The key to happiness is inner peace. The greatest obstacles to inner peace are disturbing emotions such as anger, attachment, fear and suspicion.

The mind is the forerunner of all things. Our present life is the result of our past thoughts, and our future life will be the result of our present thoughts.

The development of wisdom requires both study and practice, both learning and direct experience.

Zen is a way of life, not a theory or a piece of knowledge to be stored away in our minds.

Just to be alive is enough.

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

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 three characteristics - impermanence, suffering, and non-self - are not philosophical concepts but aspects of experience to be directly observed.

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

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

The past is gone, the future is not yet here. Live in the present moment with awareness.

Don't be afraid of the future. The future is good.

Life is like a cup of tea. It's all in how you make it.

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

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

Peace and negativity cannot coexist just as light and darkness cannot coexist.

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

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.

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

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

Every experience is an opportunity to practice awareness.

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

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

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.

Not by hatred is hatred conquered, but by love alone. This is an eternal law.

Karma is not fate but the law of moral causation, showing us that we are the architects of our own destiny.

Don't try to change the world. First, change yourself.

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

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

Impermanence, suffering, and non-self are not philosophical concepts but realities to be directly perceived through mindfulness practice.

Not knowing how near the truth is, we seek it far away.

Forgiveness is not a moral issue. It's a power issue. When we hold onto grievance and resentment, we are giving our power away.

Genuine happiness comes from having developed basic human qualities, such as attention, emotional balance, and generosity.

The true hero is one who conquers his own anger and hatred.

Many people think excitement is happiness... But when you are excited you are not peaceful. True happiness is based on peace.

When things fall apart and we're on the verge of we know not what, the test of each of us is to stay on that brink and not concretize.

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

Even if you speak of 'understanding,' this understanding is not a matter of knowledge. It is what fills the entire body and mind.

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

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

The only thing that we truly have control over is our attitude toward experience.

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

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

The truth of Zen is the truth of life, and life means to live, to move, to act, not merely to reflect.

The practice of meditation is not about achieving states of bliss but about seeing things as they really are.

The precious pot containing my riches becomes my teacher in the very moment it breaks.

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

Problems that remain persistently insoluble should always be suspected as questions asked in the wrong way.

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

External phenomena are like a dream, whatever appears is not real. Recognize the nature of dream-like phenomena to be dream-like.

Only when you can be extremely pliable and soft can you be extremely hard and strong.

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

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

Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.

The Buddha taught us to leave alone the things that don't lead to awakening.

The seed of suffering in you may be strong, but don't wait until you have no more suffering before allowing yourself to be happy.

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

The practice of Buddhism is fundamentally a practice of expanding our happiness and diminishing our suffering.

When you talk, you are only repeating what you already know. But if you listen, you may learn something new.

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