The present moment is the only moment available to us, and it is the door to all moments.

The mind itself is the maker of all happiness and misery; yet beings do not understand this and blame external conditions.

The first noble truth of the Buddha is that life contains suffering. The second noble truth is that the cause of suffering is craving.

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 nature of mind is not something we need to achieve - it's something we need to recognize.

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

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

Real happiness lies within. It cannot be found in external objects or achievements.

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

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

Not by hatred is hatred conquered, but by love alone. This is an eternal law.

The Dhamma is not a collection of doctrinal formulas but a path leading to direct insight into the nature of reality.

When another person makes you suffer, it is because he suffers deeply within himself, and his suffering is spilling over. He does not need punishment; he needs help.

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

Because you are alive, everything is possible.

There is no need to have a deep understanding of Zen. Even though you read much Zen literature, you must read each sentence with a fresh mind.

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

The lamp of wisdom burns constantly, illuminating the nature of mind.

Through violence, you may solve one problem, but you sow the seeds for another.

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 essence of bravery is being without self-deception.

True freedom is not the absence of commitment but the presence of choice.

The future is completely open, and we are writing it moment to moment.

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

The root of suffering is attachment.

We need the courage to learn from our experience and the wisdom to be willing to change and grow.

Awareness is like the sun. When it shines on things, they are transformed.

Those who understand interdependent origination understand suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path.

Mindfulness is attention to life, and life itself is sacred.

The deepest happiness comes from having an enduring sense of purpose, one that gives our lives meaning beyond the endless pursuit of pleasure and success.

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

The greatest wisdom is seeing through appearances.

If a problem is fixable, if a situation is such that you can do something about it, then there is no need to worry. If it's not fixable, then there is no help in worrying. There is no benefit in worrying whatsoever.

Kindness is the solution to all of life's problems.

The essence of the spiritual journey is the uncovering of what is always already present.

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

If you want to know your past life, look at your present condition. If you want to know your future life, look at your present actions.

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

The more you suffer the deeper grows your character, and with the deepening of your character you read the more penetratingly into the secrets of life.

The key to transformation is not to fight with our experience but to open to it with awareness.

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

There is no difference at all between samsara and nirvana. There is no difference at all between nirvana and samsara.

You are your own teacher. Looking for teachers can't solve your own doubts. Investigate yourself to find the truth - inside, not outside.

The root of suffering is not in the world outside us but in our own minds.

Enlightenment is not about becoming something special, but about realizing what we already are.

The perfect moment is this one, not the one you're waiting for.

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

To think in terms of either pessimism or optimism oversimplifies the truth. The problem is to see reality as it is.

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

Altruism is not a luxury, it is a necessity for the survival of humanity.

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.

The goal of the Buddhist path is not to add something to our existence but to discover something that has been there all along.

If you let go a little, you will have a little peace. If you let go a lot, you will have a lot of peace. If you let go completely, you will have complete peace.

Every small positive change we make in ourselves repays us in confidence in the future.

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

We do not "come into" this world; we come out of it, as leaves from a tree.

Enlightenment is the realization that we were never really separate from one another or from all of life.

Sensations are not your enemy. They are your teacher. Through observing them, you understand the truth of existence.

The victorious ones have said that emptiness is the relinquishing of all views. Those who are possessed of the view of emptiness are said to be incurable.

The heart of the path is quite simple. No need for long explanations. Give up clinging to love and hate, just rest with things as they are.