The purpose of Buddhist practice is not to become a Buddhist but to awaken to the nature of reality.

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

When mindfulness is weak, defilements are strong; when mindfulness is strong, defilements are weak.

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

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

Liberation is found in the practice, not in the theory.

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

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

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

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.

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

The practice of vipassana is the study of the self. When you study physical and mental phenomena, you are studying the truth about yourself.

We deal with our mind from morning until evening, and it can be our best friend or our worst enemy.

Whatever is happening is the path to enlightenment.

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.

The ultimate purpose of Buddhism is to serve and benefit humanity.

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

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.

Vipassana is the art of living. Not the art of escaping.

In a mind clear as still water, even the waves, breaking, are reflecting its light.

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

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

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.

True peace comes not from controlling the world, but from letting go of control.

Like a fine flower, beautiful to look at but without scent, fine words are fruitless in a man who does not act in accordance with them.

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

Kindness is the solution to all of life's problems.

Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.

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

Panic is a gateway to wisdom. When we learn to stay present with our panic, it becomes our teacher.

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

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

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

Rather than letting our negativity get the better of us, we could acknowledge that right now we feel like a piece of shit and not be squeamish about taking a good look.

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

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

The mind is like a room with many windows. Open them all and let the fresh air in.

Compassion is not a sign of weakness but a sign of strength.

May all beings be happy, be peaceful, be liberated.

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

The trouble is, you think you have time.

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

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

Life is nothing but a continuous chain of sensations. Pleasant or unpleasant, observe them objectively.

Compassion is not just about being kind to others. It's about being kind to ourselves as well.

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

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

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

The dharma is not about collecting more beliefs but about becoming free from the power of belief itself.

Do everything with a mind that lets go. Don't accept praise or gain or anything else. 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.

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

Your work is to discover your work and then with all your heart to give yourself to it.

True love is not for the faint-hearted.

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

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

Every time we become aware of a thought, as opposed to being lost in a thought, we experience that opening of the mind.

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.

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

When you talk, you are only repeating what you already know. But if you listen, you may learn something new.

The only way to experience truth is to look within, to observe oneself.