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

The contradiction so puzzling to the ordinary way of thinking comes from the fact that we have to use language to communicate our inner experience, which in its very nature transcends linguistics.

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

As long as you seek for something, you will get the shadow of reality and not reality itself.

In the moment of pure noting, there is no self - only the knowing and the known.

The purpose of life is to be happy, to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate. It is not to be well known, cited, or powerful.

All worldly pursuits have but one unavoidable and inevitable end, which is sorrow; acquisitions end in dispersion; buildings in destruction; meetings in separation; births in death.

The truth of suffering is not to be feared but to be understood through direct observation.

Who would then deny that when I am sipping tea in my tearoom I am swallowing the whole universe with it and that this very moment of my lifting the bowl to my lips is eternity itself transcending time and space?

Wisdom says we are nothing. Love says we are everything. Between these two our life flows.

Enlightenment is not a state of perfection but of authenticity.

Only one book is worth reading: the heart.

Life is like stepping onto a boat which is about to sail out to sea and sink.

Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them.

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

The most important thing is to enjoy your life - to be happy. This is the goal of Buddhist practice.

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

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

People who study a lot but don't practice are like a ladle in a soup pot. It's in the soup every day, but it doesn't know the taste of the soup.

The more we understand our mind, the more we understand the world.

The present moment is the only moment available to us, and it is the door to all moments.

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

Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.

In the spiritual world there are no time divisions such as the past, present and future; for they have contracted themselves into a single moment of the present where life quivers in its true sense.

The Buddha taught that wealth does not bring happiness and security. The pursuit of wealth is a matter of living in balance.

All beings by nature are Buddha, as ice by nature is water. Apart from water there is no ice; apart from beings, no Buddha.

The teaching of the Buddha is based on two truths: conventional truth and ultimate truth. Without understanding the relationship between these two, the deeper meaning of the Buddha's teaching cannot be understood.

When you recognize that pain and suffering are impermanent, you become free.

Although all phenomena are empty of inherent existence, they function perfectly well.

This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.

Change is the nature of every phenomenon. Accept this truth and you will live a happy life.

The Buddha's teaching challenges us to master the art of living, to live in a way that leads to the extinction of suffering.

The past is for learning from, not for living in.

The more we understand impermanence, the more we appreciate each moment of our lives.

Nothing we see or hear is perfect. But right there in the imperfection is perfect reality.

Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.

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

The menu is not the meal.

To live fully is to let go and die with each step.

Real happiness lies within. It cannot be found in external objects or achievements.

The dharma is not about collecting more beliefs but about becoming free from the power of belief itself.

Real happiness comes from having an unshakable connection to the deep wellspring of peace and happiness that is not dependent on external conditions.

Without darkness, there is no light. Without the path, there is no arrival.

True freedom is not the absence of commitment but the presence of choice.

Whatever precious jewel there is in the heavenly worlds, there is nothing comparable to one who is awakened.

The goal of Buddhist practice is not to escape from the world but to transform our relationship with it.

The cultivation of loving-kindness is the thread that runs through all Buddhist teachings.

The essence of all phenomena is empty and clear like space. The nature of mind is awareness-emptiness like the sun and sky.

The path of awakening is not about becoming who we think we should be, but about unbecoming who we are not.

The spiritual journey begins with the recognition that beneath our surface happiness there lies a deep inner pain.

People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth.

The nature of all things is like a magical illusion, a mirage, a dream, a reflection of the moon in water.

Enlightenment is the realization that we were never really separate from one another or from all of life.

The ocean does not reject any water; therefore it is great. The mountain does not select its stones; therefore it is great.

The Dhamma is not a collection of doctrinal formulas but a path leading to direct insight into the nature of reality.

If you see certainty in that which is uncertain, you are bound to suffer.

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

The Four Noble Truths are not mere doctrinal propositions but a framework for understanding and transforming our lives.

Zen in its essence is the art of seeing into the nature of one's own being, and it points the way from bondage to freedom.

If you want to know your past life, look at your present condition. If you want to know your future life, look at your present actions.