Understanding at the intellectual level is not enough. There must be experience at the actual level.

The deepest happiness comes from having an enduring sense of purpose, one that gives our lives meaning beyond the endless pursuit of pleasure and success.

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

Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.

We do not "come into" this world; we come out of it, as leaves from a tree.

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

Better to have one moment of genuine meditation than to perform religious activities for a thousand years.

Understanding means throwing away your knowledge.

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

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

Peace is not found by changing the world, but by changing your attitude to the world.

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

We should find perfect existence through imperfect existence.

If you want to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be miserable, expect something in return.

Wisdom arises when you see the true characteristics of phenomena through direct experience.

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 ocean does not reject any water; therefore it is great. The mountain does not select its stones; therefore it is great.

The nature of mind is not something we need to achieve - it's something we need to recognize.

The mind that sees its own nature becomes free from all extremes.

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

Life is glorious, but life is also wretched. It is both. Appreciating the gloriousness inspires us, encourages us, cheers us up, gives us a bigger perspective, energizes us. We feel connected. But if that's all that's happening, we get arrogant and start to look down on others, and there is a sense of making ourselves a big deal and being really serious about it, wanting it to be like that forever. The gloriousness becomes tinged by craving and addiction. On the other hand, wretchedness--life's painful aspect--softens us up considerably. Knowing pain is a very important ingredient of being there for another person.

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.

The victorious ones have said that emptiness is the relinquishing of all views. Those who are possessed of the view of emptiness are said to be incurable.

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

Through continuous mindfulness practice, the true nature of physical and mental phenomena becomes clear.

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

If you cannot find the truth right where you are, where else do you expect to find it?

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.

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

Compassion is not just about being kind to others. It's about being kind to ourselves as well.

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

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

Panic is a gateway to wisdom. When we learn to stay present with our panic, it becomes our teacher.

Mindfulness is being aware of what is happening right now, without wishing it were different.

A pure mind is always full of love - real love for all others.

Muddy water is best cleared by leaving it alone.

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 perfect moment is this one, not the one you're waiting for.

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

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

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

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

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

You are the sky. Everything else is just the weather.

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

The purpose of life is to be happy, to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate. It is not to be well known, cited, or powerful.

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

The problem is not the problem; the problem is your attitude about the problem.

Each decision we make, each action we take, is born out of an intention.

In true dialogue, both sides are willing to change.

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

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

The path to liberation is through understanding the true nature of mind and matter through direct observation.

We think that the point is to pass the test or overcome the problem, but the truth is that things don't really get solved. They come together and they fall apart. Then they come together again and fall apart again. It's just like that. The healing comes from letting there be room for all of this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy.

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.

Our own life has to be our message.

The root of suffering is resisting the certainty that no matter what the circumstances, uncertainty is all we truly have.

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.

The key to transformation is not to fight with our experience but to open to it with awareness.

A man is not called wise because he talks and talks again; but if he is peaceful, loving and fearless then he is in truth called wise.