Study how water flows in a valley stream, smoothly and freely between the rocks.

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

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

The dharma is not outside of you. Looking for it elsewhere is like placing a Buddha on your head while searching for him everywhere else.

The root of suffering is attachment.

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

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.

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 development of wisdom does not occur in isolation but requires the cultivation of the entire Noble Eightfold Path.

Long is the night to him who is awake; long is a mile to him who is tired; long is life to the foolish who do not know the true law.

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

Every intelligent individual wants to know what makes him tick, and yet is at once fascinated and frustrated by the fact that oneself is the most difficult of all things to know.

The mind is like water. When it's turbulent, it's difficult to see. When it's calm, everything becomes clear.

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

We practice to learn how to let go, not how to increase our holding on to things.

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

The sign of wisdom is constant joy.

When you begin to see that your enemy is suffering, that is the beginning of insight.

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

Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.

The victorious ones have said that emptiness is the relinquishing of all views. Those who are possessed of the view of emptiness are said to be incurable.

Peace is not found by changing the world, but by changing your attitude to the world.

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

The path to liberation requires both understanding and practice, both pariyatti and patipatti.

The contradiction so puzzling to the ordinary way of thinking comes from the fact that we have to use language to communicate our inner experience, which in its very nature transcends linguistics.

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

Enlightenment is not the end of change but the end of resistance to change.

The entire path is a path of self-responsibility. Nobody else can walk it 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.

If you want to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be miserable, expect something in return.

The nature of life is change. The nature of change is painful. The nature of pain is temporary.

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

The purpose of meditation is not to create a new state of mind, but to recognize what is already present.

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

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

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

Awareness is like the sun. When it shines on things, they are transformed.

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

The defilements of the mind are temporary visitors. Pure awareness is your true home.

The goal of Buddhist practice is not to escape from the world but to transform our relationship with 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.

The development of insight is gradual, but the realization of truth is sudden.

When you plant lettuce, if it does not grow well, you don't blame the lettuce. You look for reasons it is not doing well. It may need fertilizer, or more water, or less sun. You never blame the lettuce.

The world is its own magic.

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.

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

The snow lion stays in the mountains, and the snow lion's ways are the snow lion's ways.

There is no path to happiness: happiness is the path.

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

A man is not called wise because he talks and talks again; but if he is peaceful, loving and fearless then he is in truth called wise.

Compassion is not something we develop. It arises naturally as we see the truth of what is.

To see directly is to be free of hope and fear. Hope and fear are like a cloud before the sun.

The highest truth cannot be taught except through the conventional truth.

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

Expectations are the thieves of joy.

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.

Time passes unhindered. When we make ourselves better, we make the world better.

Just to be alive is enough.

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

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