The way is not in the sky. The way is in the heart.

Our practice cannot be perfect, but without being discouraged by this, we should continue it. This is the secret of practice.

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

Each moment of noting is a moment of purification, a moment of cultivating the path.

Technical knowledge is not enough. One must transcend techniques so that the art becomes an artless art, growing out of the unconscious.

Ardently do today what must be done. Who knows? Tomorrow, death comes.

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

The purpose of studying Buddhism is not to study Buddhism, but to study ourselves.

The practitioner and practice are like fire and wood. The more you practice, the more you burn.

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

In a mind clear as still water, even the waves, breaking, are reflecting its light.

The basic idea of Zen is to come in touch with the inner workings of our being, and to do this in the most direct way possible, without resorting to anything external or superadded.

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

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

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

Misery ceases to exist when we stop reacting to sensations.

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

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.

Forgiveness means giving up all hope for a better past.

The practitioner and practice are like fire and wood. The more you practice, the more you burn.

The first step toward faith is to admit that we don't know everything.

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

The quieter you become, the more you can hear.

The Buddha taught us to leave alone the things that don't lead to awakening.

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

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

The great gift of meditation is that it returns us to the simplicity of our own being.

You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.

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.

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

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

Meditation is not about achieving anything. It's about letting go of everything.

Anxiety and excitement are the same emotion. The only difference is our attitude toward the experience.

The Buddha's path is not about becoming somebody different but about becoming more and more who you really are.

Every experience is an opportunity to practice awareness.

The snow lion stays in the mountains, and the snow lion's ways are the snow lion's ways.

Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.

Every time we become aware of a thought, as opposed to being lost in a thought, we experience that opening of the mind.

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

Kindness is the solution to all of life's problems.

Every small positive change we make in ourselves repays us in confidence in the future.

Meditation is like a gym in which you develop the powerful mental muscles of calm and insight.

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.

True love is not for the faint-hearted.

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

Equanimity is not indifference. It is the balanced mind that sees things clearly without reaction.

Mindfulness is the key to the present moment. Without it we cannot see the world clearly, and we cannot make the wisest choices in our lives.

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

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 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.

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

Nothing ever goes away until it has taught us what we need to know.

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

The practice of Zen mind is beginner's mind. In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities; in the expert's mind there are few.

The Noble Eightfold Path is not a path of mere intellectual understanding but a path of practice, of inner transformation.

The precious pot containing my riches becomes my teacher in the very moment it breaks.

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

The development of insight is gradual, but the realization of truth is sudden.

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.

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