Compassion is not a sign of weakness but a sign of strength.

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

The practice of mindfulness leads naturally to concentration. Concentration leads naturally to wisdom.

Let none find fault with others; let none see the omissions and commissions of others. But let one see one's own acts, done and undone.

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.

The nature of mind is the unity of awareness and emptiness.

Whatever we do, we should see ourselves. Reading books doesn't show us our defilements. Watch yourself. Watch your mind.

Meditation is not about escaping from difficulty but about meeting it with awareness.

The zazen I speak of is not meditation practice. It is simply the dharma gate of joyful ease.

The source of love is deep in us and we can help others realize a lot of happiness. One word, one action, one thought can reduce another person's suffering and bring that person joy.

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

The cave I live in is empty and so is my mind. I live simply and at ease.

Altruism is not a luxury, it is a necessity for the survival of humanity.

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

Work diligently. Diligently. Work patiently and persistently. Patiently and persistently. And you're bound to be successful. Bound to be successful.

The object of meditation and the mind which knows it must be noted as they occur. If they are not noted, desire arises and disturbs concentration.

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

Only to the extent that we expose ourselves over and over to annihilation can that which is indestructible be found in us.

No valid plans for the future can be made by those who have no capacity for living now.

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

When mindfulness and concentration are strong, insight into the three characteristics naturally unfolds.

Better to have one moment of genuine meditation than to perform religious activities for a thousand years.

When you walk in the mist, you get wet.

The grass is greener where you water it.

The essence of Buddhist practice is to reduce our selfishness and to work for the benefit of others.

Face your own anger and you will be free from anger. Face your own fears and you will be free from fear.

Compassion is the radicalism of our time.

The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

All beings by nature are Buddha, as ice by nature is water. Apart from water there is no ice; apart from beings, no Buddha.

Love is the wish that others be happy, and compassion is the wish that they be free from suffering.

The practice of mindfulness begins in the small, remote cave of your unconscious mind and blossoms with the sunlight of your conscious life.

What you are is what you have been. What you'll be is what you do now.

Insight knowledge comes from direct experience, not from intellectual understanding.