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

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

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

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

Each moment of mindfulness is a moment of purification.

The practice of Zen is forgetting the self in the act of uniting with something.

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

When you do something, you should burn yourself completely, like a good bonfire, leaving no trace of yourself.

Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love; this is the eternal rule.

When you see forms or hear sounds fully engaging body-and-mind, you intuit dharma intimately.

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

Start from where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.

Technical knowledge is not enough. One must transcend techniques so that the art becomes an artless art, growing out of the unconscious.

The seed of suffering in you may be strong, but don't wait until you have no more suffering before allowing yourself to be happy.

My religion is to live and die without regret.

It is under the greatest adversity that there exists the greatest potential for doing good, both for oneself and others.

The archer ceases to be conscious of himself as the one who is engaged in hitting the bull's-eye which confronts him. This state of unconsciousness is realized only when, completely empty and rid of the self, he becomes one with the perfecting of his technical skill.

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

The more precisely you note, the more clearly you understand. The more clearly you understand, the stronger your insight becomes.

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

The mind is like a room with many windows. Open them all and let the fresh air in.

The zazen I speak of is not meditation practice. It is simply the dharma gate of joyful ease.

What is the sound of one hand clapping?

Every moment of confusion is also a moment of wisdom, if we can learn to recognize it.

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

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

The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.

When we get too caught up in the busyness of the world, we lose connection with one another – and ourselves.

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.

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

The most profound meditation is to think nothing at all.

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

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

In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's there are few.

The treasure house within you contains everything, and you are free to use it. You don't need to seek outside.

The practice of vipassana is the study of the self. When you study physical and mental phenomena, you are studying the truth about yourself.

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

Be a lamp unto yourself. Work out your liberation with diligence.

Just as a snake sheds its skin, we must shed our past over and over again.

Every morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.

The idea of Zen is to catch life as it flows. There is nothing extraordinary or mysterious about Zen. I raise my hand; I take a book from the other side of the desk; I hear the boys playing ball outside my window; I see the clouds blown away beyond the neighboring wood: all these I do in Zen.

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 Buddha's teaching challenges us to master the art of living, to live in a way that leads to the extinction of suffering.

The practice of mindfulness is simply to bring awareness to what we are doing, what we are saying, and what we are thinking.

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

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

The affairs of the world will go on forever. Do not delay the practice of meditation.

Personal experience is everything in Zen. No ideas are intelligible to those who have no backing of experience.

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

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

Mindfulness is being aware of what's going on, not trying to control what's going on.

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

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

Self-awareness is the key to freedom. The more we understand ourselves, the more we understand how to be free.

It is never too late to turn on the light.

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

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