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

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

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.

Meditation is like catching a fish. If you try to catch it quickly, you'll miss it. If you have patience and know how to wait, the fish will come.

The noting mind and the object noted appear to occur as a pair. Through concentration they are seen to arise and vanish together.

In true vipassana practice, there is no room for likes and dislikes. There is only observation.

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

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.

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

Silence is so much more productive of wisdom and clarity than thinking.

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

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.

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

The practice of mindfulness is simple: whatever you experience, you observe and note it.

Meditation is the road to happiness.

Maintain the state of undistractedness and distractions will fly away.

In meditation, we are continuously discovering who and what we are.

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

Meditation is not about getting rid of thoughts; it's about changing the way we relate to them.

Just observe whatever arises. Don't try to create anything, and don't reject anything.

Don't expect or desire anything. Just keep noting whatever arises in the present moment.

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

The essence of meditation is not something complicated or exotic. It is simply taking a break from our habitual patterns.

In the gap between thoughts, nonconceptual wisdom shines continuously.

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.

Concentration is a cornerstone of mindfulness practice. Your mindfulness will only be as robust as your capacity to ground your attention in the present moment.

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

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

The root of all mind is your own present pure awareness. Rest in that essence without seeking elsewhere.

Meditation is not an escape from life but a way to fully engage with life.

Each breath is a new beginning, a fresh opportunity to awaken.

Better to have one moment of genuine meditation than to perform religious activities for a thousand years.

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

When thoughts arise, recognize them as the display of your own awareness, like recognizing your own children in a crowd.

Sleep is the best meditation.

Leave your front door and your back door open. Allow your thoughts to come and go. Just don't serve them tea.

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

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

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

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

The supreme path is not to fabricate anything. The supreme meditation is not to be distracted.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Don't think that only sitting with the eyes closed is practice. If you do think this way, then quickly change your thinking.

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

The zazen I speak of is not meditation practice. It is simply the dharma gate of joyful ease.

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

The view is like a lion - it cannot be led around by anything else. Meditation is like an eagle - it cannot be distracted by anything else. Action is like a madman - it is free from accepting and rejecting.

The challenge in meditation is not to eliminate thinking but to understand the nature of thought itself.

When you run after your thoughts, you are like a dog chasing a stick. Every time a stick is thrown, you run after it. Instead, be like a lion who, rather than chasing after the stick, turns to face the thrower.

Meditation practice isn't about trying to throw ourselves away and become something better. It's about befriending who we are already.

The purpose of meditation is to make our mind calm and peaceful. If our mind is peaceful, we will be free from worries and mental discomfort.

The state of mind that exists when you sit in the right posture is, itself, enlightenment.

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

The more you meditate, the more you understand yourself and the better friend you become to yourself.

The practice of meditation requires both energy and patience, both effort and relaxation.