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

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

The key to transformation is not to fight with our experience but to open to it with awareness.

The goal of meditation is not to reach some highest place, but to remain in the place where you already are.

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

The quieter you become, the more you can hear.

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

To understand everything is to forgive everything.

The root of all suffering is ignorance. The antidote to ignorance is wisdom that realizes emptiness.

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

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

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

Look at situations from all angles, and you will become more open.

Real peace comes from seeing things as they really are, not as we want them to be.

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

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

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

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.

Because you are alive, everything is possible.

If you want to find peace, then look at that point where you find you're dissatisfied and investigate what's really going on.

The mind is everything. What you think, you become.

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

Meditation is not an escape from reality but a way to understand reality as it truly is.

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

The more you give, the more you have. That's the economics of kindness.

In my youth I studied, in my prime I practiced, now all my doubts are cleared.

Craving and aversion are the roots of suffering. Observe them with equanimity.

Study the Buddha's teaching which is present in every moment.

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

The purpose of our lives is to be happy, and happiness is found in benefiting others.

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

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.

Recognize the emptiness of all phenomena, but do not become attached to emptiness itself.

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

When you note pain, you are not trying to make it go away. You are trying to understand its true nature.

Muddy water is best cleared by leaving it alone.

Mindfulness is attention to life, and life itself is sacred.

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

The purpose of our lives is to be happy.

Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is relax.

Zen is not necessarily against words, but it is well aware of their limitations.

To what shall I compare this life? It is like a boat that left at dawn, leaving no trace.

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

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

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

Know the rules well, so you can break them effectively.

Life is like a cup of tea. It's all in how you make it.

The more we understand the nature of our mind, the more we understand the nature of our world.

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.

Happiness is found in the simplest of things. It is not in the things you own, but in the love you share.

The more we understand our mind, the more we understand the world.

Looking for peace is like looking for a turtle with a mustache: you won't be able to find it. But when your heart is ready, peace will come looking for you.

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.

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

Expectations are the thieves of joy.

Every thought, every word, and every action leaves an imprint on our mind.

Enlightenment is not about becoming divine. Instead, it's about becoming more fully human.

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

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.

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