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

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

The willingness to empty ourselves and then seek our true nature is an expression of great and courageous love.

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

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.

The path of practice requires both faith and wisdom, both devotion and understanding.

Life and death are of supreme importance. Time swiftly passes by and opportunity is lost. Each of us should strive to awaken. Awaken! Take heed, do not squander your life.

If you want to climb a mountain, begin at the top.

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

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.

The rising and falling of the abdomen is not the main object. The main object is to develop mindfulness, concentration, and insight.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

Vipassana is the art of living. Not the art of escaping.

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

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 Buddha's teaching is a teaching of self-reliance, of being one's own master, one's own refuge.

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.

External seeking only leads to exhaustion. When you imitate others, you lose your own authenticity.

The essence of bravery is being without self-deception.

Don't think that only sitting with the eyes closed is practice. If you do think this way, then quickly change your thinking.

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

Equanimity is not indifference. It is the balanced state of mind.

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.

Every moment of mindfulness is a step on the path to liberation. Each step is valuable, no matter how small.

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.

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

If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything; it is open to everything.

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

There is no need to have a deep understanding of Zen. Even though you read much Zen literature, you must read each sentence with a fresh mind.

Work diligently. Diligently. Work patiently and persistently. Patiently and persistently. And you're bound to be successful. Bound to be successful.

Your mind is like a garden. Your thoughts are the seeds. You can grow flowers or you can grow weeds.

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

Meditation is not just about sitting quietly, it's about transforming the mind.

There is no way to happiness - happiness is the way.

Time passes unhindered. When we make ourselves better, we make the world better.

Each breath is a new beginning, a fresh opportunity to awaken.

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

Wisdom is not about accumulating knowledge, but about seeing through all knowledge.

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

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

Short moments, many times. That is the essence of meditation practice.

Try to be mindful and let things take their natural course. Then your mind will become still in any surroundings, like a clear forest pool.

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

The more clearly you see the arising and passing of phenomena, the less you will be attached to them.

When you note effectively, there is no time for defilements to arise. The mind becomes pure through noting.

The quieter you become, the more you can hear.

There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting.

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

Do everything with a mind that lets go. Don't accept praise or gain or anything else. If you let go a little, you will have a little peace; if you let go a lot, you will have a lot of peace.

The practice of mindfulness leads naturally to concentration. Concentration leads naturally to wisdom.