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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

Sleep is the best meditation.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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 an escape from life but a way to fully engage with life.

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

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

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

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

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

Meditation is the road to happiness.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The quieter you become, the more you can hear.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The most profound meditation is to think nothing at all.