Sometimes one creates a dynamic impression by saying something, and sometimes one creates as significant an impression by remaining silent.

Should you desire the great tranquility, prepare to sweat white beads.

The mind of the beginner is empty, free of the habits of the expert, ready to accept, to doubt, and open to all the possibilities.

The path to liberation requires both individual effort and the support of the spiritual community.

Smile, breathe, and go slowly.

The color of the mountains is Buddha's body; the sound of running water is his great speech.

The six realms of existence are like a dream, why build a prison for yourself?

Right View is not just a matter of intellectual understanding but of seeing things as they really are.

Not knowing how near the truth is, we seek it far away.

Emptiness is not nothingness. Emptiness is the space of possibility.

The ultimate revolution is the spiritual revolution, where we learn to see reality as it truly is.

True freedom is a freedom from the tyranny of our own thoughts and afflictive emotions.

Liberation is not found by running away from our experience but by looking deeply into it.

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

The whole moon and the entire sky are reflected in one dewdrop on the grass.

Zazen is not step-by-step meditation. Rather it is simply the easy and pleasant practice of a Buddha, the realization of the Buddha's Wisdom.

The development of insight is gradual, but the realization of truth is sudden.

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.

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

The goal of meditation is not to reach some highest place, but to remain in the place where you already are.

The Dhamma unfolds in accordance with a definite sequence: faith, virtue, learning, generosity, wisdom, and insight.

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

The only way to experience truth is to look within, to observe oneself.

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.

Everybody has the light of Buddha within, but they don't look for it.

Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.

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

Kindness is the solution to all of life's problems.

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

Anger or hatred is like a fisherman's hook. It is very important for us to ensure that we are not caught by it.

Zen teaches nothing; it merely enables us to wake up and become aware. It does not teach, it points.

The things that matter most in our lives are not fantastic or grand. They are the moments when we touch one another.

The mind that sees its own nature becomes free from all extremes.