It is never too late to turn on the light.

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

Wisdom and compassion must be developed equally and harmoniously.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

True love is not for the faint-hearted.

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.

If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.

Misery ceases to exist when we stop reacting to sensations.

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

The past is gone, the future is not yet here. Live in the present moment with awareness.

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

Maintain the state of undistractedness and distractions will fly away.

The practice of Buddhism is fundamentally a practice of expanding our happiness and diminishing our suffering.

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

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

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

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.

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

My actions are my only true belongings. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. My actions are the ground upon which I stand.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

The highest truth cannot be taught except through the conventional truth.

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

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

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

Meditation practice isn't about trying to throw ourselves away and become something better. It's about befriending who we are already.

When you note pain, you should not dwell on the thought, "I feel pain." Simply recognize the presence of pain.

Liberation is found in the practice, not in the theory.

The object of meditation and the mind which knows it must be noted as they occur. If they are not noted, desire arises and disturbs concentration.

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

Anger or hatred is like a fisherman's hook. It is very important for us to ensure that we are not caught by it.

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

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

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.

The grass is greener where you water it.

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

Treat every moment as your last. It is not preparation for something else.

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

Whatever is happening is the path to enlightenment.

Moment after moment, completely devote yourself to listening to your inner voice.

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.

The highest mantra is to be without deception. The highest medicine is to have few desires. The highest meditation is not to be attached.

We can learn the art of fierce compassion - redefining strength, deconstructing isolation and renewing a sense of community, practicing letting go of rigid us-vs.-them thinking.

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

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.

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

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.

Our task is to learn to see clearly what is happening in each moment, rather than be lost in our reactions and judgments.

The practice of meditation is like learning to play an instrument - it takes patience, regular practice, and a gentle touch.