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

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

What we learn about the world is colored by the way we approach it.

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

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

Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.

Zen does not confuse spirituality with thinking about God while one is peeling potatoes. Zen spirituality is just to peel the potatoes.

Our task is to learn to see clearly what is happening in each moment, rather than be lost in our reactions and judgments.

The true person is not anyone in particular. But like the deep blue color of the limitless sky, it is everyone, everywhere in the world.

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

If you see certainty in that which is uncertain, you are bound to suffer.

The mind is like a wild monkey, jumping here and there. But through meditation, we learn to see whatever arises in our mind with more spaciousness and clarity.

The technique of self-observation is the technique of observing the reality about oneself at the experiential level.

The most important thing is to enjoy your life - to be happy. This is the goal of Buddhist practice.

Looking for peace is like looking for a turtle with a mustache: you won't be able to find it. But when your heart is ready, peace will come looking for you.

The signs of practice are not in extraordinary experiences but in extraordinary awareness of ordinary experiences.

The spiritual journey begins with the recognition that beneath our surface happiness there lies a deep inner pain.

Freedom is not found in the absence of difficulty, but in our relationship to it.

Meditation in the midst of activity is a thousand times superior to meditation in stillness.

The nature of mind is like a mirror. It is not affected by whatever appears in it, yet it never fails to reflect everything perfectly.

Life is like stepping onto a boat which is about to sail out to sea and sink.

Muddy water is best cleared by leaving it alone.

The nature of everything is illusory and ephemeral, those with dualistic perception regard suffering as happiness, like they who lick the honey from a razor's edge.

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

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

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

Meditation is not an escape from life but a way to fully engage with life.

The more we witness our emotional reactions and understand how they work, the easier it is to refrain.

The real purpose of Zen is to see things as they are, to observe things as they are, and to let everything go as it goes.

Buddhas and ordinary beings are not two. Enlightenment and delusion are not different paths.

The root of all mind is your own present pure awareness. Rest in that essence without seeking elsewhere.

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.

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