The state of mind that exists when you sit in the right posture is, itself, enlightenment.

Worry pretends to be necessary but serves no useful purpose.

Enlightenment is not about becoming something special, but about realizing what we already are.

To forget the self is to be actualized by myriad things.

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

Meditation is not about achieving anything. It's about letting go of everything.

Much of spiritual life is self-acceptance, maybe all of it.

Breathing in, there is only the present moment. Breathing out, it is a wonderful moment.

The source of love is deep in us and we can help others realize a lot of happiness. One word, one action, one thought can reduce another person's suffering and bring that person joy.

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

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

The practice of Dharma is a constant battle within oneself.

Where there is great doubt, there is great awakening; small doubt, small awakening; no doubt, no awakening.

The purpose of studying Buddhism is not to study Buddhism, but to study ourselves.

The path to liberation is through understanding the true nature of mind and matter through direct observation.

World peace must develop from inner peace. Peace is not just mere absence of violence. Peace is, I think, the manifestation of human compassion.

What Zen wants us to do is to acquire an entirely new point of view whereby to look into the mysteries of life and the secrets of nature.

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

Birth and death are neither two things nor one thing. Life is not an appearance, death is not a disappearance.

In true vipassana practice, there is no room for likes and dislikes. There is only observation.

The way is not in the sky. The way is in the heart.

Rather than letting our negativity get the better of us, we could acknowledge that right now we feel like a piece of shit and not be squeamish about taking a good look.

Whoever told you that practice and enlightenment are separate?

Breathing in, I calm body and mind. Breathing out, I smile.

Our basic nature is pure awareness that simply cognizes experience. Everything else is temporary and adventitious.

To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don't need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself.

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

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

Feelings like disappointment, embarrassment, irritation, resentment, anger, jealousy, and fear, instead of being bad news, are actually very clear moments that teach us where it is that we're holding back.

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

There is no path to happiness: happiness is the path.

Just as the wise do not take a mirage to be water, nor an echo to be a voice, so the enlightened do not take the world to be real.

Suffering is not the end of the story; it is the middle of the story.