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

True freedom is a freedom from the tyranny of our own thoughts and afflictive emotions.

In true dialogue, both sides are willing to change.

The reason we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else's highlight reel.

When we know the truth, we become people who don't have to think much, we become people with wisdom.

When we meet real tragedy in life, we can react in two ways - either by losing hope and falling into self-destructive habits, or by using the challenge to find our inner strength.

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

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

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

Forgiveness is letting go of the hope that the past could have been any different.

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

The mind is like a well-forged sword - it adapts to all situations.

When concentration is developed, wisdom arises. When wisdom arises, one becomes disenchanted with the five aggregates.

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

The nature of all things is like a magical illusion, a mirage, a dream, a reflection of the moon in water.

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.

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

The willingness to empty ourselves and then seek our true nature is an expression of great and courageous love.

Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.

For things to reveal themselves to us, we need to be ready to abandon our views about them.

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

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

The way we look at the world is the way the world looks.

Understanding means throwing away your knowledge.

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

The past is just a memory. The future is just a dream. Be here now.

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

Silence is sometimes the best answer.

The root of suffering is not in the world outside us but in our own minds.

The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

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

The most important thing in life is to know death is coming and to prepare for it.

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

The best way to solve a problem is to help someone else solve their problem.

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

Love is not about possession. Love is about appreciation.

The Buddha's teachings are not a religion, but a science of mind.

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

The movement of love is what creates the beauty in our lives.

The purpose of a spiritual discipline is to give us a way to stop the war, not by our force of will, but through understanding and through letting go.

The water in the ocean can be rough or calm. It can be clear or murky. But the water itself doesn't mind.

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

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.

Silence is so much more productive of wisdom and clarity than thinking.

When we understand that peace is not dependent on external conditions, we can find it in the midst of any circumstance.

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

Panic is a gateway to wisdom. When we learn to stay present with our panic, it becomes our teacher.

The truth of suffering is not to be feared but to be understood through direct observation.

The Buddha never taught a sectarian religion; he taught Dhamma - the way to liberation - which is universal.

When I run from suffering, it follows me. When I face suffering with equanimity, it runs from me.

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

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

If you cannot find the truth right where you are, where else do you expect to find it?

Though the view should be as vast as the sky, keep your conduct as fine as barley flour.

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

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

Through our eyes, the universe is perceiving itself. Through our ears, the universe is listening to its harmonies. We are the witnesses through which the universe becomes conscious of its glory, of its magnificence.

The path is the goal. Every step of the journey is the journey.

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

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