The meaning of life is just to be alive. It is so plain and so obvious and so simple. And yet, everybody rushes around in a great panic as if it were necessary to achieve something beyond themselves.

Don't be a bodhisatta; don't be an arahant; don't be anything at all. Being something makes you suffer.

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

The true person is not anyone in particular. But like the deep blue color of the limitless sky, it is everyone, everywhere in the world.

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

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

Just as treasures are uncovered from the earth, so virtue appears from good deeds, and wisdom appears from a pure and peaceful mind.

If it isn't good, let it die. If it doesn't die, make it good.

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

When things fall apart and we're on the verge of we know not what, the test of each of us is to stay on that brink and not concretize.

To live is enough.

The nature of all things is like a magical illusion, a mirage, a dream, a reflection of the moon in water.

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

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

Forgiveness means giving up all hope for a better past.

What we learn about the world is colored by the way we approach it.

Expectations are the thieves of joy.

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

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

When you walk in the mist, you get wet.

The force of the kindness of others is so strong, we can't possibly measure it.

Give the ones you love wings to fly, roots to come back, and reasons to stay.

The purpose of studying Buddhism is not to study Buddhism, but to study ourselves.

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

Silence is sometimes the best answer.

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

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

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

The more you understand yourself, the more you understand the world.

Happiness is found in the simplest of things. It is not in the things you own, but in the love you share.

When we meet real tragedy in life, we can react in two ways - either by losing hope and falling into self-destructive habits, or by using the challenge to find our inner strength.

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

The best way to control people is to encourage them to be mischievous. Then they will be in control in a wider sense.

The sign of wisdom is constant joy.

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

The greatest wisdom is seeing through appearances.

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

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

It is never too late to turn on the light.

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

Much of spiritual life is self-acceptance, maybe all of it.

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

Mindfulness is being aware of what's going on, not trying to control what's going on.

The path of practice requires both faith and wisdom, both devotion and understanding.

All that appears and exists, all of samsara and nirvana, has one ground, two paths, and two results. This is the magical display of awareness and unawareness.

In true dialogue, both sides are willing to change.

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

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

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

When we understand that peace is not dependent on external conditions, we can find it in the midst of any circumstance.

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

Buddhist practice is not to eliminate life's problems but to grow with them patiently and with compassion.

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

Life is like a cup of tea. It's all in how you make 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.

Each moment of clear seeing is a moment of freedom from the illusion of permanence, satisfaction, and self.

Craving and aversion are the roots of suffering. Observe them with equanimity.

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

Faith is the firm foundation, diligence the supporting pillar, and wisdom the roof of the house of practice.

We can learn to be present with whatever is happening in our lives, and in this way, we can begin to transform our relationship to difficulty.