The goal of meditation is not to reach some highest place, but to remain in the place where you already are.

Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.

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

If you see certainty in that which is uncertain, you are bound to suffer.

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

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

In the beginning, nothing comes, in the middle nothing stays, in the end nothing goes.

Those who understand interdependent origination understand suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path.

The most fundamental aggression to ourselves, the most fundamental harm we can do to ourselves, is to remain ignorant by not having the courage and the respect to look at ourselves honestly and gently.

Dependent origination is not a theory about the origin of the world but a teaching that shows how suffering originates in dependence on our own mental processes.

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

Zen proposes its solution by directly appealing to facts of personal experience and not to book-knowledge.

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

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

The Buddha's teaching is a middle way between all extremes, between eternalism and annihilationism, between self-indulgence and self-torture.

There is no need to have a deep understanding of Zen. Even though you read much Zen literature, you must read each sentence with a fresh mind.

Just as treasures are uncovered from the earth, so virtue appears from good deeds, and wisdom appears from a pure and peaceful mind.

When you walk in the mist, you get wet.

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

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

The way to change the world is to change your own mind.

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

Each moment of clear seeing is a moment of freedom from the illusion of permanence, satisfaction, and self.

Insight knowledge comes from direct experience, not from intellectual understanding.

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

The Four Noble Truths are not merely theoretical propositions but a framework for understanding and transforming our experience.

Our basic nature is pure awareness that simply cognizes experience. Everything else is temporary and adventitious.

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

Face your own anger and you will be free from anger. Face your own fears and you will be free from fear.

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

The lamp of wisdom burns constantly, illuminating the nature of mind.

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

When we see the nature of the mind, we see that we are not our thoughts.

The great gift of meditation is that it returns us to the simplicity of our own being.

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

Equanimity is not indifference. It is the balanced mind that sees things clearly without reaction.

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

The affairs of the world will go on forever. Do not delay the practice of meditation.

When you note pain, you are not trying to make it go away. You are trying to understand its true nature.

To be fully alive, fully human, and completely awake is to be continually thrown out of the nest.

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

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 more a thing tends to be permanent, the more it tends to be lifeless.

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

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

The essence of meditation is not something complicated or exotic. It is simply taking a break from our habitual patterns.

The most difficult times for many of us are the ones we give ourselves.

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

Happiness is not the pursuit of an endless succession of experiences but an attitude toward life.

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

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

Anxiety and excitement are the same emotion. The only difference is our attitude toward the experience.

The only way to experience truth is to look within, to observe oneself.

Not by hatred is hatred conquered, but by love alone. This is an eternal law.

The present moment is the only moment available to us, and it is the door to all moments.

Without darkness, there is no light. Without the path, there is no arrival.

Because you are alive, everything is possible.

The Buddha taught that wealth does not bring happiness and security. The pursuit of wealth is a matter of living in balance.

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