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

Happiness is a skill that can be developed like playing an instrument or learning to read.

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.

Let none find fault with others; let none see the omissions and commissions of others. But let one see one's own acts, done and undone.

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.

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

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

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

The restraint of the senses is not a matter of suppression but of wise attention to our experience.

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

The trouble is, you think you have time.

Self-awareness is the key to freedom. The more we understand ourselves, the more we understand how to be free.

The zazen I speak of is not meditation practice. It is simply the dharma gate of joyful ease.

Compassion is the radicalism of our time.

Through understanding emptiness, one does not become proud of one's virtues, just as one does not become proud of building a castle in the sky.

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

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

When dharma fills your body and mind, you realize that something is missing.

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

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

Our emotions are like waves in the ocean. We can't stop the waves, but we can learn to surf.

The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.

Breathing in, I calm body and mind. Breathing out, I smile.

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

The movement of love is what creates the beauty in our lives.

The way to change others' minds is with affection, and not anger.

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

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.

Sensations are not your enemy. They are your teacher. Through observing them, you understand the truth of existence.

The four foundations of mindfulness are not separate practices but different aspects of the same practice of clear awareness.

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

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 great gift of meditation is that it returns us to the simplicity of our own being.

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

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

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

When we meet real tragedy in life, we can react in two ways - either by losing hope and falling into self-destructive habits, or by using the challenge to find our inner strength.

Every moment is a fresh beginning. Every breath is a new chance.

Karma is not fate but the law of moral causation, showing us that we are the architects of our own destiny.

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

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

Words have the power to both destroy and heal. When words are both true and kind, they can change our world.

Meditation is like catching a fish. If you try to catch it quickly, you'll miss it. If you have patience and know how to wait, the fish will come.

Moment after moment, completely devote yourself to listening to your inner voice.

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

To be fully alive, fully human, and completely awake is to be continually thrown out of the nest.

The essence of bravery is being without self-deception.

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

If you let go a little, you will have a little peace. If you let go a lot, you will have a lot of peace. If you let go completely, you will have complete peace.

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

We deal with our mind from morning until evening, and it can be our best friend or our worst enemy.

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

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

The more you give, the more you have. That's the economics of kindness.

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

The development of wisdom does not occur in isolation but requires the cultivation of the entire Noble Eightfold Path.

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

Understanding at the intellectual level is not enough. There must be experience at the actual level.

Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is relax.

Equanimity is not indifference. It is the balanced mind that sees things clearly without reaction.