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

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.

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.

The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness.

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.

Each breath is a new beginning, a fresh opportunity to awaken.

We practice to learn how to let go, not how to increase our holding on to things.

Misery ceases to exist when we stop reacting to sensations.

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

The most profound meditation is to think nothing at all.

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

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

The root of happiness is altruism — the wish to be of service to others.

Mindfulness helps you go home to the present. And every time you go there and recognize a condition of happiness that you have, happiness comes.

Rather than letting our negativity get the better of us, we could acknowledge that right now we feel like a piece of shit and not be squeamish about taking a good look.

The whole path of mindfulness is about letting go. We let go of our attachment to our views, our attachment to our opinions, our attachment to our ideas.

In true vipassana practice, there is no room for likes and dislikes. There is only observation.

Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves - slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future.

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

The three characteristics - impermanence, suffering, and non-self - are not philosophical concepts but aspects of experience to be directly observed.

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

In meditation, we're not trying to get rid of thoughts but to recognize their true nature.

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.

The quieter you become, the more you can hear.

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

The heart of one who practices is like the earth. No matter what they throw on it, the earth remains unchanged.

The Dhamma unfolds in accordance with a definite sequence: faith, virtue, learning, generosity, wisdom, and insight.

Should a person do good, let him do it again and again. Let him find pleasure therein, for blissful is the accumulation of good.

Equanimity is not indifference. It is the balanced state of mind.

The dharma is not about collecting more beliefs but about becoming free from the power of belief itself.

Feelings like disappointment, embarrassment, irritation, resentment, anger, jealousy, and fear, instead of being bad news, are actually very clear moments that teach us where it is that we're holding back.

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

Sticking with uncertainty, getting the knack of relaxing in the midst of chaos, learning not to panic—this is the spiritual path.

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

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

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

Compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded. It's a relationship between equals.

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

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

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

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

If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete.

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

Through understanding emptiness, one does not become proud of one's virtues, just as one does not become proud of building a castle in the sky.

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

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.

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

Liberation is found in the practice, not in the theory.

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

Choose to be optimistic, it feels better.

Don't try to change the world. First, change yourself.

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

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

The superior person is like water, bringing benefit to all without competing.

The most precious gift we can offer others is our presence. When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers.

If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything; it is open to everything.

The purpose of meditation is not to create a mental vacuum but to come to know one's own mind.

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.

Panic, anxiety, and stress are not obstacles to the practice. They are the path to wisdom and compassion.

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