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.

Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is relax.

Mindfulness helps us get better at seeing the difference between what's happening and the stories we tell ourselves about what's happening.

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

The everyday practice is simply to develop complete acceptance and openness to all situations and emotions.

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.

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

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

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

The lamp of wisdom burns constantly, illuminating the nature of mind.

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

Neither from itself nor from another, nor from both, nor without a cause, does anything whatever, anywhere arise.

The greatest wisdom is seeing through appearances.

When we attempt to exercise power or control over someone else, we cannot avoid giving that person the very same power or control over us.

Real happiness comes from having an unshakable connection to the deep wellspring of peace and happiness that is not dependent on external conditions.

When we recognize that our thoughts are just thoughts, we can choose whether or not to follow them.

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.

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

If you let go a little, you will have a little peace. If you let go a lot, you will have a lot of peace. If you let go completely, you will have complete peace.

Expectations are the thieves of joy.

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

The deepest form of happiness comes from discovering the natural peace of our own awareness.

Enlightenment is not a state of perfection but of authenticity.

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

Conquer anger with non-anger. Conquer evil with good. Conquer stinginess with giving. Conquer deceit with truth.

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

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

The mind that sees its own nature becomes free from all extremes.

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

Better to have one moment of genuine meditation than to perform religious activities for a thousand years.

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

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

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

The Buddha's path is not about becoming somebody different but about becoming more and more who you really are.

The mind creates the abyss, and the heart crosses it.

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

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

The most difficult times for many of us are the ones we give ourselves.

Wisdom arises when you see the true characteristics of phenomena through direct experience.

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

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

Do not follow the ideas of others, but learn to listen to the voice within yourself.

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

Life is glorious, but life is also wretched. It is both. Appreciating the gloriousness inspires us, encourages us, cheers us up, gives us a bigger perspective, energizes us. We feel connected. But if that's all that's happening, we get arrogant and start to look down on others, and there is a sense of making ourselves a big deal and being really serious about it, wanting it to be like that forever. The gloriousness becomes tinged by craving and addiction. On the other hand, wretchedness--life's painful aspect--softens us up considerably. Knowing pain is a very important ingredient of being there for another person.

The mind is like a well-forged sword - it adapts to all situations.

A pure mind is always full of love - real love for all others.

True happiness is not found through the multiplication of desires but through their simplification.

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

Just to be alive is enough.

The trouble is, you think you have time.

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

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

The path is not about moving from one place to another. It's about recognizing where we already are.

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

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

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

The true mark of a spiritual practitioner is that your own behavior is better, not that you can criticize others well.

The more precisely you note, the more clearly you understand. The more clearly you understand, the stronger your insight becomes.

Wisdom says we are nothing. Love says we are everything. Between these two our life flows.

It is under the greatest adversity that there exists the greatest potential for doing good, both for oneself and others.