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

When mindfulness and concentration are strong, insight into the three characteristics naturally unfolds.

The greatest obstacle to meditation is our expectation about what it should be.

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

If you let go a little, you will have a little peace. If you let go a lot, you will have a lot of peace. If you let go completely, you will have complete peace.

When you practice zazen you should not try to attain anything. You should just sit in the complete calmness of your mind and not rely on anything.

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

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 essence of bravery is being without self-deception.

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

Time passes unhindered. When we make ourselves better, we make the world better.

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

The dharma wheel turns from the beginning. There is neither excess nor deficiency. The whole universe is moistened with nectar, and the truth is ready to harvest.

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 mindfulness transforms the mind from a place of suffering into an instrument of enlightenment.

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

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.

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

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

Understanding at the intellectual level is not enough. There must be experience at the actual level.

The quieter you become, the more you can hear.

Vipassana is the art of living. Not the art of escaping.

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

Every moment is a fresh beginning. Every breath is a new chance.

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.

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.

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.

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

When dharma fills your body and mind, you realize that something is missing.

The essence of Buddhism is not a belief system but a systematic investigation of our experience.

Hasten slowly and you will soon arrive.

External seeking only leads to exhaustion. When you imitate others, you lose your own authenticity.

Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.

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.

Mindfulness is not just bare attention but wise attention that leads to understanding and insight.

Don't think that only sitting with the eyes closed is practice. If you do think this way, then quickly change your thinking.

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

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

Mind training is based on the idea that two opposite mental factors cannot happen at the same time.

Much of spiritual life is self-acceptance, maybe all of it.

The cultivation of loving-kindness is the thread that runs through all Buddhist teachings.

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

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

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

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

When you listen to someone, you should give up all your preconceived ideas and your subjective opinions.

When mindfulness is weak, defilements are strong; when mindfulness is strong, defilements are weak.

The real secret of the arts: always be a beginner.

The most profound meditation is to think nothing at all.

Maintain the state of undistractedness and distractions will fly away.

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

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

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

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

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

The path of practice requires both faith and wisdom, both devotion and understanding.

Meditation is not about trying to change ourselves. Meditation is about being aware of what is.

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

The restraint of the senses is not a matter of suppression but of wise attention to our experience.

What is the sound of one hand clapping?