As a flower that is lovely and beautiful, but is scentless, even so fruitless is the well-spoken word of one who does not practice it.

The cave I live in is empty and so is my mind. I live simply and at ease.

Meditation is not an escape from reality but a way to understand reality as it truly is.

We practice to learn how to let go, not how to increase our holding on to things.

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

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

Compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded. It's a relationship between equals.

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

Let go of what has passed. Let go of what may come. Let go of what is happening now. Don't try to figure anything out. Don't try to make anything happen. Relax, right now, and rest.

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

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

When you do something, you should burn yourself completely, like a good bonfire, leaving no trace of yourself.

Breathing in, there is only the present moment. Breathing out, it is a wonderful moment.

Just as a mother would protect her only child with her life, even so let one cultivate a boundless love towards all beings.

The most precious gift we can offer others is our presence. When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers.

The highest mantra is to be without deception. The highest medicine is to have few desires. The highest meditation is not to be attached.

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

When you understand one thing through and through, you understand everything. When you try to understand everything, you will not understand anything.

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.

Wisdom is not about accumulating knowledge, but about seeing through all knowledge.

Smile, breathe, and go slowly.

The key to meditation is to recognize the nature of your mind rather than trying to change it.

Zen is a way of life, not a theory or a piece of knowledge to be stored away in our minds.

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

Meditation is not about escaping from difficulty but about meeting it with awareness.

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

Study how water flows in a valley stream, smoothly and freely between the rocks.

Meditation is not about achieving anything. It's about letting go of everything.

Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is relax.

Misery ceases to exist when we stop reacting to sensations.

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 is happening right now, without wishing it were different.

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

The more we care for the happiness of others, the greater our own sense of well-being becomes.

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

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

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

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

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

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 path is not about moving from one place to another. It's about recognizing where we already are.

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

Hope and fear come from feeling that we lack something; they come from a sense of poverty. We can't simply relax with ourselves. We hold on to hope, and hope robs us of the present moment.

Every sensation shares the same characteristic - arising, passing. Arising, passing. Learn to observe objectively.

What is the sound of one hand clapping?

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

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

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.

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

There are only two days in the year that nothing can be done. One is called yesterday and the other is called tomorrow, so today is the right day to love, believe, do and mostly live.

The greatest achievement is selflessness. The greatest worth is self-mastery.

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

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

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

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

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

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

As surely as there is a voyage away, there is a journey home.

The rising and falling of the abdomen is not the main object. The main object is to develop mindfulness, concentration, and insight.

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