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.

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

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.

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

In meditation, we're not trying to get rid of thoughts but to recognize their true nature.

The Buddha's teaching is a teaching of self-reliance, of being one's own master, one's own refuge.

When you understand one thing through and through, you understand everything. When you try to understand everything, you will not understand anything.

Study how water flows in a valley stream, smoothly and freely between the rocks.

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

Panic is a gateway to wisdom. When we learn to stay present with our panic, it becomes our teacher.

Breathing in, there is only the present moment. Breathing out, it is a wonderful moment.

The purpose of meditation is not to create a mental vacuum but to come to know one's own mind.

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

When you practice gratefulness, there is a sense of respect toward others.

Feelings like disappointment, embarrassment, irritation, resentment, anger, jealousy, and fear, instead of being bad news, are actually very clear moments that teach us where it is that we're holding back.

The entire path is a path of self-responsibility. Nobody else can walk it for you.

If you want to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be miserable, expect something in return.

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

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 dharma is not in the books. If you want to find the dharma, look in your mind.

To have faith is to trust yourself to the water. When you swim you don't grab hold of the water, because if you do you will sink and drown. Instead you relax, and float.

The essence of Buddhism is not a belief system but a systematic investigation of our experience.

Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.

If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything; it is open to everything.

Vipassana is the art of living. Not the art of escaping.

Silence is so much more productive of wisdom and clarity than thinking.

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

The trick is to keep exploring and not bail out, even when we find out that something is not what we thought.

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

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

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

Your work is to discover your work and then with all your heart to give yourself to it.

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

Not by hatred is hatred conquered, but by love alone. This is an eternal law.

The practice of Buddhism is fundamentally a practice of expanding our happiness and diminishing our suffering.

The mind of the beginner is empty, free of the habits of the expert, ready to accept, to doubt, and open to all the possibilities.

Face your own anger and you will be free from anger. Face your own fears and you will be free from fear.

There are only two days in the year that nothing can be done. One is called yesterday and the other is called tomorrow, so today is the right day to love, believe, do and mostly live.

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

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

The Buddha's teaching is not a philosophy or a religion; it is a method of practice.

The highest truth cannot be taught except through the conventional truth.

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

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.

Equanimity is not indifference. It is the balanced state of mind.

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.

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

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

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

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

Mindfulness is attention to life, and life itself is sacred.

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

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

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

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

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

Know the rules well, so you can break them effectively.

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

Work diligently. Diligently. Work patiently and persistently. Patiently and persistently. And you're bound to be successful. Bound to be successful.

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