Drop by drop is the water pot filled. Likewise, the wise man, gathering it little by little, fills himself with good.

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 more we understand the nature of our mind, the more we understand the nature of our world.

Do not mistake understanding for realization, and do not mistake realization for liberation.

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

To live fully is to let go and die with each step.

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

If you want to know your past life, look into your present condition; if you want to know your future life, look into your present actions.

Let none find fault with others; let none see the omissions and commissions of others. But let one see one's own acts, done and undone.

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

For whom emptiness is possible, everything is possible. For whom emptiness is not possible, nothing is possible.

Sensations are not your enemy. They are your teacher. Through observing them, you understand the truth of existence.

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

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

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

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

When dharma fills your body and mind, you realize that something is missing.

Conquer anger with non-anger. Conquer evil with good. Conquer stinginess with giving. Conquer deceit with truth.

It is never too late to turn on the light.

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

You will not be punished for your anger; you will be punished by your anger.

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

Compassion is not something we develop. It arises naturally as we see the truth of what is.

A flower falls, even though we love it; and a weed grows, even though we do not love it.

Your own treasure house contains everything you need; why search outside?

Every intelligent individual wants to know what makes him tick, and yet is at once fascinated and frustrated by the fact that oneself is the most difficult of all things to know.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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 dharma is not outside of you. Looking for it elsewhere is like placing a Buddha on your head while searching for him everywhere else.

A good friend who points out mistakes and imperfections and rebukes evil is to be respected as if he reveals a secret of hidden treasure.

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

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

Misery ceases to exist when we stop reacting to sensations.

True freedom is a freedom from the tyranny of our own thoughts and afflictive emotions.

Suffering is not the end of the story; it is the middle of the story.

The mind is intrinsically empty. It's empty of all that we perceive as being intrinsically "me" and "mine."

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

The practice of patience guards us against losing our presence of mind.

Wisdom says we are nothing. Love says we are everything. Between these two our life flows.

Love is not about possession. Love is about appreciation.

The path is the goal. Every step of the journey is the journey.

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

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.

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

The Buddha's path is not about becoming somebody different but about becoming more and more who you really are.

If you want to find peace, then look at that point where you find you're dissatisfied and investigate what's really going on.

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

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

All worldly pursuits have but one unavoidable and inevitable end, which is sorrow; acquisitions end in dispersion; buildings in destruction; meetings in separation; births in death.

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

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

Peace requires us to surrender our illusions of control.

The secret of happiness is to want what you already have.

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

Since all things are empty of inherent existence, anything is possible. If things had inherent existence, nothing would be possible.

Faith is not a commodity that you either have or don't have - it is an inner quality that unfolds as we learn to trust our own deepest experience.