When you recognize that pain and suffering are impermanent, you become free.

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.

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

The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

It is under the greatest adversity that there exists the greatest potential for doing good, both for oneself and others.

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

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

The perfect moment is this one, not the one you're waiting for.

The key to happiness is inner peace. The greatest obstacles to inner peace are disturbing emotions such as anger, attachment, fear and suspicion.

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

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

The more you understand, the more you love; the more you love, the more you understand.

If a problem is fixable, if a situation is such that you can do something about it, then there is no need to worry. If it's not fixable, then there is no help in worrying. There is no benefit in worrying whatsoever.

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

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

In the spring, hundreds of flowers; in autumn, a harvest moon; in the summer, a refreshing breeze; in winter, snow will accompany you. If useless things do not hang in your mind, any season is a good season for you.

The lamp of wisdom burns constantly, illuminating the nature of mind.

The practice of mindfulness leads naturally to concentration. Concentration leads naturally to wisdom.

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

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

The mind is the forerunner of all things. Our present life is the result of our past thoughts, and our future life will be the result of our present thoughts.

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

The restraint of the senses is not a matter of suppression but of wise attention to our experience.

Give the ones you love wings to fly, roots to come back, and reasons to stay.

The mind is intrinsically empty. It's empty of all that we perceive as being intrinsically "me" and "mine."

Enlightenment is not about becoming something special, but about realizing what we already are.

If I had any position, I would thereby have a flaw. But since I have no position, I alone am without flaw.

Life is available only in the present moment.

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

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

The obstacle is the path.

The mind that sees its own nature becomes free from all extremes.

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

Equanimity is not indifference. It is the balanced state of mind.

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

The things that matter most in our lives are not fantastic or grand. They are the moments when we touch one another.

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

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

Only to the extent that we expose ourselves over and over to annihilation can that which is indestructible be found in us.

The Buddha's teachings are not a religion, but a science of mind.

The mind creates the abyss, and the heart crosses it.

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.

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

The stages of insight unfold naturally when mindfulness is continuous. There is no need to desire them or try to make them happen.

The nature of the mind is like the sky, and our thoughts, emotions, and experiences are like clouds passing through it.

The world is its own magic.

Panic is a gateway to wisdom. When we learn to stay present with our panic, it becomes our teacher.

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

Forgiveness is not a moral issue. It's a power issue. When we hold onto grievance and resentment, we are giving our power away.

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.

The Buddha's teaching challenges us to master the art of living, to live in a way that leads to the extinction of suffering.

Peace is not found by changing the world, but by changing your attitude to the world.

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

If you want to know your past life, look at your present condition. If you want to know your future life, look at your present actions.

Expectations are the thieves of joy.

In true dialogue, both sides are willing to change.

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

If you see certainty in that which is uncertain, you are bound to suffer.

Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is relax.