In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's there are few.

The development of wisdom does not occur in isolation but requires the cultivation of the entire Noble Eightfold Path.

When you note pain, you are not trying to make it go away. You are trying to understand its true nature.

When you realize the emptiness of all phenomena, compassion will arise in your heart for all sentient beings who do not understand this truth.

Zazen is not step-by-step meditation. Rather it is simply the easy and pleasant practice of a Buddha, the realization of the Buddha's Wisdom.

Each moment of noting is a moment of purification, a moment of cultivating the path.

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 practice of mindfulness transforms the mind from a place of suffering into an instrument of enlightenment.

Much of spiritual life is self-acceptance, maybe all of it.

When we are mindful, deeply in touch with the present moment, our understanding of what is going on deepens, and we begin to be filled with acceptance, joy, peace and love.

Enlightenment is not a state of perfection but of authenticity.

The everyday practice is simply to develop complete acceptance and openness to all situations and emotions.

Mindfulness is the key to the present moment. Without it we cannot see the world clearly, and we cannot make the wisest choices in our lives.

The future is completely open, and we are writing it moment to moment.

Anger or hatred is like a fisherman's hook. It is very important for us to ensure that we are not caught by it.

A pure mind is always full of love - real love for all others.

The goal is not to be better than the other man, but your previous self.

In a mind clear as still water, even the waves, breaking, are reflecting its light.

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

Breathing in, I calm body and mind. Breathing out, I smile.

The essence of Buddhism is not a belief system but a systematic investigation of our experience.

Change is the nature of every phenomenon. Accept this truth and you will live a happy life.

Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.

The key to the Buddha's teaching is not grasping, not trying to hold onto things that are essentially impermanent and unstable.

The more we witness our emotional reactions and understand how they work, the easier it is to refrain.

Past thoughts are traceless, clear, and empty. Future thoughts are unborn and fresh. The present moment abides naturally and unconstructed.

Happiness is not about getting what you want, but wanting what you've got.

Every intelligent individual wants to know what makes him tick, and yet is at once fascinated and frustrated by the fact that oneself is the most difficult of all things to know.

The teaching of the Buddha is based on two truths: conventional truth and ultimate truth. Without understanding the relationship between these two, the deeper meaning of the Buddha's teaching cannot be understood.

The greatest achievement is selflessness. The greatest worth is self-mastery.

Just as true humor is laughter at oneself, true humanity is knowledge of oneself.

Zen proposes its solution by directly appealing to facts of personal experience and not to book-knowledge.

Everybody has the light of Buddha within, but they don't look for it.