When we understand others, we understand ourselves. When we love others, we love ourselves.

The more we understand impermanence, the more we understand that we can't hold on to anything.

Just as a snake sheds its skin, we must shed our past over and over again.

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

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

The quieter you become, the more you can hear.

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

Enlightenment is the realization that we were never really separate from one another or from all of life.

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

The path of awakening is not about becoming who we think we should be, but about unbecoming who we are not.

Change is the nature of every phenomenon. Accept this truth and you will live a happy life.

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

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

The nature of everything is illusory and ephemeral, those with dualistic perception regard suffering as happiness, like they who lick the honey from a razor's edge.

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.

Sometimes one creates a dynamic impression by saying something, and sometimes one creates as significant an impression by remaining silent.

The period of greatest gain in knowledge and experience is the most difficult period in one's life.

Study the Buddha's teaching which is present in every moment.

Mind training is based on the idea that two opposite mental factors cannot happen at the same time.

Peace is within oneself to be found in the same place as agitation and suffering. It is not found in a forest or on a hilltop, nor is it given by a teacher.

True love is not for the faint-hearted.

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

Mindfulness helps us get better at seeing the difference between what's happening and the stories we tell ourselves about what's happening.

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

Every moment of confusion is also a moment of wisdom, if we can learn to recognize it.

Compassion is not a sign of weakness but a sign of strength.

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

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

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

The dharma is not about collecting more beliefs but about becoming free from the power of belief itself.

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

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

The instant you speak about a thing, you miss the mark.

We should find perfect existence through imperfect existence.

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

The highest mantra is to be without deception. The highest medicine is to have few desires. The highest meditation is not to be attached.

The practice of meditation is not about achieving states of bliss but about seeing things as they really are.

The mind is everything. What you think you become.

The development of wisdom requires both study and practice, both learning and direct experience.

The more we understand impermanence, the more we appreciate each moment of our lives.

You are your own teacher. Looking for teachers can't solve your own doubts. Investigate yourself to find the truth - inside, not outside.

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.

Liberation is found in the practice, not in the theory.

The menu is not the meal.

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.

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

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

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

The essence of Buddhism is not a belief system but a systematic investigation of our experience.

Emptiness is not nothingness. Emptiness is the space of possibility.

Self-awareness is the key to freedom. The more we understand ourselves, the more we understand how to be free.

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

Study how water flows in a valley stream, smoothly and freely between the rocks.

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

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

Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

Your work is to discover your work and then with all your heart to give yourself to it.

The superior person is like water, bringing benefit to all without competing.

Right practice is steady practice. Whether you feel lazy or diligent, just keep practicing.

The greatest wisdom is seeing through appearances.