True freedom is not the absence of commitment but the presence of choice.

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

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

The path of practice requires both faith and wisdom, both devotion and understanding.

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.

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

When we attempt to exercise power or control over someone else, we cannot avoid giving that person the very same power or control over us.

The truth you believe and cling to makes you unavailable to hear anything new.

Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.

The secret of happiness is to want what you already have.

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

Just to be alive is enough.

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.

Each decision we make, each action we take, is born out of an intention.

Time passes unhindered. When we make mistakes, we cannot turn the clock back and try again. All we can do is use the present well.

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

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

People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they're not on your road doesn't mean they've gotten lost.

The practice of ethics is not about following rules but about developing inner purity and freedom.

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

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.

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

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

Love is not a feeling. It's a capability.

When you talk, you are only repeating what you already know. But if you listen, you may learn something new.

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

Each of you is perfect the way you are... and you can use a little improvement.

The Buddha's teaching is not a philosophical system but a practical guide to living.

Do not mistake understanding for realization, and do not mistake realization for liberation.

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

Sankharas are the seeds of consciousness that manifest as sensations. By observing sensations equanimously, we stop creating new sankharas.

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

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

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

Enlightenment is not a state of perfection but of authenticity.

The treasure house within you contains everything, and you are free to use it. You don't need to seek outside.

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

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

The purpose of life is to be happy, to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate. It is not to be well known, cited, or powerful.

Meditation is like catching a fish. If you try to catch it quickly, you'll miss it. If you have patience and know how to wait, the fish will come.

You are the sky. Everything else is just the weather.

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

Understanding means throwing away your knowledge.

Nothing ever goes away until it has taught us what we need to know.

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

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

The highest truth cannot be taught except through the conventional truth.

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

The truth of Zen is the truth of life, and life means to live, to move, to act, not merely to reflect.

Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.

Trees, mountains, and vines all exist in nature according to their own truth. They are born and die following their nature. They remain this way because that's what they are. They don't practice meditation or do anything special.

Liberation is not found by running away from our experience but by looking deeply into it.

The Buddha's teaching is not a philosophy or a religion; it is a method of practice.

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

Compassion is not something we develop. It arises naturally as we see the truth of what is.

The path is not about moving from one place to another. It's about recognizing where we already are.

The difference between buddhas and sentient beings is that buddhas recognize their nature while sentient beings fail to recognize it.

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

In the gap between thoughts, nonconceptual wisdom shines continuously.

Rejoicing in ordinary things is not sentimental or trite. It actually takes guts.