When you note effectively, there is no time for defilements to arise. The mind becomes pure through noting.

The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.

The basic idea of Zen is to come in touch with the inner workings of our being, and to do this in the most direct way possible, without resorting to anything external or superadded.

The Buddha's path is not about becoming somebody different but about becoming more and more who you really are.

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

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

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

Through understanding emptiness, one does not become proud of one's virtues, just as one does not become proud of building a castle in the sky.

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

The movement of love is what creates the beauty in our lives.

True happiness is not found through the multiplication of desires but through their simplification.

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

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.

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

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

The greatest obstacle to meditation is our expectation about what it should be.

The dharma is not outside of you. Looking for it elsewhere is like placing a Buddha on your head while searching for him everywhere else.

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

Every moment is a fresh beginning. Every breath is a new chance.

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

The more you are motivated by love, the more fearless and free your actions will be.

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

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.

The most important thing is to enjoy your life - to be happy. This is the goal of Buddhist practice.

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

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.

The more you are motivated by love, the more fearless and free your actions will be.

If in our daily life we can smile, if we can be peaceful and happy, not only we, but everyone will profit from it. This is the most basic kind of peace work.

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.

There is no need to have a deep understanding of Zen. Even though you read much Zen literature, you must read each sentence with a fresh mind.

Where is the place that your original face has not yet emerged?

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

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.

Mindfulness is not just bare attention but wise attention that leads to understanding and insight.

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

The everyday practice is simply to develop complete acceptance and openness to all situations and emotions.

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

The practice of meditation is like learning to play an instrument - it takes patience, regular practice, and a gentle touch.

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

Ardently do today what must be done. Who knows? Tomorrow, death comes.

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

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

External seeking only leads to exhaustion. When you imitate others, you lose your own authenticity.

Wisdom arises when you see the true characteristics of phenomena through direct experience.

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

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

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.

The dharma wheel turns from the beginning. There is neither excess nor deficiency. The whole universe is moistened with nectar, and the truth is ready to harvest.

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

The path to liberation requires both understanding and practice, both pariyatti and patipatti.

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.

Though the view should be as vast as the sky, keep your conduct as fine as barley flour.

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

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.

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

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

Concentration and insight are like two wings of a bird: both are necessary for the flight to liberation.

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

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.

Live in joy, in love, even among those who hate. Live in joy, in health, even among the afflicted. Live in joy, in peace, even among the troubled. Look within, be still.