The trick is to keep exploring and not bail out, even when we find out that something is not what we thought.

The more we understand our mind, the more we understand the world.

The essence of Buddhist practice is to reduce our selfishness and to work for the benefit of others.

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

When you begin to see that your enemy is suffering, that is the beginning of insight.

The spiritual journey is not about heaven and finally getting to a place that's really swell.

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

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

Letting go gives us freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness.

What Zen wants us to do is to acquire an entirely new point of view whereby to look into the mysteries of life and the secrets of nature.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

Real happiness comes from having an unshakable connection to the deep wellspring of peace and happiness that is not dependent on external conditions.

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

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

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

Observe the reality as it is, not as you wish it to be.

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

The more we understand impermanence, the more we understand that we can't hold on to anything.

The true mark of a spiritual practitioner is that your own behavior is better, not that you can criticize others well.

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

The victorious ones have said that emptiness is the relinquishing of all views. Those who are possessed of the view of emptiness are said to be incurable.

The mind is like water. When it's turbulent, it's difficult to see. When it's calm, everything becomes clear.

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

The path to liberation requires both understanding and practice, both pariyatti and patipatti.

Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it.

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

The practice is not about achieving special states but about seeing ordinary experience with extraordinary clarity.

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

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

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

The Four Noble Truths are not mere doctrinal propositions but a framework for understanding and transforming our lives.

The goal is not to be better than the other man, but your previous self.

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

The force of the kindness of others is so strong, we can't possibly measure it.

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

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.

You are the master of your own mind. You can be your best friend or your worst enemy.

All that appears and exists, all of samsara and nirvana, has one ground, two paths, and two results. This is the magical display of awareness and unawareness.

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.

There is no way to happiness - happiness is the way.

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

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

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

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

The development of insight is gradual, but the realization of truth is sudden.

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

The path to liberation requires both individual effort and the support of the spiritual community.

Waking up this morning, I smile. Twenty-four brand new hours are before me. I vow to live fully in each moment.

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

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

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

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