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

The Buddha never taught a sectarian religion; he taught Dhamma - the way to liberation - which is universal.

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

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

Panic, anxiety, and stress are not obstacles to the practice. They are the path to wisdom and compassion.

The mind is like a room with many windows. Open them all and let the fresh air in.

Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.

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.

If you want to find peace, then look at that point where you find you're dissatisfied and investigate what's really going on.

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

In my youth I studied, in my prime I practiced, now all my doubts are cleared.

The Buddha's path is not about becoming somebody different but about becoming more and more who you really are.

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

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

The more a thing tends to be permanent, the more it tends to be lifeless.

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.

Life is glorious, but life is also wretched. It is both. Appreciating the gloriousness inspires us, encourages us, cheers us up, gives us a bigger perspective, energizes us. We feel connected. But if that's all that's happening, we get arrogant and start to look down on others, and there is a sense of making ourselves a big deal and being really serious about it, wanting it to be like that forever. The gloriousness becomes tinged by craving and addiction. On the other hand, wretchedness--life's painful aspect--softens us up considerably. Knowing pain is a very important ingredient of being there for another person.

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

Right View is not just a matter of intellectual understanding but of seeing things as they really are.

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

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

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

The greatest wisdom is seeing through appearances.

The goal of Buddhist practice is not to escape from the world but to transform our relationship with it.

When we know the truth, we become people who don't have to think much, we become people with wisdom.

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

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

The most important factor in achieving happiness is the mind. Happiness and suffering are mental states and therefore depend on the mind.

Mindfulness is being aware of what's going on, not trying to control what's going on.

Forgiveness is giving up all hope for a better past.

When we recognize that our thoughts are just thoughts, we can choose whether or not to follow them.

External seeking only leads to exhaustion. When you imitate others, you lose your own authenticity.

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

The path to liberation is through understanding the true nature of mind and matter through direct observation.

The secret of happiness lies not in getting what we want, but in learning to want what we already have.

Nothing ever goes away until it has taught us what we need to know.

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.

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

The true path is not difficult; just avoid picking and choosing.

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.

Our own life has to be our message.

Emptiness is not nothingness. Emptiness is the space of possibility.

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 water in the ocean can be rough or calm. It can be clear or murky. But the water itself doesn't mind.

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

The person who clings to nothing of the past, present and future, who has no attachment and no aversion, has no conceptual imprints.

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

We deal with our mind from morning until evening, and it can be our best friend or our worst enemy.

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.

Work diligently. Diligently. Work patiently and persistently. Patiently and persistently. And you're bound to be successful. Bound to be successful.

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

When we see the nature of the mind, we see that we are not our thoughts.

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

The root of all suffering is ignorance. The antidote to ignorance is wisdom that realizes emptiness.

To be in harmony with the wholeness of things is not to have anxiety over imperfection.

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.

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

The root of happiness is altruism — the wish to be of service to others.

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

A man is not called wise because he talks and talks again; but if he is peaceful, loving and fearless then he is in truth called wise.