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

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

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

The essence of meditation is not something complicated or exotic. It is simply taking a break from our habitual patterns.

The Buddha taught us to leave alone the things that don't lead to awakening.

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.

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

Man suffers only because he takes seriously what the gods made for fun.

The Buddha taught that wealth does not bring happiness and security. The pursuit of wealth is a matter of living in balance.

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

The Buddha's teaching is not a philosophical system but a practical guide to living.

To be fully alive, fully human, and completely awake is to be continually thrown out of the nest.

Study the Buddha's teaching which is present in every moment.

The three characteristics - impermanence, suffering, and non-self - are not philosophical concepts but aspects of experience to be directly observed.

People who study a lot but don't practice are like a ladle in a soup pot. It's in the soup every day, but it doesn't know the taste of the soup.

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

It is never too late to turn on the light.

Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.

This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.

When mindfulness becomes continuous, the distinction between the observer and the observed begins to break down.

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

The world is its own magic.

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

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.

If we learn to open our hearts, anyone, including the people who drive us crazy, can be our teacher.

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

Your own treasure house contains everything you need; why search outside?

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

Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.

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

The key to the Buddha's teaching is not grasping, not trying to hold onto things that are essentially impermanent and unstable.

The realization of impermanence leads not to despair but to a deeper appreciation of the preciousness of each moment.

Whatever is happening is the path to enlightenment.

Reality is only a Rorschach ink-blot, you know.

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

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

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

In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

When the heart is still, it can be kind. When the mind is still, it can see clearly.

Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is relax.

The root of suffering is resisting the certainty that no matter what the circumstances, uncertainty is all we truly have.

Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship.

Love is not a feeling. It's a capability.

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

Many people think excitement is happiness... But when you are excited you are not peaceful. True happiness is based on peace.

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

The development of wisdom requires both study and practice, both learning and direct experience.

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

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

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