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

Just as a snake sheds its skin, we must shed our past over and over again.

When we develop patience, we find that we develop a reserve of calm and tranquility.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Whatever is happening is the path to enlightenment.

The more you are motivated by love, the more fearless and free your actions will be.

It is never too late to turn on the light.

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

The zazen I speak of is not meditation practice. It is simply the dharma gate of joyful ease.

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.

Don't be a bodhisatta; don't be an arahant; don't be anything at all. Being something makes you suffer.

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.

People who study a lot but don't practice are like a ladle in a soup pot. It's in the soup every day, but it doesn't know the taste of the soup.

Every moment of confusion is also a moment of wisdom, if we can learn to recognize it.

Let go of what has passed. Let go of what may come. Let go of what is happening now. Don't try to figure anything out. Don't try to make anything happen. Relax, right now, and rest.

The path is the goal. Every step of the journey is the journey.

The true path is not difficult; just avoid picking and choosing.

Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is relax.

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 more precisely you note, the more clearly you understand. The more clearly you understand, the stronger your insight becomes.

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

The technique of self-observation is the technique of observing the reality about oneself at the experiential level.

Study how water flows in a valley stream, smoothly and freely between the rocks.

The force of the kindness of others is so strong, we can't possibly measure it.

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

Each moment of mindfulness is a moment of purification.

No valid plans for the future can be made by those who have no capacity for living now.

The path of practice moves from faith through understanding to direct realization.

Whoever told you that practice and enlightenment are separate?

The more we care for the happiness of others, the greater our own sense of well-being becomes.

The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the green earth, dwelling deeply in the present moment and feeling truly alive.

The mind is like a wild monkey, jumping here and there. But through meditation, we learn to see whatever arises in our mind with more spaciousness and clarity.

Know the rules well, so you can break them effectively.

Meditation is the road to happiness.

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

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

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

We can learn to be present with whatever is happening in our lives, and in this way, we can begin to transform our relationship to difficulty.

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

The purpose of Buddhist practice is not to become a Buddhist but to awaken to the nature of reality.

Liberation is not found by running away from our experience but by looking deeply into it.

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.

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

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

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

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

You are your own teacher. Looking for teachers can't solve your own doubts. Investigate yourself to find the truth - inside, not outside.

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

The more you are motivated by love, the more fearless and free your actions will be.

The path to liberation requires both individual effort and the support of the spiritual community.

The movement of love is what creates the beauty in our lives.

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

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

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

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