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

Personal experience is everything in Zen. No ideas are intelligible to those who have no backing of experience.

The Buddha never taught a sectarian religion; he taught Dhamma - the way to liberation - which is universal.

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

There are many ways to meditate. But at the heart of them all is mindfulness.

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

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

The mind can go in a thousand directions, but on this beautiful path, I walk in peace. With each step, the wind blows. With each step, a flower blooms.

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.

The more precisely you note, the more clearly you understand. The more clearly you understand, the stronger your insight becomes.

Sensations are not your enemy. They are your teacher. Through observing them, you understand the truth of existence.

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

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

Observe the reality as it is, not as you wish it to be.

The dharma is not in the books. If you want to find the dharma, look in your mind.

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

Our own life has to be our message.

Nothing ever goes away until it has taught us what we need to know.

The Noble Eightfold Path is a path of training: training in ethical conduct, training in mental discipline, and training in wisdom.

Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.

Knowledge must be stabilized by meditation. Without meditation, knowledge is like a child in battle.

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

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.

The object of meditation and the mind which knows it must be noted as they occur. If they are not noted, desire arises and disturbs concentration.

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.

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

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

Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.

The treasure house within you contains everything, and you are free to use it. You don't need to seek outside.

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

My religion is to live and die without regret.

Breathing in, I calm body and mind. Breathing out, I smile.

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

Much of spiritual life is self-acceptance, maybe all of it.

The development of wisdom requires both study and practice, both learning and direct experience.

If we learn to open our hearts, anyone, including the people who drive us crazy, can be our teacher.

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

Understanding at the intellectual level is not enough. There must be experience at the actual level.

Just as parents care for their children, you should bear in mind the whole universe.

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

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

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

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

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

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

The idea of Zen is to catch life as it flows. There is nothing extraordinary or mysterious about Zen. I raise my hand; I take a book from the other side of the desk; I hear the boys playing ball outside my window; I see the clouds blown away beyond the neighboring wood: all these I do in Zen.

Metta is the ability to embrace all parts of ourselves, as well as all parts of the world.

Meditation is not about stopping thoughts, but recognizing that we are not our thoughts.

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 purpose of meditation is not to create a new state of mind, but to recognize what is already present.

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

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

Should you desire the great tranquility, prepare to sweat white beads.

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 trick is to keep exploring and not bail out, even when we find out that something is not what we thought.

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

Mindfulness is the key to transformation. It enables us to see our experience as it really is, free from distortion and bias.

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

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 reduce our selfishness and to work for the benefit of others.