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

The stages of insight unfold naturally when mindfulness is continuous. There is no need to desire them or try to make them happen.

Words have the power to both destroy and heal. When words are both true and kind, they can change our world.

The purpose of meditation is not to create a mental vacuum but to come to know one's own mind.

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.

Mindfulness is the gentle effort to be continuously present with experience.

The Four Noble Truths are not merely theoretical propositions but a framework for understanding and transforming our experience.

Meditation is the ultimate mobile device; you can use it anywhere, anytime, unobtrusively.

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

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.

Don't be a bodhisatta; don't be an arahant; don't be anything at all. Being something makes you suffer.

The heart of one who practices is like the earth. No matter what they throw on it, the earth remains unchanged.

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

Concentration and insight are like two wings of a bird: both are necessary for the flight to liberation.

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.

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

Right practice is steady practice. Whether you feel lazy or diligent, just keep practicing.

When we develop patience, we find that we develop a reserve of calm and tranquility.

Wisdom is not something we have to strive to acquire. Rather, wisdom arises naturally as we open our hearts to the truth of what is.

Whatever we do, we should see ourselves. Reading books doesn't show us our defilements. Watch yourself. Watch your mind.

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

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

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.

The dharma wheel turns from the beginning. There is neither excess nor deficiency. The whole universe is moistened with nectar, and the truth is ready to harvest.

Zen teaches nothing; it merely enables us to wake up and become aware. It does not teach, it points.

Faith is the firm foundation, diligence the supporting pillar, and wisdom the roof of the house of practice.

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

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

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

If you love someone, the greatest gift you can give them is your presence.

Panic, anxiety, and stress are not obstacles to the practice. They are the path to wisdom and compassion.

The more you are motivated by love, the more fearless and free your actions will be.

The practice is like peeling an onion. Layer after layer of delusion is removed through continuous mindfulness.

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

The art of living... is neither careless drifting on the one hand nor fearful clinging to the past on the other. It consists in being sensitive to each moment, in regarding it as utterly new and unique, in having the mind open and wholly receptive.

As long as our orientation is toward perfection or success, we will never learn about unconditional friendship with ourselves, nor will we find compassion.

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

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

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

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.

In meditation, we are continuously discovering who and what we are.

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.

If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete.

Though the view should be as vast as the sky, keep your conduct as fine as barley flour.

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

The path of practice moves from faith through understanding to direct realization.

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 problem is not the problem; the problem is your attitude about the problem.

The truth of Zen is the truth of life, and life means to live, to move, to act, not merely to reflect.

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

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.

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

The great gift of meditation is that it returns us to the simplicity of our own being.

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

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

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

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.

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

Wisdom and compassion must be developed equally and harmoniously.

People who study a lot but don't practice are like a ladle in a soup pot. It's in the soup every day, but it doesn't know the taste of the soup.