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

Dependent origination is not a theory about the origin of the world but a teaching that shows how suffering originates in dependence on our own mental processes.

For whom emptiness is possible, everything is possible. For whom emptiness is not possible, nothing is possible.

The contradiction so puzzling to the ordinary way of thinking comes from the fact that we have to use language to communicate our inner experience, which in its very nature transcends linguistics.

Peace and negativity cannot coexist just as light and darkness cannot coexist.

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

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

A good friend who points out mistakes and imperfections and rebukes evil is to be respected as if he reveals a secret of hidden treasure.

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

The whole moon and the entire sky are reflected in one dewdrop on the grass.

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

Compassion is the radicalism of our time.

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

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

The past is gone, the future is not yet here. Live in the present moment with awareness.

We don't set out to save the world; we set out to wonder how other people are doing and to reflect on how our actions affect other people's hearts.

My religion is to live and die without regret.

Since all things are empty of inherent existence, anything is possible. If things had inherent existence, nothing would be possible.

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.

The path of insight is a path of discovery, not a path of creation. We are discovering what is already there.

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

Don't think that only sitting with the eyes closed is practice. If you do think this way, then quickly change your thinking.

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

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

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

Every moment is a fresh beginning. Every breath is a new chance.

Equanimity is not indifference. It is the balanced mind that sees things clearly without reaction.

We can learn the art of fierce compassion - redefining strength, deconstructing isolation and renewing a sense of community, practicing letting go of rigid us-vs.-them thinking.

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

Mindfulness isn't difficult, we just need to remember to do it.

The root of suffering is attachment.

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

Nothing is permanent. Everything is subject to change. Being is always becoming.

The biggest prison is the one we build in our own mind.

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

The farther you enter into truth, the deeper it is.

The practice of meditation is not about achieving states of bliss but about seeing things as they really are.

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

There is no need to have a deep understanding of Zen. Even though you read much Zen literature, you must read each sentence with a fresh mind.

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

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 that notes and the object that is noted are both impermanent. Understanding this leads to liberation.

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

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.

Be happy at the moment, that's enough. Each moment is all we need, not more.

To think in terms of either pessimism or optimism oversimplifies the truth. The problem is to see reality as it is.

The greatest wisdom is seeing through appearances.

The seed of suffering in you may be strong, but don't wait until you have no more suffering before allowing yourself to be happy.

Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.

The more a thing tends to be permanent, the more it tends to be lifeless.

The six realms of existence are like a dream, why build a prison for yourself?

Because you are alive, everything is possible.

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

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

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

Vipassana is the art of living. Not the art of escaping.

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

Right practice is steady practice. Whether you feel lazy or diligent, just keep practicing.

Muddy water is best cleared by leaving it alone.

The measure of success in spiritual life is how peaceful you are.