Letting go gives us freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness.

Do not follow the ideas of others, but learn to listen to the voice within yourself.

There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting.

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.

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

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

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

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

The Four Noble Truths are not merely theoretical propositions but a framework for understanding and transforming our experience.

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

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

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

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

Meditation is not about getting rid of thoughts; it's about changing the way we relate to them.

The best way to control people is to encourage them to be mischievous. Then they will be in control in a wider sense.

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

If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything; it is open to everything.

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.

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

My religion is to live and die without regret.

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

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.

The Buddha's teaching is not a philosophy or a religion; it is a method of practice.

If you want to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be miserable, expect something in return.

Hasten slowly and you will soon arrive.

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

The most important point is to accept yourself and stand on your two feet.

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

The practice of metta begins with oneself, for only when we have developed loving-kindness towards ourselves can we truly offer it to others.

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

It is never too late to turn on the light.

Meditation is not an escape from reality but a way to understand reality as it truly is.

The practice of patience guards us against losing our presence of mind.

Compassion is not a sign of weakness but a sign of strength.

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

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

Where there is great doubt, there is great awakening; small doubt, small awakening; no doubt, no awakening.

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

The path of practice moves from faith through understanding to direct realization.

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

Silence is so much more productive of wisdom and clarity than thinking.

Compassion is a verb.

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.

The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

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

Forgiveness is letting go of the hope that the past could have been any different.

The teaching is simple: act with kindness and compassion. If you cannot do this, at least try not to harm others.

Just as a snake sheds its skin, we must shed our past over and over again.

The more clearly you see the arising and passing of phenomena, the less you will be attached to them.

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

The path to liberation requires both understanding and practice, both pariyatti and patipatti.

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

Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.

The practice of mindfulness begins in the small, remote cave of your unconscious mind and blossoms with the sunlight of your conscious life.

The true purpose of Zen is to see things as they are, to observe things as they are, and to let everything go as it goes.

The trouble is, you think you have time.

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

Meditation in the midst of activity is a thousand times superior to meditation in stillness.

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.

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.