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

Those who grasp at things as truly existent are like someone trying to catch the reflection of the moon in water.

Compassion is a verb.

The truth you believe and cling to makes you unavailable to hear anything new.

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

Meditation is not about escaping from difficulty but about meeting it with awareness.

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

The whole path of mindfulness is about letting go. We let go of our attachment to our views, our attachment to our opinions, our attachment to our ideas.

The best way to solve a problem is to help someone else solve their problem.

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.

In the gap between thoughts, nonconceptual wisdom shines continuously.

The mind creates the abyss, and the heart crosses it.

Ethical conduct is not a constraint upon our freedom but a condition of our freedom.

When you practice gratefulness, there is a sense of respect toward others.

Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.

The path to liberation is a gradual path of self-discipline, self-development, and self-transformation.

Your work is to discover your work and then with all your heart to give yourself to it.

To understand everything is to forgive everything.

The past is gone, the future is not yet here. Live in the present moment with awareness.

The measure of success in spiritual life is how peaceful you are.

In my youth I studied, in my prime I practiced, now all my doubts are cleared.

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

Impermanence, suffering, and non-self are not philosophical concepts but realities to be directly perceived through mindfulness practice.

When we rest in awareness, we discover a peace that is always present, regardless of circumstances.

If you want to find peace, then look at that point where you find you're dissatisfied and investigate what's really going on.

True happiness is not found through the multiplication of desires but through their simplification.

Whatever is dependently co-arisen, that is explained to be emptiness. That, being a dependent designation, is itself the middle way.

Meditation is not about trying to change ourselves. Meditation is about being aware of what is.

The true hero is one who conquers his own anger and hatred.

The practitioner and practice are like fire and wood. The more you practice, the more you burn.

The past is just a memory. The future is just a dream. Be here now.

Just as the great ocean has one taste, the taste of salt, so also this teaching and discipline has one taste, the taste of liberation.

You are the master of your own mind. You can be your best friend or your worst enemy.