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.

The most important thing is to enjoy your life - to be happy. This is the goal of Buddhist practice.

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 Buddha taught that wealth does not bring happiness and security. The pursuit of wealth is a matter of living in balance.

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

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

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

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.

The quieter you become, the more you can hear.

Our defilements are like tame tigers. If you feed them, they're tame. If you stop feeding them, they'll eat you up.

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

In the moment of love, awareness is very strong. Use that awareness, that strength of consciousness, to look into yourself.

True happiness comes from a sense of inner peace and contentment, which in turn must be achieved through cultivation of altruism, of love, of compassion.

Don't expect or desire anything. Just keep noting whatever arises in the present moment.

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

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.

Ardently do today what must be done. Who knows? Tomorrow, death comes.

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

Should a person do good, let him do it again and again. Let him find pleasure therein, for blissful is the accumulation of good.

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

Liberation is not found by running away from our experience but by looking deeply into it.

True love is not for the faint-hearted.

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

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

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

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

When you let go of trying to control everything, you can relax and enjoy life.

If you want to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be miserable, expect something in return.

Study the Buddha's teaching which is present in every moment.

Meditation is not about trying to change ourselves. Meditation is about being aware of what is.

Just know what is happening in your mind - not happy or sad about it, not attached. If you suffer, see it, know it, be empty.

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

Forgiveness means giving up all hope for a better past.

The practice of mindfulness is the practice of being alive in the present moment.

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

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

Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.

Anger or hatred is like a fisherman's hook. It is very important for us to ensure that we are not caught by it.

Our task is not to seek for love but to find all the barriers within ourselves that we have built against it.

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

The practice of mindfulness is simple: whatever you experience, you observe and note it.

The trouble is, you think you have time.

Our own life has to be our message.

The truth of suffering is not to be feared but to be understood through direct observation.

We need the courage to learn from our experience and the wisdom to be willing to change and grow.

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

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.

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

Moment after moment, completely devote yourself to listening to your inner voice.

When you practice gratefulness, there is a sense of respect toward others.

The heart is like a garden. It can grow compassion or fear, resentment or love. What seeds will you plant there?

The force of the kindness of others is so strong, we can't possibly measure it.

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

Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.

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

The path is the goal. Every step of the journey is the journey.

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

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

The more we witness our emotional reactions and understand how they work, the easier it is to refrain.