Our emotions are like waves in the ocean. We can't stop the waves, but we can learn to surf.

Face your own anger and you will be free from anger. Face your own fears and you will be free from fear.

Drop by drop is the water pot filled. Likewise, the wise man, gathering it little by little, fills himself with good.

Nothing we see or hear is perfect. But right there in the imperfection is perfect reality.

Do not mistake understanding for realization, and do not mistake realization for liberation.

The past is just a memory. The future is just a dream. Be here now.

Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck.

Generosity generates its own enthusiasm. We don't have to force ourselves to be generous; we just need to start.

If I had any position, I would thereby have a flaw. But since I have no position, I alone am without flaw.

Mindfulness is being aware of what's going on, not trying to control what's going on.

All worldly pursuits have but one unavoidable and inevitable end, which is sorrow; acquisitions end in dispersion; buildings in destruction; meetings in separation; births in death.

The Buddha's teaching is a teaching of self-reliance, of being one's own master, one's own refuge.

If it isn't good, let it die. If it doesn't die, make it good.

The silence between the notes is as important as the notes themselves.

The most fundamental aggression to ourselves, the most fundamental harm we can do to ourselves, is to remain ignorant by not having the courage and the respect to look at ourselves honestly and gently.

True happiness is not about getting rid of all our problems, but about changing our relationship to them.

The trick is to keep exploring and not bail out, even when we find out that something is not what we thought.

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

Problems that remain persistently insoluble should always be suspected as questions asked in the wrong way.

The biggest prison is the one we build in our own mind.

The instant you speak about a thing, you miss the mark.

Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is relax.

The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.

The nature of the mind is like the sky, and our thoughts, emotions, and experiences are like clouds passing through it.

The Buddha's teaching is not a philosophy or a religion; it is a method of practice.

The real secret of the arts: always be a beginner.

The mind that sees its own nature becomes free from all extremes.

Love is the wish that others be happy, and compassion is the wish that they be free from suffering.

Right practice is steady practice. Whether you feel lazy or diligent, just keep practicing.

The nature of all things is like a magical illusion, a mirage, a dream, a reflection of the moon in water.

Peace is within oneself to be found in the same place as agitation and suffering. It is not found in a forest or on a hilltop, nor is it given by a teacher.

The truth of Zen is the truth of life, and life means to live, to move, to act, not merely to reflect.

Know the rules well, so you can break them effectively.

The practice of patience guards us against losing our presence of mind.

To see the truth, do not be for or against. The struggle between for and against is the mind's worst disease.

There is no way to happiness - happiness is the way.

Our true nature is like a diamond - pure, brilliant, and indestructible. No matter how much dirt covers it, its essential nature remains unchanged.

In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you.

It is under the greatest adversity that there exists the greatest potential for doing good, both for oneself and others.

The everyday practice is simply to develop complete acceptance and openness to all situations and emotions.

The practice is like peeling an onion. Layer after layer of delusion is removed through continuous mindfulness.

Every step on the path must be with the understanding of anicca - impermanence. This is the essence of the teaching.

The practice of mindfulness is the practice of being alive in the present moment.

Sometimes one creates a dynamic impression by saying something, and sometimes one creates as significant an impression by remaining silent.

Things derive their being and nature by mutual dependence and are nothing in themselves.

There are only two days in the year that nothing can be done. One is called yesterday and the other is called tomorrow, so today is the right day to love, believe, do and mostly live.

The grass is greener where you water it.

Love is not a feeling. It's a capability.

The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.

This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.

Forgiveness is giving up all hope for a better past.

The fundamental delusion of humanity is to suppose that I am here and you are out there.

The law of nature is the law of cause and effect. As you sow, so shall you reap.

Trying to define yourself is like trying to bite your own teeth.

Your work is to discover your work and then with all your heart to give yourself to it.

Study how water flows in a valley stream, smoothly and freely between the rocks.

When you begin to see that your enemy is suffering, that is the beginning of insight.

Nothing ever goes away until it has taught us what we need to know.

Looking for peace is like looking for a turtle with a mustache: you won't be able to find it. But when your heart is ready, peace will come looking for you.

Each of you is perfect the way you are... and you can use a little improvement.