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

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

Mindfulness isn't difficult, we just need to remember to do it.

There are only two days in the year that nothing can be done. One is called yesterday and the other is called tomorrow, so today is the right day to love, believe, do and mostly live.

Every moment is a fresh beginning. Every breath is a new chance.

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

The restraint of the senses is not a matter of suppression but of wise attention to our experience.

Enlightenment is the realization that we were never really separate from one another or from all of life.

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

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

The Four Noble Truths are not mere doctrinal propositions but a framework for understanding and transforming our lives.

When you begin to see that your enemy is suffering, that is the beginning of insight.

People who study a lot but don't practice are like a ladle in a soup pot. It's in the soup every day, but it doesn't know the taste of the soup.

The practice of mindfulness is the practice of being alive in the present moment.

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

The more precisely you note, the more clearly you understand. The more clearly you understand, the stronger your insight becomes.

The instant you speak about a thing, you miss the mark.

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

The door of your heart can only be opened from the inside.

You are your own teacher. Looking for teachers can't solve your own doubts. Investigate yourself to find the truth - inside, not outside.

Every being has the potential of becoming a Buddha. Our true nature is Buddha nature.

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.

When we get too caught up in the busyness of the world, we lose connection with one another – and ourselves.

The willingness to empty ourselves and then seek our true nature is an expression of great and courageous love.

The essence of Buddhism is not a belief system but a systematic investigation of our experience.

This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.

The whole moon and the entire sky are reflected in one dewdrop on the grass.

The movement of love is what creates the beauty in our lives.

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

The essence of Buddhist practice is to reduce our selfishness and to work for the benefit of others.

The mind is everything. What you think, you become.

Loving-kindness is not something we need to manufacture. It's a natural expression of our awakened nature.

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

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

Love is not about possession. Love is about appreciation.

The goal of the Buddhist path is not to add something to our existence but to discover something that has been there all along.

Sankharas are the seeds of consciousness that manifest as sensations. By observing sensations equanimously, we stop creating new sankharas.

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.

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

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

The menu is not the meal.

The five aggregates are not a theoretical model but a description of lived experience to be investigated through mindfulness.

Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.

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

When another person makes you suffer, it is because he suffers deeply within himself, and his suffering is spilling over. He does not need punishment; he needs help.

We don't set out to save the world; we set out to wonder how other people are doing and to reflect on how our actions affect other people's hearts.

The grass is greener where you water it.

Mindfulness helps us get better at seeing the difference between what's happening and the stories we tell ourselves about what's happening.

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

The Buddha's teachings are not about abandoning our lives but about bringing the fullness of our attention to our lives.

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

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

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

True freedom is not the absence of commitment but the presence of choice.

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

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

We should find perfect existence through imperfect existence.

To be attached to a thing means that mind and the thing meet and grow into each other.

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

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