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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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 about escaping from difficulty but about meeting it with awareness.

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

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

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 gap between thoughts, nonconceptual wisdom shines continuously.

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

The quieter you become, the more you can hear.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Meditation is the road to happiness.

The most profound meditation is to think nothing at all.

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

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

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

Maintain the state of undistractedness and distractions will fly away.

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

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

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

Sleep is the best meditation.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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 achieving anything. It's about letting go of everything.

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