Trying to define yourself is like trying to bite your own teeth.

The Four Noble Truths are not mere doctrinal propositions but a framework for understanding and transforming our lives.

Expectations are the thieves of joy.

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

The art of living... is neither careless drifting on the one hand nor fearful clinging to the past on the other. It consists in being sensitive to each moment, in regarding it as utterly new and unique, in having the mind open and wholly receptive.

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

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

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

True love is not for the faint-hearted.

The nature of mind is not something we need to achieve - it's something we need to recognize.

People who study a lot but don't practice are like a ladle in a soup pot. It's in the soup every day, but it doesn't know the taste of the soup.

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

To be fully alive, fully human, and completely awake is to be continually thrown out of the nest.

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

True happiness is born of letting go of what is unnecessary.

If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.

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

The past is gone, the future is not yet here. Live in the present moment with awareness.

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.

Even if you speak of 'understanding,' this understanding is not a matter of knowledge. It is what fills the entire body and mind.

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.

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

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

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

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

Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship.

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

The more you understand, the more you love; the more you love, the more you understand.

When we get too caught up in the busyness of the world, we lose connection with one another – and ourselves.

The nature of mind is clearer than the sky, yet we keep looking elsewhere.

Every experience is an opportunity to practice awareness.

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

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

If you want to know your past life, look into your present condition; if you want to know your future life, look into your present actions.

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

The future is completely open, and we are writing it moment to moment.

Zen is a way of life, not a theory or a piece of knowledge to be stored away in our minds.

For whom emptiness is possible, everything is possible. For whom emptiness is not possible, nothing is possible.

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

The highest mantra is to be without deception. The highest medicine is to have few desires. The highest meditation is not to be attached.

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

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

Wisdom and compassion must be developed equally and harmoniously.

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 most important thing is to enjoy your life - to be happy. This is the goal of Buddhist practice.

Words have the power to both destroy and heal. When words are both true and kind, they can change our world.

Love is the wish that others be happy, and compassion is the wish that they be free from suffering.

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.

The first step toward faith is to admit that we don't know everything.

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

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

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

Happiness is not the pursuit of an endless succession of experiences but an attitude toward life.

The biggest prison is the one we build in our own mind.

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

Compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded. It's a relationship between equals.

Generosity generates its own enthusiasm. We don't have to force ourselves to be generous; we just need to start.

The door of your heart can only be opened from the inside.

The root of suffering is attachment.

The one who grasps at existence suffers in samsara, while the one who grasps at non-existence will find no liberation.