Life is nothing but a continuous chain of sensations. Pleasant or unpleasant, observe them objectively.

Work out your own salvation. Do not depend on others.

Just as parents care for their children, you should bear in mind the whole universe.

We think that the point is to pass the test or overcome the problem, but the truth is that things don't really get solved. They come together and they fall apart. Then they come together again and fall apart again. It's just like that. The healing comes from letting there be room for all of this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy.

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.

Breathing in, there is only the present moment. Breathing out, it is a wonderful moment.

If you want to know the past, look at the present. If you want to know the future, look at the present.

The most important factor in achieving happiness is the mind. Happiness and suffering are mental states and therefore depend on the mind.

Our practice cannot be perfect, but without being discouraged by this, we should continue it. This is the secret of practice.

The key to meditation is to recognize the nature of your mind rather than trying to change it.

The nature of mind is not something we need to achieve - it's something we need to recognize.

Do not think you will necessarily be aware of your own enlightenment.

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.

Mindfulness helps you go home to the present. And every time you go there and recognize a condition of happiness that you have, happiness comes.

The practice of ethics is not about following rules but about developing inner purity and freedom.

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

If you truly loved yourself, you could never hurt another.

People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar.

Because you are alive, everything is possible.

The path to liberation is through understanding the true nature of mind and matter through direct observation.

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

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

To understand everything is to forgive everything.

Hasten slowly and you will soon arrive.

The way is not in the sky. The way is in the heart.

Mindfulness is not just bare attention but wise attention that leads to understanding and insight.

The deepest form of happiness comes from discovering the natural peace of our own awareness.

Each breath is a new beginning, a fresh opportunity to awaken.

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

We deal with our mind from morning until evening, and it can be our best friend or our worst enemy.

Mindfulness is the key to transformation. It enables us to see our experience as it really is, free from distortion and bias.

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

You will not be punished for your anger; you will be punished by your anger.