Loving-kindness is not something we need to manufacture. It's a natural expression of our awakened nature.

The obstacle is the path.

When we understand others, we understand ourselves. When we love others, we love ourselves.

The world is its own magic.

In the beginning, nothing comes, in the middle nothing stays, in the end nothing goes.

The archer ceases to be conscious of himself as the one who is engaged in hitting the bull's-eye which confronts him. This state of unconsciousness is realized only when, completely empty and rid of the self, he becomes one with the perfecting of his technical skill.

What is the sound of one hand clapping?

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

The true mark of a spiritual practitioner is that your own behavior is better, not that you can criticize others well.

We can learn to be present with whatever is happening in our lives, and in this way, we can begin to transform our relationship to difficulty.

When you realize how perfect everything is, you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky.

Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.

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

To think in terms of either pessimism or optimism oversimplifies the truth. The problem is to see reality as it is.

Rejoicing in ordinary things is not sentimental or trite. It actually takes guts.

True peace comes not from controlling the world, but from letting go of control.

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.

Birth and death are neither two things nor one thing. Life is not an appearance, death is not a disappearance.

In Zen there must be satori; there must be a general mental upheaval which destroys the old accumulations of intellection and lays down the foundation for a new life.

The goal of meditation is not to reach some highest place, but to remain in the place where you already are.

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.

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

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

The more you meditate, the more you understand yourself and the better friend you become to yourself.

The purpose of studying Buddhism is not to study Buddhism, but to study ourselves.

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

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

We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.

The Buddha's teachings are not about abandoning our lives but about bringing the fullness of our attention to our lives.

Smile, breathe, and go slowly.

The goal of the Buddhist path is not to add something to our existence but to discover something that has been there all along.

The mind is like a room with many windows. Open them all and let the fresh air in.

If it isn't good, let it die. If it doesn't die, make it good.