Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.

True love is not for the faint-hearted.

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 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.

Every sensation shares the same characteristic - arising, passing. Arising, passing. Learn to observe objectively.

Only to the extent that we expose ourselves over and over to annihilation can that which is indestructible be found in us.

Meditation is the road to happiness.

In the moment of love, awareness is very strong. Use that awareness, that strength of consciousness, to look into yourself.

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

The purpose of studying Buddhism is not to study Buddhism, but to study ourselves.

Observe the reality as it is, not as you wish it to be.

No valid plans for the future can be made by those who have no capacity for living now.

If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete.

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

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

Don't try to change the world. First, change yourself.

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

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

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

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

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

Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is relax.

The heart is like a garden. It can grow compassion or fear, resentment or love. What seeds will you plant there?

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

The measure of success in spiritual life is how peaceful you are.

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.

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

Rejoicing in ordinary things is not sentimental or trite. It actually takes guts.

Compassion is not just about being kind to others. It's about being kind to ourselves as well.

Instead of having a deep understanding of the teaching, we need a strong confidence in our teaching, which says that originally we have Buddha nature.

The practice of ethics is not about following rules but about developing inner purity and freedom.

The Dhamma unfolds in accordance with a definite sequence: faith, virtue, learning, generosity, wisdom, and insight.

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

Try to be mindful and let things take their natural course. Then your mind will become still in any surroundings, like a clear forest pool.

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

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

You are your own teacher. Looking for teachers can't solve your own doubts. Investigate yourself to find the truth - inside, not outside.

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

Every time we become aware of a thought, as opposed to being lost in a thought, we experience that opening of the mind.

The more you meditate, the more you understand yourself and the better friend you become to yourself.

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

Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it.

Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.

Every moment of mindfulness is a step on the path to liberation. Each step is valuable, no matter how small.

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

The moment you note a thought, it disappears. The noting mind keeps the hindrances away.

The dharma wheel turns from the beginning. There is neither excess nor deficiency. The whole universe is moistened with nectar, and the truth is ready to harvest.

When walking, just walk. When sitting, just sit. Above all, don't wobble.

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.

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

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

Should a person do good, let him do it again and again. Let him find pleasure therein, for blissful is the accumulation of good.

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

The law of nature is the law of cause and effect. As you sow, so shall you reap.

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

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

Better to have one moment of genuine meditation than to perform religious activities for a thousand years.

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.

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