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

Hasten slowly and you will soon arrive.

Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.

The practice of meditation is not about achieving states of bliss but about seeing things as they really are.

The practice is not about achieving special states but about seeing ordinary experience with extraordinary clarity.

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.

The signs of practice are not in extraordinary experiences but in extraordinary awareness of ordinary experiences.

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

To be fully alive, fully human, and completely awake is to be continually thrown out of the nest.

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

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.

The source of love is deep in us and we can help others realize a lot of happiness. One word, one action, one thought can reduce another person's suffering and bring that person joy.

The obstacle is the path.

In the monastery of your body, the monk of your mind must stay in retreat.

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

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

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

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

We don't set out to save the world; we set out to wonder how other people are doing and to reflect on how our actions affect other people's hearts.

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

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

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

The Buddha's teaching is not a philosophy or a religion; it is a method of practice.

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

Meditation is like a gym in which you develop the powerful mental muscles of calm and insight.

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

The mind has first to be attuned to the Unconscious.

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

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

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

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

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

Whatever is happening is the path to enlightenment.

The practice is simply this: keep coming back to your breath during the day. This will give your mind a steadiness and your life a balance.

When we recognize that our thoughts are just thoughts, we can choose whether or not to follow them.

The Noble Eightfold Path is not a path of mere intellectual understanding but a path of practice, of inner transformation.

Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet.

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

Every small positive change we make in ourselves repays us in confidence in the future.

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

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

The highest truth cannot be taught except through the conventional truth.

The essence of Buddhist practice is to reduce our selfishness and to work for the benefit of others.

Meditation is the road to happiness.

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

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

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

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

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

Don't be afraid of the future. The future is good.

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

Devotion is the head of meditation, as is often said. When you are inspired by some spiritual teacher, you can have a very strong connection with that person, and thereby the blessings can enter.

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

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

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

Zazen is not step-by-step meditation. Rather it is simply the easy and pleasant practice of a Buddha, the realization of the Buddha's Wisdom.

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

Smile, breathe, and go slowly.

The way is not in the sky. The way is in the heart.