Study how water flows in a valley stream, smoothly and freely between the rocks.

Vipassana is the art of living. Not the art of escaping.

The precious pot containing my riches becomes my teacher in the very moment it breaks.

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

When you are you, Zen is Zen. Big mind is just big mind.

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

Every experience is an opportunity to practice awareness.

The more a thing tends to be permanent, the more it tends to be lifeless.

Do everything with a mind that lets go. Don't accept praise or gain or anything else. If you let go a little, you will have a little peace; if you let go a lot, you will have a lot of peace.

The Buddha's path is not about becoming somebody different but about becoming more and more who you really are.

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

The root of suffering is resisting the certainty that no matter what the circumstances, uncertainty is all we truly have.

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

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

Fear is a natural reaction to moving closer to the truth.

Compassion is the radicalism of our time.

This is the real secret of life -- to be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now. And instead of calling it work, realize it is play.

When we understand that peace is not dependent on external conditions, we can find it in the midst of any circumstance.

The purpose of our lives is to be happy.

The more we understand impermanence, the more we appreciate each moment of our lives.

Treat every moment as your last. It is not preparation for something else.

The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.

The path to liberation requires both individual effort and the support of the spiritual community.

Not knowing how near the truth is, we seek it far away.

To be in harmony with the wholeness of things is not to have anxiety over imperfection.

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.

Compassion is a verb.

Waking up this morning, I smile. Twenty-four brand new hours are before me. I vow to live fully in each moment.

The practice of mindfulness is the practice of being alive in the present moment.

The past is just a memory. The future is just a dream. Be here now.

The superior person is like water, bringing benefit to all without competing.

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

The purpose of our lives is to be happy, and happiness is found in benefiting others.