Even death is not to be feared by one who has lived wisely.

We should find perfect existence through imperfect existence.

To live is enough.

Don't take life too seriously. No one gets out alive anyway.

When the heart is still, it can be kind. When the mind is still, it can see clearly.

Compassion is not mere sentiment but a powerful force that can transform both ourselves and others.

Mindfulness means keeping one's consciousness alive to the present reality.

True peace is found not in the absence of experience but in the clear seeing of all experience.

Each decision we make, each action we take, is born out of an intention.

Through our eyes, the universe is perceiving itself. Through our ears, the universe is listening to its harmonies. We are the witnesses through which the universe becomes conscious of its glory, of its magnificence.

The treasure house within you contains everything, and you are free to use it. You don't need to seek outside.

Forgiveness is not a moral issue. It's a power issue. When we hold onto grievance and resentment, we are giving our power away.

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

The real meaning of enlightenment is to gaze with undimmed eyes on all darkness.

Life is like an ever-shifting kaleidoscope - a slight change, and all patterns alter.

Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it.

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

Zen is a way of life, not a theory or a piece of knowledge to be stored away in our minds.

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

Happiness is a skill that can be developed like playing an instrument or learning to read.

Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.

The true mark of a spiritual practitioner is that your own behavior is better, not that you can criticize others well.

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

The teaching of the Buddha is based on two truths: conventional truth and ultimate truth. Without understanding the relationship between these two, the deeper meaning of the Buddha's teaching cannot be understood.

Wisdom and compassion must be developed equally and harmoniously.

True love is not for the faint-hearted.

The root of suffering is resisting the certainty that no matter what the circumstances, uncertainty is all we truly have.

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

When you love someone, you have to have trust and confidence. Love without trust is not yet love.

We practice to learn how to let go, not how to increase our holding on to things.

Words have the power to both destroy and heal. When words are both true and kind, they can change our world.

To be attached to a thing means that mind and the thing meet and grow into each other.

The signs of practice are not in extraordinary experiences but in extraordinary awareness of ordinary experiences.

To understand everything is to forgive everything.

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

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.

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

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

Equanimity is not indifference. It is the balanced mind that sees things clearly without reaction.

The six realms of existence are like a dream, why build a prison for yourself?

The essence of Buddhist practice is to reduce our selfishness and to work for the benefit of others.

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.

If you want to know your past life, look into your present condition; if you want to know your future life, look into your present actions.

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

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

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

The path to enlightenment is not a path at all. It is a realization that where you are is where you have always been.

The past is for learning from, not for living in.

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

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

The best way to solve a problem is to help someone else solve their problem.

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

The only way to experience truth is to look within, to observe oneself.

To what shall I compare this life? It is like a boat that left at dawn, leaving no trace.

The path of awakening is not about becoming who you are. Rather it is about unbecoming who you are not.

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.

The period of greatest gain in knowledge and experience is the most difficult period in one's life.

The goal of meditation is not to reach some highest place, but to remain in the place where you already are.

When you plant lettuce, if it does not grow well, you don't blame the lettuce. You look for reasons it is not doing well. It may need fertilizer, or more water, or less sun. You never blame the lettuce.

Expectations are the thieves of joy.