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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The quieter you become, the more you can hear.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Maintain the state of undistractedness and distractions will fly away.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sleep is the best meditation.

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

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

The most profound meditation is to think nothing at all.

Meditation is the road to happiness.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.