The key to transformation is not to fight with our experience but to open to it with awareness.

Through understanding emptiness, one does not become proud of one's virtues, just as one does not become proud of building a castle in the sky.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.

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

Every sensation shares the same characteristic - arising, passing. Arising, passing. Learn to observe objectively.

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

Do not mistake understanding for realization, and do not mistake realization for liberation.

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

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. If you let go completely, you will have complete peace.

The practice of Buddhism is fundamentally a practice of expanding our happiness and diminishing our suffering.

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

The restraint of the senses is not a matter of suppression but of wise attention to our experience.

We can learn the art of fierce compassion - redefining strength, deconstructing isolation and renewing a sense of community, practicing letting go of rigid us-vs.-them thinking.

Meditation is like catching a fish. If you try to catch it quickly, you'll miss it. If you have patience and know how to wait, the fish will come.

The noting mind and the object noted appear to occur as a pair. Through concentration they are seen to arise and vanish together.

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

The four foundations of mindfulness are not separate practices but different aspects of the same practice of clear awareness.

The highest mantra is to be without deception. The highest medicine is to have few desires. The highest meditation is not to be attached.

The essence of Buddhism is not a belief system but a systematic investigation of our experience.

It is never too late to turn on the light.

The movement of love is what creates the beauty in our lives.

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

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

The mind is like a wild monkey, jumping here and there. But through meditation, we learn to see whatever arises in our mind with more spaciousness and clarity.

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

The essence of bravery is being without self-deception.

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

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

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

The goal is not to be better than the other man, but your previous self.

The Dhamma unfolds in accordance with a definite sequence: faith, virtue, learning, generosity, wisdom, and insight.

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

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.

When you note pain, you should not dwell on the thought, "I feel pain." Simply recognize the presence of pain.

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

If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.

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

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

Our own life has to be our message.

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.

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

The more you give, the more you have. That's the economics of kindness.

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

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

The path to liberation requires both individual effort and the support of the spiritual community.

In the end, just three things matter: How well we have lived, how well we have loved, how well we have learned to let go.

The heart of the path is quite simple. No need for long explanations. Give up clinging to love and hate, just rest with things as they are.

When we are mindful, deeply in touch with the present moment, our understanding of what is going on deepens, and we begin to be filled with acceptance, joy, peace and love.

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

Mindfulness is the quality and power of mind that is aware of what's happening—without judgment and without interference.

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.

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

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