Meditation is like catching a fish. If you try to catch it quickly, you'll miss it. If you have patience and know how to wait, the fish will come.

The more we understand impermanence, the more we appreciate each moment of our lives.

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

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

The stages of insight unfold naturally when mindfulness is continuous. There is no need to desire them or try to make them happen.

Faith is the firm foundation, diligence the supporting pillar, and wisdom the roof of the house of practice.

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

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

Suffering is not the end of the story; it is the middle of the story.

Without darkness, there is no light. Without the path, there is no arrival.

When you generate negativity, you are the first victim of your negativity.

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

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

Compassion is not just about being kind to others. It's about being kind to ourselves as well.

The mind is like a well-forged sword - it adapts to all situations.

The menu is not the meal.

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

The purpose of meditation is to gain right understanding of the true nature of mental and physical phenomena.

The mind that notes and the object that is noted are both impermanent. Understanding this leads to liberation.

When we understand others, we understand ourselves. When we love others, we love ourselves.

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

The most important thing in life is to know death is coming and to prepare for it.

The seed of suffering in you may be strong, but don't wait until you have no more suffering before allowing yourself to be happy.

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

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

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

The first step toward faith is to admit that we don't know everything.

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

Real peace comes from seeing things as they really are, not as we want them to be.

Don't be afraid of the future. The future is good.

The best way to control people is to encourage them to be mischievous. Then they will be in control in a wider sense.

Compassion is not a sign of weakness but a sign of strength.

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.

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

The obstacle is the path.

The greatest obstacle to connecting with our joy is resentment.

Mindfulness is the key to the present moment. Without it we cannot see the world clearly, and we cannot make the wisest choices in our lives.

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

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.

Every intelligent individual wants to know what makes him tick, and yet is at once fascinated and frustrated by the fact that oneself is the most difficult of all things to know.

Life is nothing but a continuous chain of sensations. Pleasant or unpleasant, observe them objectively.

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

The practice is not about achieving special states but about seeing ordinary experience with extraordinary clarity.

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

External phenomena are like a dream, whatever appears is not real. Recognize the nature of dream-like phenomena to be dream-like.

The essence of Buddhism is not a belief system but a systematic investigation of our experience.

Conquer anger with non-anger. Conquer evil with good. Conquer stinginess with giving. Conquer deceit with truth.

The more you give, the more you have. That's the economics of kindness.

The difference between being caught in thoughts and being mindful of thoughts is like the difference between being in a movie and watching a movie.

The Four Noble Truths are not merely theoretical propositions but a framework for understanding and transforming our experience.

Peace is not found by changing the world, but by changing your attitude to the world.

The dharma is not outside of you. Looking for it elsewhere is like placing a Buddha on your head while searching for him everywhere else.

Forgiveness is giving up all hope for a better past.

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

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

Time passes unhindered. When we make mistakes, we cannot turn the clock back and try again. All we can do is use the present well.

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

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

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