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.

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

The most profound meditation is to think nothing at all.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Meditation is the road to happiness.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

Sleep is the best meditation.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Maintain the state of undistractedness and distractions will fly away.

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

In the gap between thoughts, nonconceptual wisdom shines continuously.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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 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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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