True love is not for the faint-hearted.

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

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

The problem is not the problem; the problem is your attitude about the problem.

The Four Noble Truths are not mere doctrinal propositions but a framework for understanding and transforming our lives.

In true vipassana practice, there is no room for likes and dislikes. There is only observation.

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

Our task is to learn to see clearly what is happening in each moment, rather than be lost in our reactions and judgments.

Each decision we make, each action we take, is born out of an intention.

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

Concentration is a cornerstone of mindfulness practice. Your mindfulness will only be as robust as your capacity to ground your attention in the present moment.

The first step toward faith is to admit that we don't know everything.

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

My actions are my only true belongings. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. My actions are the ground upon which I stand.

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

Meditation is the road to happiness.

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.

Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.

The path to liberation is a gradual path of self-discipline, self-development, and self-transformation.

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.

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

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

The essence of bravery is being without self-deception.

The practice of meditation is like learning to play an instrument - it takes patience, regular practice, and a gentle touch.

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

The mind is like a wild monkey, jumping here and there. But through meditation, we learn to see whatever arises in our mind with more spaciousness and clarity.

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

It is never too late to turn on the light.

Hasten slowly and you will soon arrive.

The more you meditate, the more you understand yourself and the better friend you become to yourself.

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

You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.

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

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

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

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 Buddha's teaching is a middle way between all extremes, between eternalism and annihilationism, between self-indulgence and self-torture.

Liberation is not found by running away from our experience but by looking deeply into it.

Our practice cannot be perfect, but without being discouraged by this, we should continue it. This is the secret of practice.

The most profound meditation is to think nothing at all.

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

Wisdom is not something we have to strive to acquire. Rather, wisdom arises naturally as we open our hearts to the truth of what is.

The three characteristics - impermanence, suffering, and non-self - are not philosophical concepts but aspects of experience to be directly observed.

Mindfulness is being aware of what is happening right now, without wishing it were different.

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 not mere sentiment but a powerful force that can transform both ourselves and others.

When we look directly at our thoughts, they dissolve like bubbles in water.

Like a fine flower, beautiful to look at but without scent, fine words are fruitless in a man who does not act in accordance with them.

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.

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.

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

Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves - slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future.

The only way to fail at meditation is to stop doing it.

Meditation practice isn't about trying to throw ourselves away and become something better. It's about befriending who we are already.

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 practice of patience guards us against losing our presence of mind.

Choose to be optimistic, it feels better.

Anxiety and excitement are the same emotion. The only difference is our attitude toward the experience.

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