Happiness is not about getting what you want, but wanting what you've got.

The five aggregates are not a theoretical model but a description of lived experience to be investigated through mindfulness.

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

Like a fine flower, beautiful to look at but without scent, fine words are fruitless in a man who does not act in accordance with them.

True freedom is not the absence of commitment but the presence of choice.

The practice of patience guards us against losing our presence of mind.

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

Insight knowledge comes from direct experience, not from intellectual understanding.

Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.

Silence is sometimes the best answer.

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

The only things that are truly mine are my actions and their results.

The past is just a memory. The future is just a dream. Be here now.

The greatest wisdom is seeing through appearances.

As surely as there is a voyage away, there is a journey home.

A pure mind is always full of love - real love for all others.

Loving-kindness is not something we need to manufacture. It's a natural expression of our awakened nature.

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

The heart of one who practices is like the earth. No matter what they throw on it, the earth remains unchanged.

The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.

Muddy water is best cleared by leaving it alone.

Zen proposes its solution by directly appealing to facts of personal experience and not to book-knowledge.

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

The greatest obstacle to connecting with our joy is resentment.

The fundamental delusion of humanity is to suppose that I am here and you are out there.

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

Ethical conduct is not a constraint upon our freedom but a condition of our freedom.

The way to change the world is to change your own mind.

Mindfulness is not just bare attention but wise attention that leads to understanding and insight.

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

If you want to climb a mountain, begin at the top.

Change is the nature of every phenomenon. Accept this truth and you will live a happy life.

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.

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

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

If you want to know your past life, look into your present condition; if you want to know your future life, look into your present actions.

Just as treasures are uncovered from the earth, so virtue appears from good deeds, and wisdom appears from a pure and peaceful mind.

The movement of love is what creates the beauty in our lives.

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

The purpose of studying Buddhism is not to study Buddhism, but to study ourselves.

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

The ultimate source of happiness is not money and power, but warm-heartedness.

To live fully is to let go and die with each step.

You are the sky. Everything else is just the weather.

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

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

The practice of mindfulness is the practice of being alive in the present moment.

Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.

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

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

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 enlightenment is not a path at all. It is a realization that where you are is where you have always been.

The sign of wisdom is constant joy.

Wisdom and compassion must be developed equally and harmoniously.

The practice of ethics is not about following rules but about developing inner purity and freedom.

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

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 menu is not the meal.

Zen is not necessarily against words, but it is well aware of their limitations.

We think that the point is to pass the test or overcome the problem, but the truth is that things don't really get solved. They come together and they fall apart. Then they come together again and fall apart again. It's just like that. The healing comes from letting there be room for all of this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy.