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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

The most profound meditation is to think nothing at all.

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

Meditation is the road to happiness.

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

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

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

Sleep is the best meditation.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In the gap between thoughts, nonconceptual wisdom shines continuously.

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

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.

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

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

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

The quieter you become, the more you can hear.

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

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.

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

Maintain the state of undistractedness and distractions will fly away.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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