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.

Much of spiritual life is self-acceptance, maybe all of it.

The root of all suffering is ignorance. The antidote to ignorance is wisdom that realizes emptiness.

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.

The path of practice requires both faith and wisdom, both devotion and understanding.

Fear is a natural reaction to moving closer to the truth.

The development of wisdom does not occur in isolation but requires the cultivation of the entire Noble Eightfold Path.

Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it.

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

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.

Misery ceases to exist when we stop reacting to sensations.

Words have the power to both destroy and heal. When words are both true and kind, they can change our world.

The more we care for the happiness of others, the greater our own sense of well-being becomes.

Work diligently. Diligently. Work patiently and persistently. Patiently and persistently. And you're bound to be successful. Bound to be successful.

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.

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

The path to enlightenment is not a path at all. It is a realization that where you are is where you have always been.

Look at situations from all angles, and you will become more open.

If we learn to open our hearts, anyone, including the people who drive us crazy, can be our teacher.

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

The more we understand impermanence, the more we appreciate each moment of our lives.

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

Expectations are the thieves of joy.

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

The nature of life is change. The nature of change is painful. The nature of pain is temporary.

We can learn the art of fierce compassion - redefining strength, deconstructing isolation and renewing a sense of community, practicing letting go of rigid us-vs.-them thinking.

We should find perfect existence through imperfect existence.

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

Study the Buddha's teaching which is present in every moment.

When the heart is still, it can be kind. When the mind is still, it can see clearly.

The measure of success in spiritual life is how peaceful you are.

Every step on the path must be with the understanding of anicca - impermanence. This is the essence of the teaching.

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.

Happiness is a skill that can be developed like playing an instrument or learning to read.

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

Where ignorance is our master, there is no possibility of real peace.

In the spring, hundreds of flowers; in autumn, a harvest moon; in the summer, a refreshing breeze; in winter, snow will accompany you. If useless things do not hang in your mind, any season is a good season for you.

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

The Dhamma is not a collection of doctrinal formulas but a path leading to direct insight into the nature of reality.

Faith is the firm foundation, diligence the supporting pillar, and wisdom the roof of the house of practice.

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

The world is its own magic.

Don't be a bodhisatta; don't be an arahant; don't be anything at all. Being something makes you suffer.

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 path to liberation requires both understanding and practice, both pariyatti and patipatti.

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

Your mind is like a garden. Your thoughts are the seeds. You can grow flowers or you can grow weeds.

Letting go gives us freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness.

Things derive their being and nature by mutual dependence and are nothing in themselves.

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

The mind is like a well-forged sword - it adapts to all situations.

The grass is greener where you water it.

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

Generosity generates its own enthusiasm. We don't have to force ourselves to be generous; we just need to start.

Time passes unhindered. When we make ourselves better, we make the world better.

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

The Dhamma unfolds in accordance with a definite sequence: faith, virtue, learning, generosity, wisdom, and insight.

Awareness is always with us. We don't need to create it or achieve it - we just need to recognize what's already there.

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.