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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

The most profound meditation is to think nothing at all.

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

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.

In the gap between thoughts, nonconceptual wisdom shines continuously.

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

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 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

The quieter you become, the more you can hear.

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

Maintain the state of undistractedness and distractions will fly away.

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

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

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.

Sleep is the best meditation.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Meditation is the road to happiness.

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

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

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

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

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

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