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

Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

The great gift of meditation is that it returns us to the simplicity of our own being.

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

Life is available only in the present moment.

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

The superior person is like water, bringing benefit to all without competing.

For things to reveal themselves to us, we need to be ready to abandon our views about them.

Just as true humor is laughter at oneself, true humanity is knowledge of oneself.

The trouble is, you think you have time.

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

The mind that notes and the object that is noted are both impermanent. Understanding this leads to liberation.

Forgiveness means giving up all hope for a better past.

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

The root of suffering is resisting the certainty that no matter what the circumstances, uncertainty is all we truly have.

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

Compassion is the radicalism of our time.

Each decision we make, each action we take, is born out of an intention.

When you walk in the mist, you get wet.

Mindfulness is attention to life, and life itself is sacred.

Mind training is based on the idea that two opposite mental factors cannot happen at the same time.

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

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

Long is the night to him who is awake; long is a mile to him who is tired; long is life to the foolish who do not know the true law.

Craving and aversion are the roots of suffering. Observe them with equanimity.

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

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

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.

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

If you want to understand suffering, you must look into the situation at hand. The teachings say that wherever a problem arises it must be settled right there.

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

Compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded. It's a relationship between equals.

Personal experience is everything in Zen. No ideas are intelligible to those who have no backing of experience.

Know the rules well, so you can break them effectively.

Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.

The dharma is not about collecting more beliefs but about becoming free from the power of belief itself.

Suffering comes from our resistance to what is. Peace comes from our acceptance of what is.

Our emotions are like waves in the ocean. We can't stop the waves, but we can learn to surf.

The root of suffering is attachment.

Every experience is an opportunity to practice awareness.

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

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

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

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

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

The most important factor in achieving happiness is the mind. Happiness and suffering are mental states and therefore depend on the mind.

Don't think that only sitting with the eyes closed is practice. If you do think this way, then quickly change your thinking.

The problem is not the problem; the problem is your attitude about the problem.

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

The silence between the notes is as important as the notes themselves.

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

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

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

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

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.

Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.

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

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

Vipassana is the art of living. Not the art of escaping.

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