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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The mind is like a wild monkey, jumping here and there. But through meditation, we learn to see whatever arises in our mind with more spaciousness and clarity.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Meditation is the road to happiness.

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

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.

The technique of self-observation is the technique of observing the reality about oneself at the experiential level.

There are many ways to meditate. But at the heart of them all is mindfulness.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

The quieter you become, the more you can hear.

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

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

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

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

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

Sleep is the best meditation.

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.

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

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 stopping thoughts, but recognizing that we are not our thoughts.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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