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.

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

Happiness is a skill that can be developed like playing an instrument or learning to read.

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

When we get too caught up in the busyness of the world, we lose connection with one another – and ourselves.

Let none find fault with others; let none see the omissions and commissions of others. But let one see one's own acts, done and undone.

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 essence of Buddhist practice is to bring everything onto the path. Every experience becomes an opportunity for awakening.

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.

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

The precious pot containing my riches becomes my teacher in the very moment it breaks.

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

The trick is to keep exploring and not bail out, even when we find out that something is not what we thought.

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.

Hope and fear come from feeling that we lack something; they come from a sense of poverty. We can't simply relax with ourselves. We hold on to hope, and hope robs us of the present moment.

My actions are my only true belongings. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. My actions are the ground upon which I stand.

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.

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

Like a fine flower, beautiful to look at but without scent, fine words are fruitless in a man who does not act in accordance with them.

In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's there are few.

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.

In a mind clear as still water, even the waves, breaking, are reflecting its light.

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

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.

True love is not for the faint-hearted.

Whatever we do, we should see ourselves. Reading books doesn't show us our defilements. Watch yourself. Watch your mind.

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

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

The most important things in our practice are our physical posture and our way of breathing.

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

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

Meditation is not about stopping thoughts, but recognizing that we are not our thoughts.

Faith is not a commodity that you either have or don't have - it is an inner quality that unfolds as we learn to trust our own deepest experience.

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

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.

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

Compassion is not just about being kind to others. It's about being kind to ourselves as well.

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

Your mind is like a garden. Your thoughts are the seeds. You can grow flowers or you can grow weeds.

True happiness is not found through the multiplication of desires but through their simplification.

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

A disciplined mind leads to happiness, and an undisciplined mind leads to suffering.

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

Live in joy, in love, even among those who hate. Live in joy, in health, even among the afflicted. Live in joy, in peace, even among the troubled. Look within, be still.

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

The Buddha's teaching is not a philosophy or a religion; it is a method of practice.

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

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

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

If we learn to open our hearts, anyone, including the people who drive us crazy, can be our teacher.

Face your own anger and you will be free from anger. Face your own fears and you will be free from fear.

The art of living... is neither careless drifting on the one hand nor fearful clinging to the past on the other. It consists in being sensitive to each moment, in regarding it as utterly new and unique, in having the mind open and wholly receptive.

Right practice is steady practice. Whether you feel lazy or diligent, just keep practicing.

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

There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting.

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

When you talk, you are only repeating what you already know. But if you listen, you may learn something new.

The past is gone, the future is not yet here. Live in the present moment with awareness.

When you practice gratefulness, there is a sense of respect toward others.