Because you are alive, everything is possible.

The deepest form of happiness comes from discovering the natural peace of our own awareness.

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

The most difficult times for many of us are the ones we give ourselves.

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

Don't try to change the world. First, change yourself.

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

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

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

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

Wisdom and compassion must be developed equally and harmoniously.

Liberation is found in the practice, not in the theory.

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

Enlightenment is the realization that we were never really separate from one another or from all of life.

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

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

The truth of Zen is the truth of life, and life means to live, to move, to act, not merely to reflect.

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

Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.

The grass is greener where you water it.

Life is available only in the present moment.

Long is the night to him who is awake; long is a mile to him who is tired; long is life to the foolish who do not know the true law.

The nature of everything is illusory and ephemeral, those with dualistic perception regard suffering as happiness, like they who lick the honey from a razor's edge.

The defilements of the mind are temporary visitors. Pure awareness is your true home.

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

Just to be alive is enough.

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

Let none find fault with others; let none see the omissions and commissions of others. But let one see one's own acts, done and undone.

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

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

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

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

When you understand one thing through and through, you understand everything. When you try to understand everything, you will not understand anything.

Understanding means throwing away your knowledge.

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

The one who grasps at existence suffers in samsara, while the one who grasps at non-existence will find no liberation.

The spiritual journey begins with the recognition that beneath our surface happiness there lies a deep inner pain.

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

No valid plans for the future can be made by those who have no capacity for living now.

The essence of bravery is being without self-deception.

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

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

Awareness is always with us. We don't need to create it or achieve it - we just need to recognize what's already there.

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

Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.

The highest truth cannot be taught except through the conventional truth.

Enlightenment is not about becoming divine. Instead, it's about becoming more fully human.

When you let go of trying to control everything, you can relax and enjoy life.

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 snow lion stays in the mountains, and the snow lion's ways are the snow lion's ways.

The greatest achievement is selflessness. The greatest worth is self-mastery.

The path of awakening is not about becoming who we think we should be, but about unbecoming who we are not.

When things fall apart and we're on the verge of we know not what, the test of each of us is to stay on that brink and not concretize.

When mindfulness and concentration are strong, insight into the three characteristics naturally unfolds.

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

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

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

Life is an art, and like perfect art it should be self-forgetting.

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