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.

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

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

Meditation is the road to happiness.

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.

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

The practice of meditation requires both energy and patience, both effort and relaxation.

The essence of bravery is being without self-deception.

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

Don't be afraid of the future. The future is good.

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

There are many ways to meditate. But at the heart of them all is mindfulness.

The rising and falling of the abdomen is not the main object. The main object is to develop mindfulness, concentration, and insight.

In meditation, we're not trying to get rid of thoughts but to recognize their true nature.

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

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

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

Choose to be optimistic, it feels better.

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

When we look directly at our thoughts, they dissolve like bubbles in water.

The way to change the world is to change your own mind.

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.

If you want to understand suffering, you must look into the situation at hand. The teachings say that wherever a problem arises it must be settled right there.

Not by hatred is hatred conquered, but by love alone. This is an eternal law.

The master's introduction is direct recognition of one's own nature. Meditation is maintaining the continuity of this recognition.

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

The idea of Zen is to catch life as it flows. There is nothing extraordinary or mysterious about Zen. I raise my hand; I take a book from the other side of the desk; I hear the boys playing ball outside my window; I see the clouds blown away beyond the neighboring wood: all these I do in Zen.

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

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

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

The most important thing is to enjoy your life - to be happy. This is the goal of Buddhist practice.

Where is the place that your original face has not yet emerged?

Drop by drop is the water pot filled. Likewise, the wise man, gathering it little by little, fills himself with good.

The practice of mindfulness is simple: whatever you experience, you observe and note it.

Each of you is perfect the way you are... and you can use a little improvement.

Through understanding emptiness, one does not become proud of one's virtues, just as one does not become proud of building a castle in the sky.

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

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

The purpose of a spiritual discipline is to give us a way to stop the war, not by our force of will, but through understanding and through letting go.

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

When you note pain, you are not trying to make it go away. You are trying to understand its true nature.

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

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

Our true nature is like a diamond - pure, brilliant, and indestructible. No matter how much dirt covers it, its essential nature remains unchanged.

The noting mind and the object noted appear to occur as a pair. Through concentration they are seen to arise and vanish together.

May all beings be happy, be peaceful, be liberated.

When you do something, you should burn yourself completely, like a good bonfire, leaving no trace of yourself.

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

Conquer anger with non-anger. Conquer evil with good. Conquer stinginess with giving. Conquer deceit with truth.

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

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

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

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 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.

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

The Buddha's teaching is not a philosophical system but a practical guide to living.

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

The path to liberation is a gradual path of self-discipline, self-development, and self-transformation.

Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet.