Observe the reality as it is, not as you wish it to be.

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

The path to liberation requires both individual effort and the support of the spiritual community.

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.

The spiritual journey begins with the recognition that beneath our surface happiness there lies a deep inner pain.

Although all phenomena are empty of inherent existence, they function perfectly well.

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

Trying to define yourself is like trying to bite your own teeth.

Problems that remain persistently insoluble should always be suspected as questions asked in the wrong way.

Only when you can be extremely pliable and soft can you be extremely hard and strong.

The most important thing is to enjoy your life - to be happy. This is the goal of Buddhist practice.

The purpose of a spiritual discipline is to give us a way to stop the war, not by our force of will, but through understanding and through letting go.

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.

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

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

The future is completely open, and we are writing it moment to moment.

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

Impermanence, suffering, and non-self are not philosophical concepts but realities to be directly perceived through mindfulness practice.

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

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

The Noble Eightfold Path is a path of training: training in ethical conduct, training in mental discipline, and training in wisdom.

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

The silence between the notes is as important as the notes themselves.

The quieter you become, the more you can hear.

Every experience is an opportunity to practice awareness.

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

Life is an art, and like perfect art it should be self-forgetting.

The mind is everything. What you think you become.

The purpose of meditation is to gain right understanding of the true nature of mental and physical phenomena.

Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.

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.

The practice of mindfulness leads naturally to concentration. Concentration leads naturally to wisdom.

Enlightenment is not a state of perfection but of authenticity.

Don't be afraid of the future. The future is good.

Every small positive change we make in ourselves repays us in confidence in the future.

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

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

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

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

Recognize the emptiness of all phenomena, but do not become attached to emptiness itself.

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

Compassion is the radicalism of our time.

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.

This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.

In the gap between thoughts, nonconceptual wisdom shines continuously.

Compassion is not mere sentiment but a powerful force that can transform both ourselves and others.

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

Enlightenment is not about becoming something special, but about realizing what we already are.

Rejoicing in ordinary things is not sentimental or trite. It actually takes guts.

Mindfulness is attention to life, and life itself is sacred.

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 highest truth cannot be taught except through the conventional truth.

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

The truth you believe and cling to makes you unavailable to hear anything new.

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

Work diligently. Diligently. Work patiently and persistently. Patiently and persistently. And you're bound to be successful. Bound to be successful.

Even death is not to be feared by one who has lived wisely.

The treasure house within you contains everything, and you are free to use it. You don't need to seek outside.

The practice of patience guards us against losing our presence of mind.

The Buddha's teaching is not a philosophical system but a practical guide to living.