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

Love is the wish that others be happy, and compassion is the wish that they be free from suffering.

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

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

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

The only thing that we truly have control over is our attitude toward experience.

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.

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

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

The best way to solve a problem is to help someone else solve their problem.

The everyday practice is simply to develop complete acceptance and openness to all situations and emotions.

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

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

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.

Don't be afraid of the future. The future is good.

Misery ceases to exist when we stop reacting to sensations.

There is no way to happiness - happiness is the way.

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

Life is available only in the present moment.

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.

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.

Trees, mountains, and vines all exist in nature according to their own truth. They are born and die following their nature. They remain this way because that's what they are. They don't practice meditation or do anything special.

The first noble truth of the Buddha is that life contains suffering. The second noble truth is that the cause of suffering is craving.

Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is relax.

The Buddha's teaching is a teaching of self-reliance, of being one's own master, one's own refuge.

The past is just a memory. The future is just a dream. Be here now.

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

True love is not for the faint-hearted.

The true mark of a spiritual practitioner is that your own behavior is better, not that you can criticize others well.

We need the courage to learn from our experience and the wisdom to be willing to change and grow.

If it isn't good, let it die. If it doesn't die, make it good.

Reality is only a Rorschach ink-blot, you know.

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

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

To be in harmony with the wholeness of things is not to have anxiety over imperfection.

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

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

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.

Forgiveness is giving up all hope for a better past.

True happiness is not about getting rid of all our problems, but about changing our relationship to them.

To what shall I compare this life? It is like a boat that left at dawn, leaving no trace.

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

In the gap between thoughts, nonconceptual wisdom shines continuously.

We deal with our mind from morning until evening, and it can be our best friend or our worst enemy.

What we learn about the world is colored by the way we approach it.

Wisdom is not about accumulating knowledge, but about seeing through all knowledge.

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

The Noble Eightfold Path is a path of training: training in ethical conduct, training in mental discipline, and training in wisdom.

Mindfulness is being aware of what's going on, not trying to control what's going on.

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

The teaching of the Buddha is based on two truths: conventional truth and ultimate truth. Without understanding the relationship between these two, the deeper meaning of the Buddha's teaching cannot be understood.

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

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

The treasure house within you contains everything, and you are free to use it. You don't need to seek outside.

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

The entire path is a path of self-responsibility. Nobody else can walk it for you.

The snow lion stays in the mountains, and the snow lion's ways are the snow lion's ways.

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

The mind is the forerunner of all things. Our present life is the result of our past thoughts, and our future life will be the result of our present thoughts.

The world is its own magic.