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

We think that the point is to pass the test or overcome the problem, but the truth is that things don't really get solved. They come together and they fall apart. Then they come together again and fall apart again. It's just like that. The healing comes from letting there be room for all of this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy.

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

When you find your place where you are, practice occurs, actualizing the fundamental point.

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

The spiritual journey begins with the recognition that beneath our surface happiness there lies a deep inner pain.

Dependent origination is not a theory about the origin of the world but a teaching that shows how suffering originates in dependence on our own mental processes.

Insight knowledge comes from direct experience, not from intellectual understanding.

Anxiety and excitement are the same emotion. The only difference is our attitude toward the experience.

The practice of mindfulness is the practice of being alive in the present moment.

To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don't need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself.

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

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

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

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

The period of greatest gain in knowledge and experience is the most difficult period in one's life.

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

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

The more we understand impermanence, the more we appreciate each moment of our lives.

The greatest wisdom is seeing through appearances.

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.

This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.

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

The key to happiness is inner peace. The greatest obstacles to inner peace are disturbing emotions such as anger, attachment, fear and suspicion.

Wisdom is not about accumulating knowledge, but about seeing through all knowledge.

The Buddha's teaching challenges us to master the art of living, to live in a way that leads to the extinction of suffering.

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

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.

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

The true path is not difficult; just avoid picking and choosing.

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

The knowledge of dissolution comes when you see both the noting mind and noted object dissolving together.

The key to the Buddha's teaching is not grasping, not trying to hold onto things that are essentially impermanent and unstable.

Self-awareness is the key to freedom. The more we understand ourselves, the more we understand how to be free.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

Every small positive change we make in ourselves repays us in confidence in the future.

Compassion is not a sign of weakness but a sign of strength.

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

Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck.

The heart of one who practices is like the earth. No matter what they throw on it, the earth remains unchanged.

To have faith is to trust yourself to the water. When you swim you don't grab hold of the water, because if you do you will sink and drown. Instead you relax, and float.

People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar.

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

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

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

Letting go gives us freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness.

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

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

The root of happiness is altruism — the wish to be of service to others.

Your own treasure house contains everything you need; why search outside?

The restraint of the senses is not a matter of suppression but of wise attention to our experience.

Misery ceases to exist when we stop reacting to sensations.

The grass is greener where you water it.

Your work is to discover your work and then with all your heart to give yourself to it.