The present moment is the only moment available to us, and it is the door to all moments.

The real meaning of enlightenment is to gaze with undimmed eyes on all darkness.

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

Because you are alive, everything is possible.

The Buddha's teachings are not about abandoning our lives but about bringing the fullness of our attention to our lives.

Face your own anger and you will be free from anger. Face your own fears and you will be free from fear.

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.

To understand everything is to forgive everything.

If you want to know your past life, look at your present condition. If you want to know your future life, look at your present actions.

Since all things are empty of inherent existence, anything is possible. If things had inherent existence, nothing would be possible.

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

The practice of Buddhism is fundamentally a practice of expanding our happiness and diminishing our suffering.

There is no difference at all between samsara and nirvana. There is no difference at all between nirvana and samsara.

Each moment of clear seeing is a moment of freedom from the illusion of permanence, satisfaction, and self.

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

The greatest obstacle to connecting with our joy is resentment.

Loving-kindness is not something we need to manufacture. It's a natural expression of our awakened nature.

External seeking only leads to exhaustion. When you imitate others, you lose your own authenticity.

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.

We can learn to be present with whatever is happening in our lives, and in this way, we can begin to transform our relationship to difficulty.

A good friend who points out mistakes and imperfections and rebukes evil is to be respected as if he reveals a secret of hidden treasure.

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

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

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

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

You are the master of your own mind. You can be your best friend or your worst enemy.

The goal is not to be better than the other man, but your previous self.

The way to change the world is to change your own mind.

Misery ceases to exist when we stop reacting to sensations.

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

The mind is intrinsically empty. It's empty of all that we perceive as being intrinsically "me" and "mine."

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

When one sees with wisdom that all phenomena are empty of inherent existence, one is liberated from suffering.

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

The Noble Eightfold Path is a path of training: training in ethical conduct, training in mental discipline, and training in wisdom.

Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

Forgiveness means giving up all hope for a better past.

The secret of happiness lies not in getting what we want, but in learning to want what we already have.

Enlightenment is the realization that we were never really separate from one another or from all of life.

In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you.

We should find perfect existence through imperfect existence.

Change is possible because there is nothing inherently permanent about our disturbing emotions.

In the moment of pure noting, there is no self - only the knowing and the known.

The root of suffering is attachment.

Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it.

The path of awakening is not about becoming who you are. Rather it is about unbecoming who you are not.

Faith is the firm foundation, diligence the supporting pillar, and wisdom the roof of the house of practice.

Waking up this morning, I smile. Twenty-four brand new hours are before me. I vow to live fully in each moment.

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

Don't try to push away the darkness. Just light a lamp. The darkness will disappear by itself.

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

Right practice is steady practice. Whether you feel lazy or diligent, just keep practicing.

The great gift of meditation is that it returns us to the simplicity of our own being.

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.

Life is an art, and like perfect art it should be self-forgetting.

When we understand others, we understand ourselves. When we love others, we love ourselves.

The law of nature is the law of cause and effect. As you sow, so shall you reap.

In true dialogue, both sides are willing to change.

Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.