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

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.

Things derive their being and nature by mutual dependence and are nothing in themselves.

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

Meditation is not just about sitting quietly, it's about transforming the mind.

Intrinsically all living beings are Buddhas, just as ice and water are of the same substance.

You are an aperture through which the universe is looking at and exploring itself.

Life is like an ever-shifting kaleidoscope - a slight change, and all patterns alter.

Trying to define yourself is like trying to bite your own teeth.

The path to liberation requires both understanding and practice, both pariyatti and patipatti.

Only one book is worth reading: the heart.

Don't think that only sitting with the eyes closed is practice. If you do think this way, then quickly change your thinking.

The real meaning of enlightenment is to gaze with undimmed eyes on all darkness.

Just as a mother would protect her only child with her life, even so let one cultivate a boundless love towards all beings.

Mind training is based on the idea that two opposite mental factors cannot happen at the same time.

Hope and fear come from feeling that we lack something; they come from a sense of poverty. We can't simply relax with ourselves. We hold on to hope, and hope robs us of the present moment.

To have faith is to trust yourself to the water. When you swim you don't grab hold of the water, because if you do you will sink and drown. Instead you relax, and float.

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

The practice of Buddhism is fundamentally a practice of expanding our happiness and diminishing our suffering.

In meditation, we are continuously discovering who and what we are.

A disciplined mind leads to happiness, and an undisciplined mind leads to suffering.

Time passes unhindered. When we make ourselves better, we make the world better.

No valid plans for the future can be made by those who have no capacity for living now.

The essence of the teaching is emptiness and compassion. Without emptiness, compassion can become attachment. Without compassion, emptiness can become cold and distant.

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

The essence of the spiritual journey is the uncovering of what is always already present.

Those who cling to perceptions and views wander the world offending people.

Peace requires us to surrender our illusions of control.

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

The mind is the forerunner of all things. Our present life is the result of our past thoughts, and our future life will be the result of our present thoughts.

Face your own anger and you will be free from anger. Face your own fears and you will be free from fear.

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

The path to enlightenment is not a path at all. It is a realization that where you are is where you have always been.