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

Every moment of mindfulness is a step on the path to liberation. Each step is valuable, no matter how small.

The root of all mind is your own present pure awareness. Rest in that essence without seeking elsewhere.

Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.

Every thought, every word, and every action leaves an imprint on our mind.

The way to overcome anger is to be too busy being kind to have time to be angry.

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

The development of wisdom requires both study and practice, both learning and direct experience.

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

Do everything with a mind that lets go. Don't accept praise or gain or anything else. 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.

Zen is a way of life, not a theory or a piece of knowledge to be stored away in our minds.

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.

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

The mind can go in a thousand directions, but on this beautiful path, I walk in peace. With each step, the wind blows. With each step, a flower blooms.

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

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

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

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

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

When walking, just walk. When sitting, just sit. Above all, don't wobble.

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.

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.

Meditation is the road to happiness.

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

The ultimate purpose of Buddhism is to serve and benefit humanity.

Choose to be optimistic, it feels better.

Start from where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.

In my youth I studied, in my prime I practiced, now all my doubts are cleared.

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

Zen proposes its solution by directly appealing to facts of personal experience and not to book-knowledge.

The essence of bravery is being without self-deception.

The best way to solve a problem is to help someone else solve their problem.

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

The goal of meditation is not to reach some highest place, but to remain in the place where you already are.

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

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

Concentration develops naturally through continuous noting. Don't try to force concentration to arise.

The cave I live in is empty and so is my mind. I live simply and at ease.

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.

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

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.

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

The most important point is to accept yourself and stand on your two feet.

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

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

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

The spiritual journey begins with the recognition that beneath our surface happiness there lies a deep inner pain.

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

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.

The view is like a lion - it cannot be led around by anything else. Meditation is like an eagle - it cannot be distracted by anything else. Action is like a madman - it is free from accepting and rejecting.

Insight knowledge comes from direct experience, not from intellectual understanding.

Right View is not just a matter of intellectual understanding but of seeing things as they really are.

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

Whoever told you that practice and enlightenment are separate?

Observe the reality as it is, not as you wish it to be.

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.

Generosity generates its own enthusiasm. We don't have to force ourselves to be generous; we just need to start.

Wisdom is not about accumulating knowledge, but about seeing through all knowledge.

If in our daily life we can smile, if we can be peaceful and happy, not only we, but everyone will profit from it. This is the most basic kind of peace work.

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