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

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

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.

Mindfulness is the quality and power of mind that is aware of what's happening—without judgment and without interference.

Our true nature is like a diamond - pure, brilliant, and indestructible. No matter how much dirt covers it, its essential nature remains unchanged.

The true mark of a spiritual practitioner is that your own behavior is better, not that you can criticize others well.

The archer ceases to be conscious of himself as the one who is engaged in hitting the bull's-eye which confronts him. This state of unconsciousness is realized only when, completely empty and rid of the self, he becomes one with the perfecting of his technical skill.

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.

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

Liberation is found in the practice, not in the theory.

Just as a snake sheds its skin, we must shed our past over and over again.

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

The goal of Buddhist practice is not to escape from the world but to transform our relationship with it.

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

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

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

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.

Faith is not a commodity that you either have or don't have - it is an inner quality that unfolds as we learn to trust our own deepest experience.

The practice of Dharma is a constant battle within oneself.

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

Each moment of mindfulness is a moment of purification.

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

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 role of Zen is neither to stand above life nor to run away from it, but to face it with a spirit of determination.

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

The more we witness our emotional reactions and understand how they work, the easier it is to refrain.

We can learn to be present with whatever is happening in our lives, and in this way, we can begin to transform our relationship to difficulty.

The only thing that we truly have control over is our attitude toward experience.

Wisdom is not about accumulating knowledge, but about seeing through all knowledge.

What is the sound of one hand clapping?

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

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

When things fall apart and we're on the verge of we know not what, the test of each of us is to stay on that brink and not concretize.

The true purpose of Zen is to see things as they are, to observe things as they are, and to let everything go as it goes.

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

The Noble Eightfold Path is not a path of mere intellectual understanding but a path of practice, of inner transformation.

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

We practice to learn how to let go, not how to increase our holding on to things.

Our task is not to seek for love but to find all the barriers within ourselves that we have built against it.

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

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.

Compassion is the radicalism of our time.

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

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

Meditation is not just about sitting quietly, it's about transforming the mind.

Compassion is a verb.

Should you desire the great tranquility, prepare to sweat white beads.

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

The more precisely you note, the more clearly you understand. The more clearly you understand, the stronger your insight becomes.

Metta (loving-kindness) becomes truly effective only when it arises from a peaceful mind, a pure mind, a balanced mind.

The path is not about perfecting ourselves, but about perfecting our love.

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

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

Choose to be optimistic, it feels better.

We don't set out to save the world; we set out to wonder how other people are doing and to reflect on how our actions affect other people's hearts.

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

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

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

Meditation is like a gym in which you develop the powerful mental muscles of calm and insight.