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

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

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

The true path is not difficult; just avoid picking and choosing.

Don't be a bodhisatta; don't be an arahant; don't be anything at all. Being something makes you suffer.

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

Generosity generates its own enthusiasm. We don't have to force ourselves to be generous; we just need to start.

The Buddha's teaching is a teaching of self-reliance, of being one's own master, one's own refuge.

Where ignorance is our master, there is no possibility of real peace.

When mindfulness and concentration are strong, insight into the three characteristics naturally unfolds.

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

Understanding at the intellectual level is not enough. There must be experience at the actual level.

The deepest happiness comes from having an enduring sense of purpose, one that gives our lives meaning beyond the endless pursuit of pleasure and success.

When dharma fills your body and mind, you realize that something is missing.

Emptiness is not nothingness. Emptiness is the space of possibility.

Mindfulness helps us get better at seeing the difference between what's happening and the stories we tell ourselves about what's happening.

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

Time passes unhindered. When we make ourselves better, we make the world better.

You will not be punished for your anger; you will be punished by your anger.

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

The trouble is, you think you have time.

The most fundamental aggression to ourselves, the most fundamental harm we can do to ourselves, is to remain ignorant by not having the courage and the respect to look at ourselves honestly and gently.

The nature of mind is not something we need to achieve - it's something we need to recognize.

The more you suffer the deeper grows your character, and with the deepening of your character you read the more penetratingly into the secrets of life.

Every moment of confusion is also a moment of wisdom, if we can learn to recognize it.

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

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

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

When we recognize that our thoughts are just thoughts, we can choose whether or not to follow them.

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.

There are only two days in the year that nothing can be done. One is called yesterday and the other is called tomorrow, so today is the right day to love, believe, do and mostly live.

Hasten slowly and you will soon arrive.

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

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.

The defilements of the mind are temporary visitors. Pure awareness is your true home.

The ocean does not reject any water; therefore it is great. The mountain does not select its stones; therefore it is great.

The Dhamma unfolds in accordance with a definite sequence: faith, virtue, learning, generosity, wisdom, and insight.

To be attached to a thing means that mind and the thing meet and grow into each other.

Impermanence, suffering, and non-self are not philosophical concepts but realities to be directly perceived through mindfulness practice.

The quieter you become, the more you can hear.

In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's there are few.

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

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

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

The more clearly you see the arising and passing of phenomena, the less you will be attached to them.

True peace is found not in the absence of experience but in the clear seeing of all experience.

To understand everything is to forgive everything.

To live is enough.

The true person is not anyone in particular. But like the deep blue color of the limitless sky, it is everyone, everywhere in the world.

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

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.

The Four Noble Truths are not merely theoretical propositions but a framework for understanding and transforming our experience.

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

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

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.

Just as a snake sheds its skin, we must shed our past over and over again.

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

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

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

The entire path is a path of self-responsibility. Nobody else can walk it for you.