Every experience is an opportunity to practice awareness.

We don't set out to save the world; we set out to wonder how other people are doing and to reflect on how our actions affect other people's hearts.

The entire path is a path of self-responsibility. Nobody else can walk it for you.

The Buddha taught us to leave alone the things that don't lead to awakening.

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

Whatever is happening is the path to enlightenment.

It is never too late to turn on the light.

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

The most profound meditation is to think nothing at all.

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

The purpose of a spiritual discipline is to give us a way to stop the war, not by our force of will, but through understanding and through letting go.

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

Understanding at the intellectual level is not enough. There must be experience at the actual level.

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

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

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

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

Each of you is perfect the way you are... and you can use a little improvement.

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

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.

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

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.

When both body and mind are at peace, all things appear as they are: perfect, complete, lacking nothing.

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

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

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

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

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

When things fall apart and we're on the verge of we know not what, the test of each of us is to stay on that brink and not concretize.

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

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

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.

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

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.

We deal with our mind from morning until evening, and it can be our best friend or our worst enemy.

Work out your own salvation. Do not depend on others.

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

You are the master of your own mind. You can be your best friend or your worst enemy.

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.

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

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.

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

The Buddha's teaching is not about belief but about investigation, not about accepting but about examining.

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.

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

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 supreme path is not to fabricate anything. The supreme meditation is not to be distracted.

The grass is greener where you water it.

Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.

The practice of mindfulness transforms the mind from a place of suffering into an instrument of enlightenment.

Happiness is a skill that can be developed like playing an instrument or learning to read.

The practice of meditation is like tuning an instrument. Too tight, and the strings break. Too loose, and they won't play.

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.

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

The practitioner and practice are like fire and wood. The more you practice, the more you burn.

Rejoicing in ordinary things is not sentimental or trite. It actually takes guts.

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

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

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