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

We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.

If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.

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

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

If we learn to open our hearts, anyone, including the people who drive us crazy, can be our teacher.

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.

The moment you note a thought, it disappears. The noting mind keeps the hindrances away.

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

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

Your mind is like a garden. Your thoughts are the seeds. You can grow flowers or you can grow weeds.

Kindness is the solution to all of life's problems.

The practice of ethics is not about following rules but about developing inner purity and freedom.

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

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

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

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.

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

Only to the extent that we expose ourselves over and over to annihilation can that which is indestructible be found in us.

The dharma wheel turns from the beginning. There is neither excess nor deficiency. The whole universe is moistened with nectar, and the truth is ready to harvest.

Genuine happiness comes from having developed basic human qualities, such as attention, emotional balance, and generosity.

A disciplined mind leads to happiness, and an undisciplined mind leads to suffering.

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

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

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

Meditation in the midst of activity is a thousand times superior to meditation in stillness.

Life and death are of supreme importance. Time swiftly passes by and opportunity is lost. Each of us should strive to awaken. Awaken! Take heed, do not squander your life.

There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting.

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.

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

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.

The measure of success in spiritual life is how peaceful you are.

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.

The master's introduction is direct recognition of one's own nature. Meditation is maintaining the continuity of this recognition.

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

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.

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

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

The deepest happiness comes from having an enduring sense of purpose, one that gives our lives meaning beyond the endless pursuit of pleasure and success.

When you note pain, you are not trying to make it go away. You are trying to understand its true nature.

Meditation is not about achieving anything. It's about letting go of everything.

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.

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.

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.

Mindfulness means keeping one's consciousness alive to the present reality.

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

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

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

The more you are motivated by love, the more fearless and free your actions will be.

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.

Life is nothing but a continuous chain of sensations. Pleasant or unpleasant, observe them objectively.

The practice of metta begins with oneself, for only when we have developed loving-kindness towards ourselves can we truly offer it to others.

My religion is to live and die without regret.

The path of practice requires both faith and wisdom, both devotion and understanding.

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

The goal of meditation is not to reach some highest place, but to remain in the place where you already are.

The purpose of studying Buddhism is not to study Buddhism, but to study ourselves.

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

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

Meditation is not about escaping from difficulty but about meeting it with awareness.