When one sees with wisdom that all phenomena are empty of inherent existence, one is liberated from suffering.

If in our daily life we can smile, if we can be peaceful and happy, not only we, but everyone will profit from it. This is the most basic kind of peace work.

The four foundations of mindfulness are not separate practices but different aspects of the same practice of clear awareness.

Trees, mountains, and vines all exist in nature according to their own truth. They are born and die following their nature. They remain this way because that's what they are. They don't practice meditation or do anything special.

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.

The difference between misery and happiness depends on what we do with our attention.

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

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

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

When walking, just walk. When sitting, just sit. Above all, don't wobble.

Life is available only in the present moment.

Time passes unhindered. When we make ourselves better, we make the world better.

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 essence of Buddhist practice is to bring everything onto the path. Every experience becomes an opportunity for awakening.

The essence of all phenomena is empty and clear like space. The nature of mind is awareness-emptiness like the sun and sky.

A disciplined mind leads to happiness, and an undisciplined mind leads to suffering.

Through continuous mindfulness practice, the true nature of physical and mental phenomena becomes clear.

All experiences are preceded by mind, having mind as their master, created by mind.

The stages of insight unfold naturally when mindfulness is continuous. There is no need to desire them or try to make them happen.

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

The one who grasps at existence suffers in samsara, while the one who grasps at non-existence will find no liberation.

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

Nothing can harm you as much as your own unguarded thoughts.

The path of insight is a path of discovery, not a path of creation. We are discovering what is already there.

World peace must develop from inner peace. Peace is not just mere absence of violence. Peace is, I think, the manifestation of human compassion.

The highest mantra is to be without deception. The highest medicine is to have few desires. The highest meditation is not to be attached.

The mind is everything. What you think you become.

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.

Do not mistake understanding for realization, and do not mistake realization for liberation.

To see the truth, do not be for or against. The struggle between for and against is the mind's worst disease.

Kindness is the solution to all of life's problems.

The role of Zen is neither to stand above life nor to run away from it, but to face it with a spirit of determination.

The practitioner and practice are like fire and wood. The more you practice, the more you burn.