My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.

Wisdom and compassion must be developed equally and harmoniously.

The purpose of meditation is to gain right understanding of the true nature of mental and physical phenomena.

The seed of suffering in you may be strong, but don't wait until you have no more suffering before allowing yourself to be happy.

The more precisely you note, the more clearly you understand. The more clearly you understand, the stronger your insight becomes.

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

Be happy at the moment, that's enough. Each moment is all we need, not more.

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.

Every moment of confusion is also a moment of wisdom, if we can learn to recognize it.

The moment you note a thought, it disappears. The noting mind keeps the hindrances away.

As rain breaks through an ill-thatched house, passion will break through an unreflecting mind.

Only to the extent that we expose ourselves over and over to annihilation can that which is indestructible be found in us.

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

Expectations are the thieves of joy.

When mindfulness is weak, defilements are strong; when mindfulness is strong, defilements are weak.

When you practice zazen you should not try to attain anything. You should just sit in the complete calmness of your mind and not rely on anything.

The purpose of Buddhist practice is not to become a Buddhist but to awaken to the nature of reality.

Every moment is a fresh beginning. Every breath is a new chance.

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

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

Enlightenment is like the moon reflected on the water. The moon does not get wet, nor is the water broken.

Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.

The best way to control people is to encourage them to be mischievous. Then they will be in control in a wider sense.

The nature of the mind is like the sky, and our thoughts, emotions, and experiences are like clouds passing through it.

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

Wherever you are, you are one with the clouds and one with the sun and the stars you see. You are one with everything. That is more true than I can say, and more true than you can hear.

The practice of Zen is forgetting the self in the act of uniting with something.

The trick is to keep exploring and not bail out, even when we find out that something is not what we thought.

Suffering comes from our resistance to what is. Peace comes from our acceptance of what is.

Do not follow the ideas of others, but learn to listen to the voice within yourself.

Enlightenment is not the end of change but the end of resistance to change.

The path of awakening is not about becoming who we think we should be, but about unbecoming who we are not.

Through understanding emptiness, one does not become proud of one's virtues, just as one does not become proud of building a castle in the sky.