If a problem is fixable, if a situation is such that you can do something about it, then there is no need to worry. If it's not fixable, then there is no help in worrying. There is no benefit in worrying whatsoever.

Real happiness lies within. It cannot be found in external objects or achievements.

The path is not about moving from one place to another. It's about recognizing where we already are.

Meditation is like catching a fish. If you try to catch it quickly, you'll miss it. If you have patience and know how to wait, the fish will come.

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

If you want to know your past life, look at your present condition. If you want to know your future life, look at your present actions.

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

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

In my youth I studied, in my prime I practiced, now all my doubts are cleared.

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

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.

Life is available only in the present moment.

The highest truth cannot be taught except through the conventional truth.

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

The mind is like a room with many windows. Open them all and let the fresh air in.

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

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

Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.

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

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.

When you recognize that pain and suffering are impermanent, you become free.

The mind itself is the maker of all happiness and misery; yet beings do not understand this and blame external conditions.

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

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

The heart of one who practices is like the earth. No matter what they throw on it, the earth remains unchanged.

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

The fundamental delusion of humanity is to suppose that I am here and you are out there.

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

The development of insight is gradual, but the realization of truth is sudden.

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

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

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.

Like a fine flower, beautiful to look at but without scent, fine words are fruitless in a man who does not act in accordance with them.

Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

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

The one who grasps at existence suffers in samsara, while the one who grasps at non-existence will find no liberation.

To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don't need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself.

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.

We should find perfect existence through imperfect existence.

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

The path of awakening is not about becoming who you are. Rather it is about unbecoming who you are not.

The obstacle is the path.

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

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

The seed of suffering in you may be strong, but don't wait until you have no more suffering before allowing yourself to be happy.

As surely as there is a voyage away, there is a journey home.

Understanding means throwing away your knowledge.

Awareness is like the sun. When it shines on things, they are transformed.

When mindfulness becomes continuous, the distinction between the observer and the observed begins to break down.

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

Awareness is like the sun. When it shines on things, they are transformed.

Awareness is the basis, or what you might call the "support," of the mind. It is steady and unchanging, like the pole to which the flag of ordinary consciousness is attached.

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

The defilements of the mind are temporary visitors. Pure awareness is your true home.

Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.

Buddhist practice is not to eliminate life's problems but to grow with them patiently and with compassion.

When you plant lettuce, if it does not grow well, you don't blame the lettuce. You look for reasons it is not doing well. It may need fertilizer, or more water, or less sun. You never blame the lettuce.

The practice is like peeling an onion. Layer after layer of delusion is removed through continuous mindfulness.

If you want to climb a mountain, begin at the top.