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

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

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

The practice of mindfulness leads naturally to concentration. Concentration leads naturally to wisdom.

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

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

Hope and fear come from feeling that we lack something; they come from a sense of poverty. We can't simply relax with ourselves. We hold on to hope, and hope robs us of the present moment.

Wisdom and compassion must be developed equally and harmoniously.

The purpose of a spiritual discipline is to give us a way to stop the war, not by our force of will, but through understanding and through letting go.

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

If in our daily life we can smile, if we can be peaceful and happy, not only we, but everyone will profit from it. This is the most basic kind of peace work.

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

In my youth I studied, in my prime I practiced, now all my doubts are cleared.

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

The whole path of mindfulness is about letting go. We let go of our attachment to our views, our attachment to our opinions, our attachment to our ideas.

We can learn the art of fierce compassion - redefining strength, deconstructing isolation and renewing a sense of community, practicing letting go of rigid us-vs.-them thinking.

The practice of meditation requires both energy and patience, both effort and relaxation.

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

The best way to control people is to encourage them to be mischievous. Then they will be in control in a wider sense.

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

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

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

The practice of mindfulness is simple: whatever you experience, you observe and note it.

The key to meditation is to recognize the nature of your mind rather than trying to change it.

The spiritual journey begins with the recognition that beneath our surface happiness there lies a deep inner pain.

The Buddha's path is not about becoming somebody different but about becoming more and more who you really are.

The everyday practice is simply to develop complete acceptance and openness to all situations and emotions.

The dharma is not about collecting more beliefs but about becoming free from the power of belief itself.

Meditation is not about getting away from it all. It's about getting into it all.

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

The source of love is deep in us and we can help others realize a lot of happiness. One word, one action, one thought can reduce another person's suffering and bring that person joy.

The mind is like a room with many windows. Open them all and let the fresh air in.

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

Meditation is not about trying to change ourselves. Meditation is about being aware of what is.

The obstacle is the path.

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

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

Though the view should be as vast as the sky, keep your conduct as fine as barley flour.

Our defilements are like tame tigers. If you feed them, they're tame. If you stop feeding them, they'll eat you up.

Zen does not confuse spirituality with thinking about God while one is peeling potatoes. Zen spirituality is just to peel the potatoes.

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

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

The heart of one who practices is like the earth. No matter what they throw on it, the earth remains unchanged.

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

The most important thing in life is to know death is coming and to prepare for it.

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

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

The true understanding is that the practice itself is enlightenment.

Love is not a feeling. It's a capability.

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

As surely as there is a voyage away, there is a journey home.

Short moments, many times. That is the essence of meditation practice.

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

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

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.

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

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

At the bottom of great doubt lies great awakening. If you doubt fully, you will awaken fully.

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.

Just as parents care for their children, you should bear in mind the whole universe.