Every being has the potential of becoming a Buddha. Our true nature is Buddha nature.

The Buddha's teachings are not a religion, but a science of mind.

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 gap between thoughts, nonconceptual wisdom shines continuously.

Anxiety and excitement are the same emotion. The only difference is our attitude toward the experience.

The precious pot containing my riches becomes my teacher in the very moment it breaks.

You will not be punished for your anger; you will be punished by your anger.

The path to liberation is through understanding the true nature of mind and matter through direct observation.

Even if you speak of 'understanding,' this understanding is not a matter of knowledge. It is what fills the entire body and mind.

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.

The entire path is a path of self-responsibility. Nobody else can walk it for you.

Fear is a natural reaction to moving closer to the truth.

For whom emptiness is possible, everything is possible. For whom emptiness is not possible, nothing is possible.

Many people think excitement is happiness... But when you are excited you are not peaceful. True happiness is based on peace.

Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality.

Awareness is the basis, or what you might call the "support," of the mind. It is steady and unchanging, like the pole to which the flag of ordinary consciousness is attached.

Time passes unhindered. When we make ourselves better, we make the world better.

Wisdom and compassion must be developed equally and harmoniously.

The force of the kindness of others is so strong, we can't possibly measure it.

The mind creates the abyss, and the heart crosses it.

Expectations are the thieves of joy.

Forgiveness is letting go of the hope that the past could have been any different.

Life is an art, and like perfect art it should be self-forgetting.

Life is like a cup of tea. It's all in how you make it.

The key to happiness is inner peace. The greatest obstacles to inner peace are disturbing emotions such as anger, attachment, fear and suspicion.

When dharma fills your body and mind, you realize that something is missing.

To live is enough.

People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they're not on your road doesn't mean they've gotten lost.

Just as a snake sheds its skin, we must shed our past over and over again.

We don't set out to save the world; we set out to wonder how other people are doing and to reflect on how our actions affect other people's hearts.

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

Muddy water is best cleared by leaving it alone.

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

Dependent origination is not a theory about the origin of the world but a teaching that shows how suffering originates in dependence on our own mental processes.

The nature of life is change. The nature of change is painful. The nature of pain is temporary.

Just as true humor is laughter at oneself, true humanity is knowledge of oneself.

Whatever is happening is the path to enlightenment.

Panic is a gateway to wisdom. When we learn to stay present with our panic, it becomes our teacher.

Life is glorious, but life is also wretched. It is both. Appreciating the gloriousness inspires us, encourages us, cheers us up, gives us a bigger perspective, energizes us. We feel connected. But if that's all that's happening, we get arrogant and start to look down on others, and there is a sense of making ourselves a big deal and being really serious about it, wanting it to be like that forever. The gloriousness becomes tinged by craving and addiction. On the other hand, wretchedness--life's painful aspect--softens us up considerably. Knowing pain is a very important ingredient of being there for another person.

Equanimity is not indifference. It is the balanced state of mind.

The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness.

The one who grasps at existence suffers in samsara, while the one who grasps at non-existence will find no liberation.

The water in the ocean can be rough or calm. It can be clear or murky. But the water itself doesn't mind.

We should find perfect existence through imperfect existence.

Each moment of clear seeing is a moment of freedom from the illusion of permanence, satisfaction, and self.

Since all things are empty of inherent existence, anything is possible. If things had inherent existence, nothing would be possible.

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

The world is its own magic.

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

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

Do not follow the ideas of others, but learn to listen to the voice within yourself.

Craving and aversion are the roots of suffering. Observe them with equanimity.

The essence of bravery is being without self-deception.

Suffering comes from our resistance to what is. Peace comes from our acceptance of what is.

The more we understand the nature of our mind, the more we understand the nature of our world.

Waking up this morning, I smile. Twenty-four brand new hours are before me. I vow to live fully in each moment.

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 practice of mindfulness leads naturally to concentration. Concentration leads naturally to wisdom.

True love is not for the faint-hearted.

The Buddha's teachings are not about abandoning our lives but about bringing the fullness of our attention to our lives.