When you listen to someone, you should give up all your preconceived ideas and your subjective opinions.

If you love someone, the greatest gift you can give them is your presence.

Mindfulness is being aware of what's going on, not trying to control what's going on.

The three characteristics - impermanence, suffering, and non-self - are not philosophical concepts but aspects of experience to be directly observed.

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

Start from where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.

As a flower that is lovely and beautiful, but is scentless, even so fruitless is the well-spoken word of one who does not practice it.

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

The path is the goal. Every step of the journey is the journey.

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

The way is not in the sky. The way is in the heart.

The Buddha taught us to leave alone the things that don't lead to awakening.

Don't expect or desire anything. Just keep noting whatever arises in the present moment.

The greatest obstacle to meditation is our expectation about what it should be.

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.

True happiness comes from a sense of inner peace and contentment, which in turn must be achieved through cultivation of altruism, of love, of compassion.

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

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

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

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

Meditation is not about trying to change your experience; it's about changing your relationship to your experience.

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

The Buddha never taught a sectarian religion; he taught Dhamma - the way to liberation - which is universal.

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

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

The stages of insight unfold naturally when mindfulness is continuous. There is no need to desire them or try to make them happen.

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

Ethical conduct is not a constraint upon our freedom but a condition of our freedom.

The Buddha's teaching is not about belief but about investigation, not about accepting but about examining.

The quieter you become, the more you can hear.

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

Awareness is like the sun. When it shines on things, they are transformed.

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

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

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

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

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

Each moment of noting is a moment of purification, a moment of cultivating the path.

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

The essence of Buddhist practice is to bring everything onto the path. Every experience becomes an opportunity for awakening.

The Buddha's teaching challenges us to master the art of living, to live in a way that leads to the extinction of suffering.

Don't think that only sitting with the eyes closed is practice. If you do think this way, then quickly change your thinking.

The seed of suffering in you may be strong, but don't wait until you have no more suffering before allowing yourself to be happy.

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

Smile, breathe, and go slowly.

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

Buddhist practice is not to eliminate life's problems but to grow with them patiently and with compassion.

The purpose of meditation is not to create a new state of mind, but to recognize what is already present.

Liberation is not found by running away from our experience but by looking deeply into it.

The trouble is, you think you have time.

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

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

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

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

When both body and mind are at peace, all things appear as they are: perfect, complete, lacking nothing.

The only way to experience truth is to look within, to observe oneself.

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

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.

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