The yogi's joy is in the solitude of mountains, where all distractions naturally dissolve into emptiness.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

The only way to fail at meditation is to stop doing it.

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

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

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

Maintain the state of undistractedness and distractions will fly away.

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

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

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

Meditation is not about trying to change your experience; it's about changing your relationship to your experience.

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

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

Short moments, many times. That is the essence of meditation practice.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

Concentration develops naturally through continuous noting. Don't try to force concentration to arise.

Meditation in the midst of activity is a thousand times superior to meditation in stillness.

The most profound meditation is to think nothing at all.

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.

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.

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

The most important things in our practice are our physical posture and our way of breathing.

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

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

Sankharas are the seeds of consciousness that manifest as sensations. By observing sensations equanimously, we stop creating new sankharas.

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

The master's introduction is direct recognition of one's own nature. Meditation is maintaining the continuity of this recognition.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Meditation is not about getting away from it all. It's about getting into it all.

The purpose of meditation is to gain right understanding of the true nature of mental and physical phenomena.

The quieter you become, the more you can hear.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

Meditation is not about trying to change ourselves. Meditation is about being aware of what is.

The practice of meditation is like tuning an instrument. Too tight, and the strings break. Too loose, and they won't play.

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.

Meditation is the ultimate mobile device; you can use it anywhere, anytime, unobtrusively.