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

The six realms of existence are like a dream, why build a prison for yourself?

The willingness to empty ourselves and then seek our true nature is an expression of great and courageous love.

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

Only to the extent that we expose ourselves over and over to annihilation can that which is indestructible be found in us.

True love is not for the faint-hearted.

The obstacle is the path.

When you love someone, you have to have trust and confidence. Love without trust is not yet love.

My father is the intrinsic awareness, Samantabhadra. My mother is the ultimate sphere of reality, Samantabhadri. I belong to the caste of non-duality of these two.

When you let go of trying to control everything, you can relax and enjoy life.

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.

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

It is never too late to turn on the light.

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

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

Life is like an ever-shifting kaleidoscope - a slight change, and all patterns alter.

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

Do not mistake understanding for realization, and do not mistake realization for liberation.

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

Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it.

Forgiveness is not a moral issue. It's a power issue. When we hold onto grievance and resentment, we are giving our power away.

External seeking only leads to exhaustion. When you imitate others, you lose your own authenticity.

Things derive their being and nature by mutual dependence and are nothing in themselves.

When you begin to see that your enemy is suffering, that is the beginning of insight.

Freedom is not found in the absence of difficulty, but in our relationship to it.

The purpose of meditation is not to create a new state of mind, but to recognize what is already present.

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

Panic, anxiety, and stress are not obstacles to the practice. They are the path to wisdom and compassion.

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

The practice of mindfulness is the practice of being alive in the present moment.

In the gap between thoughts, nonconceptual wisdom shines continuously.

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

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

Fear is a natural reaction to moving closer to the truth.

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

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

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

What Zen wants us to do is to acquire an entirely new point of view whereby to look into the mysteries of life and the secrets of nature.

If I had any position, I would thereby have a flaw. But since I have no position, I alone am without flaw.

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.

Compassion is not something we develop. It arises naturally as we see the truth of what is.

Our own life has to be our message.

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

The true hero is one who conquers his own anger and hatred.

The whole moon and the entire sky are reflected in one dewdrop on the grass.

Love is not a feeling. It's a capability.

Ethical conduct is not a constraint upon our freedom but a condition of our freedom.

Enlightenment is not the end of change but the end of resistance to change.

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

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

Your mind is like a garden. Your thoughts are the seeds. You can grow flowers or you can grow weeds.

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

People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar.

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

Karma is not fate but the law of moral causation, showing us that we are the architects of our own destiny.

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

The Dhamma is not a collection of doctrinal formulas but a path leading to direct insight into the nature of reality.