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

Wisdom and compassion must be developed equally and harmoniously.

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

Things derive their being and nature by mutual dependence and are nothing in themselves.

The superior person is like water, bringing benefit to all without competing.

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.

We should find perfect existence through imperfect existence.

Impermanence, suffering, and non-self are not philosophical concepts but realities to be directly perceived through mindfulness practice.

Buddhist practice is not to eliminate life's problems but to grow with them patiently and with compassion.

True happiness is not about getting rid of all our problems, but about changing our relationship to them.

Personal experience is everything in Zen. No ideas are intelligible to those who have no backing of experience.

Muddy water is best cleared by leaving it alone.

The world is its own magic.

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

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

When you find your place where you are, practice occurs, actualizing the fundamental point.

Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

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

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

Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

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

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

A good friend who points out mistakes and imperfections and rebukes evil is to be respected as if he reveals a secret of hidden treasure.

The Buddha's teaching is a middle way between all extremes, between eternalism and annihilationism, between self-indulgence and self-torture.

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.

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

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

Forgiveness means giving up all hope for a better past.

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.

Observe the reality as it is, not as you wish it to be.

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.

Freedom is not found in the absence of difficulty, but in our relationship to it.

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

Silence is sometimes the best answer.

Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.

Trees, mountains, and vines all exist in nature according to their own truth. They are born and die following their nature. They remain this way because that's what they are. They don't practice meditation or do anything special.

Though the view should be as vast as the sky, keep your conduct as fine as barley flour.

The essence of bravery is being without self-deception.

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

The mind is like water. When it's turbulent, it's difficult to see. When it's calm, everything becomes clear.

The willingness to empty ourselves and then seek our true nature is an expression of great and courageous love.

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

When I run from suffering, it follows me. When I face suffering with equanimity, it runs from me.

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

There is no path to happiness: happiness is the path.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

The trouble is, you think you have time.

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

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

The practice of meditation is not about achieving states of bliss but about seeing things as they really are.

Through continuous mindfulness practice, the true nature of physical and mental phenomena becomes clear.

Silence is so much more productive of wisdom and clarity than thinking.

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