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.

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

Meditation is not about escaping from difficulty but about meeting it with awareness.

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

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

What you are is what you have been. What you'll be is what you do now.

The path is not about moving from one place to another. It's about recognizing where we already are.

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

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

The path of insight is a path of discovery, not a path of creation. We are discovering what is already there.

The challenge in meditation is not to eliminate thinking but to understand the nature of thought itself.

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

The goal of meditation is not to achieve a blank mind, but to gain insight into the nature of mind itself.

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

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

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

The role of Zen is neither to stand above life nor to run away from it, but to face it with a spirit of determination.

If we learn to open our hearts, anyone, including the people who drive us crazy, can be our teacher.

The true understanding is that the practice itself is enlightenment.

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

The truth of Zen is the truth of life, and life means to live, to move, to act, not merely to reflect.

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

The most important thing in life is to know death is coming and to prepare for it.

The willingness to empty ourselves and then seek our true nature is an expression of great and courageous love.

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

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

There is no need to have a deep understanding of Zen. Even though you read much Zen literature, you must read each sentence with a fresh mind.

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

Should a person do good, let him do it again and again. Let him find pleasure therein, for blissful is the accumulation of good.

When you practice gratefulness, there is a sense of respect toward others.

We practice to learn how to let go, not how to increase our holding on to things.

The practice is not about achieving special states but about seeing ordinary experience with extraordinary clarity.

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

Should you desire the great tranquility, prepare to sweat white beads.

Try to be mindful and let things take their natural course. Then your mind will become still in any surroundings, like a clear forest pool.

Our emotions are like waves in the ocean. We can't stop the waves, but we can learn to surf.

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

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

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

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

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

If it isn't good, let it die. If it doesn't die, make it good.

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

We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.

You are the master of your own mind. You can be your best friend or your worst enemy.

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

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

In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's there are few.

The dharma is not in the books. If you want to find the dharma, look in your mind.

When you generate negativity, you are the first victim of your negativity.

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

Mindfulness helps you go home to the present. And every time you go there and recognize a condition of happiness that you have, happiness comes.

Though the view should be as vast as the sky, keep your conduct as fine as barley flour.

Vipassana is the art of living. Not the art of escaping.

The heart of one who practices is like the earth. No matter what they throw on it, the earth remains unchanged.

The practice of meditation is like tuning an instrument. Too tight, and the strings break. Too loose, and they won't play.

The grass is greener where you water it.

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

Right practice is steady practice. Whether you feel lazy or diligent, just keep practicing.

The Dhamma is not a collection of doctrinal formulas but a path leading to direct insight into the nature of reality.