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

Genuine happiness comes from having developed basic human qualities, such as attention, emotional balance, and generosity.

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

Just as true humor is laughter at oneself, true humanity is knowledge of oneself.

The nature of life is change. The nature of change is painful. The nature of pain is temporary.

The practice is like peeling an onion. Layer after layer of delusion is removed through continuous mindfulness.

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

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

Freedom is not found in the absence of difficulty, but in our relationship to it.

The mind is like a room with many windows. Open them all and let the fresh air in.

Kindness is the solution to all of life's problems.

Compassion is the radicalism of our time.

Self-awareness is the key to freedom. The more we understand ourselves, the more we understand how to be free.

Only one book is worth reading: the heart.

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

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

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

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

Life is nothing but a continuous chain of sensations. Pleasant or unpleasant, observe them objectively.

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

Mindfulness is being aware of what is happening right now, without wishing it were different.

Life is available only in the present moment.

Suffering comes from our resistance to what is. Peace comes from our acceptance of what is.

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

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

Through violence, you may solve one problem, but you sow the seeds for another.

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

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.

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

A man is not called wise because he talks and talks again; but if he is peaceful, loving and fearless then he is in truth called wise.

My religion is to live and die without regret.

You are an aperture through which the universe is looking at and exploring itself.

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

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

The instant you speak about a thing, you miss the mark.

Start from where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.

Our defilements are like tame tigers. If you feed them, they're tame. If you stop feeding them, they'll eat you up.

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

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.

Not knowing how near the truth is, we seek it far away.

The affairs of the world will go on forever. Do not delay the practice of meditation.

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

The goal of the Buddhist path is not to add something to our existence but to discover something that has been there all along.

Happiness is a skill that can be developed like playing an instrument or learning to read.

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

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

The essence of Buddhist practice is to bring everything onto the path. Every experience becomes an opportunity for awakening.

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

When you find your place where you are, practice occurs, actualizing the fundamental point.

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

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.

The path of awakening is not about becoming who we think we should be, but about unbecoming who we are not.

To be in harmony with the wholeness of things is not to have anxiety over imperfection.

When the heart is still, it can be kind. When the mind is still, it can see clearly.

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

The everyday practice is simply to develop complete acceptance and openness to all situations and emotions.

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

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.

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

No valid plans for the future can be made by those who have no capacity for living now.