Compassion is the radicalism of our time.

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.

Whatever is happening is the path to enlightenment.

The purpose of Buddhist practice is not to become a Buddhist but to awaken to the nature of reality.

The more we care for the happiness of others, the greater our own sense of well-being becomes.

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

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

No valid plans for the future can be made by those who have no capacity for living now.

May all beings be happy, be peaceful, be liberated.

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

Concentration and insight are like two wings of a bird: both are necessary for the flight to liberation.

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

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.

What is the sound of one hand clapping?

True peace comes not from controlling the world, but from letting go of control.

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

Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.

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

The key to meditation is to recognize the nature of your mind rather than trying to change it.

Mindfulness helps you go home to the present. And every time you go there and recognize a condition of happiness that you have, happiness comes.

Just as treasures are uncovered from the earth, so virtue appears from good deeds, and wisdom appears from a pure and peaceful mind.

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

Mindfulness is the key to the present moment. Without it we cannot see the world clearly, and we cannot make the wisest choices in our lives.

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

Where is the place that your original face has not yet emerged?

Just as parents care for their children, you should bear in mind the whole universe.

Mindfulness isn't difficult, we just need to remember to do it.

Even if you speak of 'understanding,' this understanding is not a matter of knowledge. It is what fills the entire body and mind.

People who study a lot but don't practice are like a ladle in a soup pot. It's in the soup every day, but it doesn't know the taste of the soup.

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

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

Compassion is not just about being kind to others. It's about being kind to ourselves as well.

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

The path of insight is a path of discovery, not a path of creation. We are discovering what is already there.

Meditation is not about getting rid of thoughts; it's about changing the way we relate to them.

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

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.

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.

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

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

Zen proposes its solution by directly appealing to facts of personal experience and not to book-knowledge.

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

When you practice zazen you should not try to attain anything. You should just sit in the complete calmness of your mind and not rely on anything.

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

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

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

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

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

The practice is simply this: keep coming back to your breath during the day. This will give your mind a steadiness and your life a balance.

When walking, just walk. When sitting, just sit. Above all, don't wobble.

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

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

As a flower that is lovely and beautiful, but is scentless, even so fruitless is the well-spoken word of one who does not practice it.

The quieter you become, the more you can hear.

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

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

The technique of self-observation is the technique of observing the reality about oneself at the experiential level.

The challenge in meditation is not to eliminate thinking but to understand the nature of thought itself.

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