Vipassana is the art of living. Not the art of escaping.

The more you understand impermanence, the more you appreciate every moment.

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

The most important thing in life is to know death is coming and to prepare for it.

The root of suffering is not in the world outside us but in our own minds.

Our emotions are like waves in the ocean. We can't stop the waves, but we can learn to surf.

In the beginning, nothing comes, in the middle nothing stays, in the end nothing goes.

The past is for learning from, not for living in.

If a problem is fixable, if a situation is such that you can do something about it, then there is no need to worry. If it's not fixable, then there is no help in worrying. There is no benefit in worrying whatsoever.

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

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

Every step on the path must be with the understanding of anicca - impermanence. This is the essence of the teaching.

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.

Real happiness lies within. It cannot be found in external objects or achievements.

The mind is like a room with many windows. Open them all and let the fresh air in.

The trouble is, you think you have time.

The essence of Buddhist practice is to reduce our selfishness and to work for the benefit of others.

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

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

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

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

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

The practice is not about achieving special states but about seeing ordinary experience with extraordinary clarity.

By understanding emptiness, one understands all phenomena. Without understanding emptiness, one understands nothing.

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

The root of suffering is attachment.

Man suffers only because he takes seriously what the gods made for fun.

The essence of the spiritual journey is the uncovering of what is always already present.

Be happy at the moment, that's enough. Each moment is all we need, not more.

The trick is to keep exploring and not bail out, even when we find out that something is not what we thought.

When you understand one thing through and through, you understand everything. When you try to understand everything, you will not understand anything.

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

The precious pot containing my riches becomes my teacher in the very moment it breaks.

The greatest obstacle to connecting with our joy is resentment.

The stages of insight unfold naturally when mindfulness is continuous. There is no need to desire them or try to make them happen.

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

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

Meditation is not an escape from reality but a way to understand reality as it truly is.

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

Awareness is always with us. We don't need to create it or achieve it - we just need to recognize what's already there.

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

The more you suffer the deeper grows your character, and with the deepening of your character you read the more penetratingly into the secrets of life.

The most important factor in achieving happiness is the mind. Happiness and suffering are mental states and therefore depend on the mind.

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

Altruism is not a luxury, it is a necessity for the survival of humanity.

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.

Panic is a gateway to wisdom. When we learn to stay present with our panic, it becomes our teacher.

Drop by drop is the water pot filled. Likewise, the wise man, gathering it little by little, fills himself with good.

To see the truth, do not be for or against. The struggle between for and against is the mind's worst disease.

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

Right View is not just a matter of intellectual understanding but of seeing things as they really are.

Meditation is like catching a fish. If you try to catch it quickly, you'll miss it. If you have patience and know how to wait, the fish will come.

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

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.

Silence is sometimes the best answer.

Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality.

The more a thing tends to be permanent, the more it tends to be lifeless.

To understand everything is to forgive everything.

The root of all suffering is ignorance. The antidote to ignorance is wisdom that realizes emptiness.

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