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

The practice of meditation is not about achieving states of bliss but about seeing things as they really are.

In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's there are few.

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

Buddhist practice is not to eliminate life's problems but to grow with them patiently and with compassion.

Don't try to change the world. First, change yourself.

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

The more clearly you see the arising and passing of phenomena, the less you will be attached to them.

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.

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

Devotion is the head of meditation, as is often said. When you are inspired by some spiritual teacher, you can have a very strong connection with that person, and thereby the blessings can enter.

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

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.

The path to liberation requires both understanding and practice, both pariyatti and patipatti.

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

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

There is no need to have a deep understanding of Zen. Even though you read much Zen literature, you must read each sentence with a fresh mind.

Drop by drop is the water pot filled. Likewise, the wise man, gathering it little by little, fills himself with good.

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

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

The Dhamma is not a collection of doctrinal formulas but a path leading to direct insight into the nature of reality.

The door of your heart can only be opened from the inside.

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

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

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

Just observe whatever arises. Don't try to create anything, and don't reject anything.

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

Compassion is the radicalism of our time.

Wisdom arises when you see the true characteristics of phenomena through direct experience.

Meditation is not an escape from reality but a way to understand reality as it truly is.

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

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

The path is the goal. Every step of the journey is the journey.

Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love; this is the eternal rule.

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

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

The practice is like peeling an onion. Layer after layer of delusion is removed through continuous mindfulness.

The truth of suffering is not to be feared but to be understood through direct observation.

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

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

Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality.

Whatever is happening is the path to enlightenment.

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

The essence of Buddhist practice is to bring everything onto the path. Every experience becomes an opportunity for awakening.

The silence between the notes is as important as the notes themselves.

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

Meditation is not about trying to change your experience; it's about changing your relationship to your experience.

Much of spiritual life is self-acceptance, maybe all of it.

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

The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness.

What is the sound of one hand clapping?

The heart is like a garden. It can grow compassion or fear, resentment or love. What seeds will you plant there?

Live in joy, in love, even among those who hate. Live in joy, in health, even among the afflicted. Live in joy, in peace, even among the troubled. Look within, be still.

When we rest in awareness, we discover a peace that is always present, regardless of circumstances.

In the end, just three things matter: How well we have lived, how well we have loved, how well we have learned to let go.

Knowledge must be stabilized by meditation. Without meditation, knowledge is like a child in battle.

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.

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

Compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded. It's a relationship between equals.