The purpose of Buddhist practice is not to become a Buddhist but to awaken to the nature of reality.

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

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

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.

Each breath is a new beginning, a fresh opportunity to awaken.

The most important thing is to enjoy your life - to be happy. This is the goal of Buddhist practice.

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

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

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

Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.

What is the sound of one hand clapping?

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

The path is not about moving from one place to another. It's about recognizing where we already are.

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

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.

Zen proposes its solution by directly appealing to facts of personal experience and not to book-knowledge.

Study the Buddha's teaching which is present in every moment.

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

Genuine happiness comes from having developed basic human qualities, such as attention, emotional balance, and generosity.

The precious pot containing my riches becomes my teacher in the very moment it breaks.

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

Ardently do today what must be done. Who knows? Tomorrow, death comes.

The Noble Eightfold Path is a path of training: training in ethical conduct, training in mental discipline, and training in wisdom.

Sticking with uncertainty, getting the knack of relaxing in the midst of chaos, learning not to panic—this is the spiritual path.

The practice of Zen mind is beginner's mind. In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities; in the expert's mind there are few.

The way to change the world is to change your own mind.

As long as our orientation is toward perfection or success, we will never learn about unconditional friendship with ourselves, nor will we find compassion.

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.

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

The first step toward faith is to admit that we don't know everything.

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.

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.

Just know what is happening in your mind - not happy or sad about it, not attached. If you suffer, see it, know it, be empty.

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

Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is relax.

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

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

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

The cultivation of loving-kindness has the power to transform enmity into amity, hostility into hospitality.

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

The practice of meditation is like tuning an instrument. Too tight, and the strings break. Too loose, and they won't play.

When we recognize that our thoughts are just thoughts, we can choose whether or not to follow them.

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

The technique of self-observation is the technique of observing the reality about oneself at the experiential level.

The true path is not difficult; just avoid picking and choosing.

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

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

The Four Noble Truths are not mere doctrinal propositions but a framework for understanding and transforming our lives.

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.

My religion is to live and die without regret.

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

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

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 master's introduction is direct recognition of one's own nature. Meditation is maintaining the continuity of this recognition.

Metta is the ability to embrace all parts of ourselves, as well as all parts of the world.

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

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

The supreme path is not to fabricate anything. The supreme meditation is not to be distracted.

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