Mind training is based on the idea that two opposite mental factors cannot happen at the same time.

Each of you is perfect the way you are... and you can use a little improvement.

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

The true understanding is that the practice itself is enlightenment.

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 root of all mind is your own present pure awareness. Rest in that essence without seeking elsewhere.

The development of wisdom requires both study and practice, both learning and direct experience.

Meditation is the ultimate mobile device; you can use it anywhere, anytime, unobtrusively.

Zen is a way of life, not a theory or a piece of knowledge to be stored away in our minds.

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

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

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.

Whatever is happening is the path to enlightenment.

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

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

The treasure house within you contains everything, and you are free to use it. You don't need to seek outside.

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

We need to learn to let our emotions pass through us like waves, without getting caught in their undertow.

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

Meditation is not an escape from life but a way to fully engage with life.

The Buddha's teachings are not about abandoning our lives but about bringing the fullness of our attention to our lives.

What is the sound of one hand clapping?

The silence between the notes is as important as the notes themselves.

Your mind is like a garden. Your thoughts are the seeds. You can grow flowers or you can grow weeds.

The view is like a lion - it cannot be led around by anything else. Meditation is like an eagle - it cannot be distracted by anything else. Action is like a madman - it is free from accepting and rejecting.

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 goal of meditation is not to reach some highest place, but to remain in the place where you already are.

The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the green earth, dwelling deeply in the present moment and feeling truly alive.

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

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

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

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

This is the real secret of life -- to be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now. And instead of calling it work, realize it is play.

In true vipassana practice, there is no room for likes and dislikes. There is only observation.

Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love; this is the eternal rule.

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

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

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

It is never too late to turn on the light.

When you talk, you are only repeating what you already know. But if you listen, you may learn something new.

Waking up this morning, I smile. Twenty-four brand new hours are before me. I vow to live fully in each moment.

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

Each decision we make, each action we take, is born out of an intention.

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

The trouble is, you think you have time.

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

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

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

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

Concentration is a cornerstone of mindfulness practice. Your mindfulness will only be as robust as your capacity to ground your attention in the present moment.

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

Conquer anger with non-anger. Conquer evil with good. Conquer stinginess with giving. Conquer deceit with truth.

The affairs of the world will go on forever. Do not delay the practice of meditation.

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

A good friend who points out mistakes and imperfections and rebukes evil is to be respected as if he reveals a secret of hidden treasure.

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

The path is not about perfecting ourselves, but about perfecting our love.

If you cannot find the truth right where you are, where else do you expect to find it?

Concentration develops naturally through continuous noting. Don't try to force concentration to arise.

When mindfulness and concentration are strong, insight into the three characteristics naturally unfolds.