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

Not knowing how near the truth is, we seek it far away.

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

We can learn to be present with whatever is happening in our lives, and in this way, we can begin to transform our relationship to difficulty.

Genuine happiness comes from having developed basic human qualities, such as attention, emotional balance, and generosity.

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

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

My religion is to live and die without regret.

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

Wisdom is not something we have to strive to acquire. Rather, wisdom arises naturally as we open our hearts to the truth of what is.

People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar.

Faith is not a commodity that you either have or don't have - it is an inner quality that unfolds as we learn to trust our own deepest experience.

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

The development of wisdom does not occur in isolation but requires the cultivation of the entire Noble Eightfold Path.

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

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

To see directly is to be free of hope and fear. Hope and fear are like a cloud before the sun.

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

All that appears and exists, all of samsara and nirvana, has one ground, two paths, and two results. This is the magical display of awareness and unawareness.

Every thought, every word, and every action leaves an imprint on our mind.

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

What Zen wants us to do is to acquire an entirely new point of view whereby to look into the mysteries of life and the secrets of nature.

Rejoicing in ordinary things is not sentimental or trite. It actually takes guts.

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

My father is the intrinsic awareness, Samantabhadra. My mother is the ultimate sphere of reality, Samantabhadri. I belong to the caste of non-duality of these two.

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

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

The development of insight is gradual, but the realization of truth is sudden.

Karma is not fate but the law of moral causation, showing us that we are the architects of our own destiny.

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.

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

Liberation is not found by running away from our experience but by looking deeply into it.

The mind is everything. What you think, you become.

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

The Noble Eightfold Path is a path of training: training in ethical conduct, training in mental discipline, and training in wisdom.

The way we look at the world is the way the world looks.

Self-awareness is the key to freedom. The more we understand ourselves, the more we understand how to be free.

When we attempt to exercise power or control over someone else, we cannot avoid giving that person the very same power or control over us.

Mind training is based on the idea that two opposite mental factors cannot happen at the same time.

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

The truth of suffering is not to be feared but to be understood through direct observation.

The greatest obstacle to connecting with our joy is resentment.

The more you understand yourself, the more you understand the world.

When you recognize that pain and suffering are impermanent, you become free.

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

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

The restraint of the senses is not a matter of suppression but of wise attention to our experience.

Wisdom says we are nothing. Love says we are everything. Between these two our life flows.

The art of living... is neither careless drifting on the one hand nor fearful clinging to the past on the other. It consists in being sensitive to each moment, in regarding it as utterly new and unique, in having the mind open and wholly receptive.

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

If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.

Real freedom is not about controlling our experience, but about being free within our experience.

Don't try to push away the darkness. Just light a lamp. The darkness will disappear by itself.

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

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

If you want to know the past, look at the present. If you want to know the future, look at the present.

The true hero is one who conquers his own anger and hatred.

True happiness is not found through the multiplication of desires but through their simplification.

Enlightenment is not a state of perfection but of authenticity.

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