Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them.

In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you.

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

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

Start from where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.

Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it.

Radiate boundless love towards the entire world — above, below, and across — unhindered, without ill will, without enmity.

To see the truth, do not be for or against. The struggle between for and against is the mind's worst disease.

Metta is the ability to embrace all parts of ourselves, as well as all parts of the world.

The more we care for the happiness of others, the greater our own sense of well-being becomes.

Your own treasure house contains everything you need; why search outside?

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

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

Through our eyes, the universe is perceiving itself. Through our ears, the universe is listening to its harmonies. We are the witnesses through which the universe becomes conscious of its glory, of its magnificence.

Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality.

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

If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.

Our task is to learn to see clearly what is happening in each moment, rather than be lost in our reactions and judgments.

Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.

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

Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.

The more you understand yourself, the more you understand the world.

World peace must develop from inner peace. Peace is not just mere absence of violence. Peace is, I think, the manifestation of human compassion.

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

When you plant lettuce, if it does not grow well, you don't blame the lettuce. You look for reasons it is not doing well. It may need fertilizer, or more water, or less sun. You never blame the lettuce.

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

The trouble is, you think you have time.

When thoughts arise, recognize them as the display of your own awareness, like recognizing your own children in a crowd.

All worldly pursuits have but one unavoidable and inevitable end, which is sorrow; acquisitions end in dispersion; buildings in destruction; meetings in separation; births in death.

What we learn about the world is colored by the way we approach it.

The art of living... is neither careless drifting on the one hand nor fearful clinging to the past on the other. It consists in being sensitive to each moment, in regarding it as utterly new and unique, in having the mind open and wholly receptive.

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

The practice of mindfulness is simple: whatever you experience, you observe and note it.