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.

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

The more you meditate, the more you understand yourself and the better friend you become to yourself.

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

The way to change others' minds is with affection, and not anger.

The true path is not difficult; just avoid picking and choosing.

The moment you note a thought, it disappears. The noting mind keeps the hindrances away.

Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is relax.

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

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

The spiritual journey begins with the recognition that beneath our surface happiness there lies a deep inner pain.

When we meet real tragedy in life, we can react in two ways - either by losing hope and falling into self-destructive habits, or by using the challenge to find our inner strength.

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.

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

Drop by drop is the water pot filled. Likewise, the wise man, gathering it little by little, fills himself with good.

The Four Noble Truths are not mere doctrinal propositions but a framework for understanding and transforming our lives.

The true mark of a spiritual practitioner is that your own behavior is better, not that you can criticize others well.

Zen does not confuse spirituality with thinking about God while one is peeling potatoes. Zen spirituality is just to peel the potatoes.

The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

Compassion is a verb.

Zen proposes its solution by directly appealing to facts of personal experience and not to book-knowledge.

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

The measure of success in spiritual life is how peaceful you are.

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

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

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 true purpose of Zen is to see things as they are, to observe things as they are, and to let everything go as it goes.

We need to learn to let our emotions pass through us like waves, without getting caught in their undertow.

The teaching is simple: act with kindness and compassion. If you cannot do this, at least try not to harm others.

Hasten slowly and you will soon arrive.

Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.

Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it.

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

When we rest in awareness, we discover a peace that is always present, regardless of circumstances.

The law of nature is the law of cause and effect. As you sow, so shall you reap.

Meditation is not an escape from life but a way to fully engage with life.

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

The way to overcome anger is to be too busy being kind to have time to be angry.

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

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

Waking up this morning, I smile. Twenty-four brand new hours are before me. I vow to live fully in each moment.

The deepest happiness comes from having an enduring sense of purpose, one that gives our lives meaning beyond the endless pursuit of pleasure and success.

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

Compassion is not something we develop. It arises naturally as we see the truth of what is.

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

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

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

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

The goal of meditation is not to achieve a blank mind, but to gain insight into the nature of mind itself.

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

The development of wisdom does not occur in isolation but requires the cultivation of the entire Noble Eightfold Path.

Where there is great doubt, there is great awakening; small doubt, small awakening; no doubt, no awakening.

The practice of mindfulness begins in the small, remote cave of your unconscious mind and blossoms with the sunlight of your conscious life.

Mindfulness is attention to life, and life itself is sacred.

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

When you generate negativity, you are the first victim of your negativity.

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

The most important point is to accept yourself and stand on your two feet.