We do not "come into" this world; we come out of it, as leaves from a tree.

The way to change the world is to change your own mind.

Forgiveness is giving up all hope for a better past.

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

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.

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

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

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

Don't take life too seriously. No one gets out alive anyway.

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

The more we understand impermanence, the more we understand that we can't hold on to anything.

When I run from suffering, it follows me. When I face suffering with equanimity, it runs from me.

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

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

My religion is to live and die without regret.

The truth you believe and cling to makes you unavailable to hear anything new.

Our defilements are like tame tigers. If you feed them, they're tame. If you stop feeding them, they'll eat you up.

The purpose of a spiritual discipline is to give us a way to stop the war, not by our force of will, but through understanding and through letting go.

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

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

Through violence, you may solve one problem, but you sow the seeds for another.

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.

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

The goal of Buddhist practice is not to escape from the world but to transform our relationship with it.

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

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

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

The past is for learning from, not for living in.

True happiness is born of letting go of what is unnecessary.

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

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

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

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

Our basic nature is pure awareness that simply cognizes experience. Everything else is temporary and adventitious.

We practice to learn how to let go, not how to increase our holding on to things.

The truth of suffering is not to be feared but to be understood through direct observation.

To understand everything is to forgive everything.

The grass is greener where you water it.

The quieter you become, the more you can hear.

When you understand one thing through and through, you understand everything. When you try to understand everything, you will not understand anything.

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

Forgiveness means giving up all hope for a better past.

When you note pain, you are not trying to make it go away. You are trying to understand its true nature.

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

To see directly is to be free of hope and fear. Hope and fear are like a cloud before the sun.

Compassion is not mere sentiment but a powerful force that can transform both ourselves and others.

Meditation is not an escape from reality but a way to understand reality as it truly is.

The Buddha's teaching challenges us to master the art of living, to live in a way that leads to the extinction of suffering.

Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.

The lamp of wisdom burns constantly, illuminating the nature of mind.

When you walk in the mist, you get wet.

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

The nature of the mind is like the sky, and our thoughts, emotions, and experiences are like clouds passing through it.

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

The Buddha never taught a sectarian religion; he taught Dhamma - the way to liberation - which is universal.

Just to be alive is enough.

When you generate negativity, you are the first victim of your negativity.

The mind is like water. When it's turbulent, it's difficult to see. When it's calm, everything becomes clear.

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

External seeking only leads to exhaustion. When you imitate others, you lose your own authenticity.