Feelings like disappointment, embarrassment, irritation, resentment, anger, jealousy, and fear, instead of being bad news, are actually very clear moments that teach us where it is that we're holding back.

Mindfulness is not just bare attention but wise attention that leads to understanding and insight.

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

The only way to fail at meditation is to stop doing it.

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

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

The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.

The practice of meditation is not about achieving states of bliss but about seeing things as they really are.

The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.

The most profound meditation is to think nothing at all.

Mindfulness is the gentle effort to be continuously present with experience.

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

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

Meditation is not about stopping thoughts, but recognizing that we are not our thoughts.

The trick is to keep exploring and not bail out, even when we find out that something is not what we thought.

Forgiveness means giving up all hope for a better past.

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

The only thing that we truly have control over is our attitude toward experience.

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

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

Mindfulness is being aware of what is happening right now, without wishing it were different.

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

The yogi's joy is in the solitude of mountains, where all distractions naturally dissolve into emptiness.

Let none find fault with others; let none see the omissions and commissions of others. But let one see one's own acts, done and undone.

The truth of suffering is not to be feared but to be understood through direct observation.

Devotion is the head of meditation, as is often said. When you are inspired by some spiritual teacher, you can have a very strong connection with that person, and thereby the blessings can enter.

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.

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

In the monastery of your body, the monk of your mind must stay in retreat.

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

Just observe whatever arises. Don't try to create anything, and don't reject anything.

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

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

The real secret of the arts: always be a beginner.

You will not be punished for your anger; you will be punished by your anger.

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

Life and death are of supreme importance. Time swiftly passes by and opportunity is lost. Each of us should strive to awaken. Awaken! Take heed, do not squander your life.

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

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

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

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

Compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded. It's a relationship between equals.

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

Faith is the firm foundation, diligence the supporting pillar, and wisdom the roof of the house of practice.

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

Zen teaches nothing; it merely enables us to wake up and become aware. It does not teach, it points.

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

The mind has first to be attuned to the Unconscious.

The practice of mindfulness is simply to bring awareness to what we are doing, what we are saying, and what we are thinking.

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.