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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Sleep is the best meditation.

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

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

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

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

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

Meditation is the road to happiness.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The quieter you become, the more you can hear.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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