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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 stopping thoughts, but recognizing that we are not our thoughts.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Maintain the state of undistractedness and distractions will fly away.

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

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.

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

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

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

In the gap between thoughts, nonconceptual wisdom shines continuously.

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 life but a way to fully engage with life.

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

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 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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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