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

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

True happiness comes from a sense of inner peace and contentment, which in turn must be achieved through cultivation of altruism, of love, of compassion.

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

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

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

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.

The more we witness our emotional reactions and understand how they work, the easier it is to refrain.

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

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

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.

Compassion is not something we develop. It arises naturally as we see the truth of what is.

Short moments, many times. That is the essence of meditation practice.

It is never too late to turn on the light.

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

Do not mistake understanding for realization, and do not mistake realization for liberation.

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

Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it.

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

Genuine happiness comes from having developed basic human qualities, such as attention, emotional balance, and generosity.

The practice of Zen is forgetting the self in the act of uniting with something.

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

As surely as there is a voyage away, there is a journey home.

In the end, just three things matter: How well we have lived, how well we have loved, how well we have learned to let go.

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

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

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

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

Only to the extent that we expose ourselves over and over to annihilation can that which is indestructible be found in us.

Meditation is not just about sitting quietly, it's about transforming the mind.

When you see forms or hear sounds fully engaging body-and-mind, you intuit dharma intimately.

Our task is not to seek for love but to find all the barriers within ourselves that we have built against it.

True love is not for the faint-hearted.

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

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

Compassion is a verb.

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

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

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

The dharma is not outside of you. Looking for it elsewhere is like placing a Buddha on your head while searching for him everywhere else.

Silence is so much more productive of wisdom and clarity than thinking.

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

Better to have one moment of genuine meditation than to perform religious activities for a thousand years.

Every experience is an opportunity to practice awareness.

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

Meditation in the midst of activity is a thousand times superior to meditation in stillness.

The practice of Zen is forgetting the self in the act of uniting with something.

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

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.

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.

We need the courage to learn from our experience and the wisdom to be willing to change and grow.

Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality.

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.

Meditation is not about getting away from it all. It's about getting into it all.

If you want to climb a mountain, begin at the top.

Just as parents care for their children, you should bear in mind the whole universe.

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

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

The grass is greener where you water it.

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