The purpose of our lives is to be happy, and happiness is found in benefiting others.

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

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

Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.

Each of you is perfect the way you are... and you can use a little improvement.

Understanding means throwing away your knowledge.

The only things that are truly mine are my actions and their results.

The reason we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else's highlight reel.

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

To be attached to a thing means that mind and the thing meet and grow into each other.

Muddy water is best cleared by leaving it alone.

Start from where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.

The greatest obstacle to connecting with our joy is resentment.

The difference between being caught in thoughts and being mindful of thoughts is like the difference between being in a movie and watching a movie.

The spiritual journey is not about heaven and finally getting to a place that's really swell.

If you want to know the past, look at the present. If you want to know the future, look at the present.

When you recognize that pain and suffering are impermanent, you become free.

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

True freedom is a freedom from the tyranny of our own thoughts and afflictive emotions.

The one who grasps at existence suffers in samsara, while the one who grasps at non-existence will find no liberation.

The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.

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.

Mindfulness means keeping one's consciousness alive to the present reality.

Not knowing how near the truth is, we seek it far away.

The goal of the Buddhist path is not to add something to our existence but to discover something that has been there all along.

When you walk in the mist, you get wet.

The mind is intrinsically empty. It's empty of all that we perceive as being intrinsically "me" and "mine."

Sensations are not your enemy. They are your teacher. Through observing them, you understand the truth of existence.

A flower falls, even though we love it; and a weed grows, even though we do not love it.

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

Nothing we see or hear is perfect. But right there in the imperfection is perfect reality.

Forgiveness means giving up all hope for a better past.

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

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.

External phenomena are like a dream, whatever appears is not real. Recognize the nature of dream-like phenomena to be dream-like.

We deal with our mind from morning until evening, and it can be our best friend or our worst enemy.

Every moment is a fresh beginning. Every breath is a new chance.

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

The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness.

Loving-kindness is not something we need to manufacture. It's a natural expression of our awakened nature.

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

When concentration is developed, wisdom arises. When wisdom arises, one becomes disenchanted with the five aggregates.

You are the master of your own mind. You can be your best friend or your worst enemy.

All worldly pursuits have but one unavoidable and inevitable end, which is sorrow; acquisitions end in dispersion; buildings in destruction; meetings in separation; births in death.

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.

Like a fine flower, beautiful to look at but without scent, fine words are fruitless in a man who does not act in accordance with them.

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

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

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

The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.

The seed of suffering in you may be strong, but don't wait until you have no more suffering before allowing yourself to be happy.

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

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.

We need the courage to learn from our experience and the wisdom to be willing to change and grow.

The essence of bravery is being without self-deception.

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

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

The more we care for the happiness of others, the greater our own sense of well-being becomes.

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