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.

Sleep is the best meditation.

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

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.

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

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

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

The quieter you become, the more you can hear.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Maintain the state of undistractedness and distractions will fly away.

Meditation is the road to happiness.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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 tuning an instrument. Too tight, and the strings break. Too loose, and they won't play.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In the gap between thoughts, nonconceptual wisdom shines continuously.

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

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

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

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

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

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