The fundamental delusion of humanity is to suppose that I am here and you are out there.

Without accepting the fact that everything changes, we cannot find perfect composure.

Every being has the potential of becoming a Buddha. Our true nature is Buddha nature.

Don't expect or desire anything. Just keep noting whatever arises in the present moment.

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

To what shall I compare this life? It is like a boat that left at dawn, leaving no trace.

Try to be mindful and let things take their natural course. Then your mind will become still in any surroundings, like a clear forest pool.

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

The experience of emptiness engenders compassion.

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

Life is nothing but a continuous chain of sensations. Pleasant or unpleasant, observe them objectively.

Wisdom arises when you see the true characteristics of phenomena through direct experience.

Enlightenment is not a state of perfection but of authenticity.

You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.

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.

Whoever told you that practice and enlightenment are separate?

All that appears and exists, all of samsara and nirvana, has one ground, two paths, and two results. This is the magical display of awareness and unawareness.

Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.

The practice of ethics is not about following rules but about developing inner purity and freedom.

Through violence, you may solve one problem, but you sow the seeds for another.

Each breath is a new beginning, a fresh opportunity to awaken.

Meditation is like catching a fish. If you try to catch it quickly, you'll miss it. If you have patience and know how to wait, the fish will come.

If you love someone, the greatest gift you can give them is your presence.

The purpose of meditation is to make our mind calm and peaceful. If our mind is peaceful, we will be free from worries and mental discomfort.

Mindfulness is the gentle effort to be continuously present with experience.

Just observe whatever arises. Don't try to create anything, and don't reject anything.

External seeking only leads to exhaustion. When you imitate others, you lose your own authenticity.

What we call "I" is just a swinging door which moves when we inhale and when we exhale.

My actions are my only true belongings. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. My actions are the ground upon which I stand.

Awareness is like the sun. When it shines on things, they are transformed.

The water in the ocean can be rough or calm. It can be clear or murky. But the water itself doesn't mind.

Whatever is happening is the path to enlightenment.

The root of all suffering is ignorance. The antidote to ignorance is wisdom that realizes emptiness.