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 practice of Zen mind is beginner's mind. In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities; in the expert's mind there are few.

The development of wisdom requires both study and practice, both learning and direct experience.

The Buddha's teaching is not a philosophical system but a practical guide to living.

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

There are many ways to meditate. But at the heart of them all is mindfulness.

To be fully alive, fully human, and completely awake is to be continually thrown out of the nest.

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

Look at situations from all angles, and you will become more open.

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

Equanimity is not indifference. It is the balanced mind that sees things clearly without reaction.

The development of insight is gradual, but the realization of truth is sudden.

Don't be afraid of the future. The future is good.

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

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

When we recognize that our thoughts are just thoughts, we can choose whether or not to follow them.

The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the green earth, dwelling deeply in the present moment and feeling truly alive.

What is the sound of one hand clapping?

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

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.

Mindfulness is the key to transformation. It enables us to see our experience as it really is, free from distortion and bias.

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 greatest obstacle to meditation is our expectation about what it should be.

The most important thing is to enjoy your life - to be happy. This is the goal of Buddhist practice.

The greatest achievement is selflessness. The greatest worth is self-mastery.

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

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

Know the rules well, so you can break them effectively.

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.

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

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

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

Just know what is happening in your mind - not happy or sad about it, not attached. If you suffer, see it, know it, be empty.

The mind can go in a thousand directions, but on this beautiful path, I walk in peace. With each step, the wind blows. With each step, a flower blooms.

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

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

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

Mindfulness is not just bare attention but wise attention that leads to understanding and insight.

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

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

The essence of Buddhist practice is to reduce our selfishness and to work for the benefit of others.

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

Misery ceases to exist when we stop reacting to sensations.

The past is gone, the future is not yet here. Live in the present moment with awareness.

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.

Every step on the path must be with the understanding of anicca - impermanence. This is the essence of the teaching.

Panic is a gateway to wisdom. When we learn to stay present with our panic, it becomes our teacher.

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

Meditation is not about stopping thoughts, but recognizing that we are not our thoughts.

Study how water flows in a valley stream, smoothly and freely between the rocks.

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

The superior person is like water, bringing benefit to all without competing.

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

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

Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.

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

Ardently do today what must be done. Who knows? Tomorrow, death comes.

You will not be punished for your anger; you will be punished by your anger.

The yogi's joy is in the solitude of mountains, where all distractions naturally dissolve into emptiness.