they are: perfect, complete, lacking nothing.

The stages of insight unfold naturally when mindfulness is continuous. There is no need to desire them or try to make them happen.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

The Buddha's teaching is not about belief but about investigation, not about accepting but about examining.

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

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 ultimate purpose of Buddhism is to serve and benefit humanity.

The trouble is, you think you have time.

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

The true mark of a spiritual practitioner is that your own behavior is better, not that you can criticize others well.

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.

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

When you find your place where you are, practice occurs, actualizing the fundamental point.

The most important thing in life is to know death is coming and to prepare for it.

The rising and falling of the abdomen is not the main object. The main object is to develop mindfulness, concentration, and insight.

The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

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

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

The development of wisdom does not occur in isolation but requires the cultivation of the entire Noble Eightfold Path.

The only way to fail at meditation is to stop doing it.

Meditation is not an escape from life but a way to fully engage with life.

Moment after moment, completely devote yourself to listening to your inner voice.

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

Kindness is the solution to all of life's problems.

The cultivation of loving-kindness has the power to transform enmity into amity, hostility into hospitality.

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

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

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

Zazen is not step-by-step meditation. Rather it is simply the easy and pleasant practice of a Buddha, the realization of the Buddha's Wisdom.

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

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

Mindfulness is the gentle effort to be continuously present with experience.

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.

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

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

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

Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.

Every time we become aware of a thought, as opposed to being lost in a thought, we experience that opening of the mind.

The Buddha's path is not about becoming somebody different but about becoming more and more who you really are.

Nothing ever goes away until it has taught us what we need to know.

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.

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

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

Compassion is the radicalism of our time.

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

Ardently do today what must be done. Who knows? Tomorrow, death comes.