The most important thing in life is to know death is coming and to prepare for it.

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

Concentration develops naturally through continuous noting. Don't try to force concentration to arise.

Every step on the path must be with the understanding of anicca - impermanence. This is the essence of the teaching.

When you note effectively, there is no time for defilements to arise. The mind becomes pure through noting.

At the bottom of great doubt lies great awakening. If you doubt fully, you will awaken fully.

If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete.

In the monastery of your body, the monk of your mind must stay in retreat.

The practice is not about achieving special states but about seeing ordinary experience with extraordinary clarity.

The more you give, the more you have. That's the economics of kindness.

If you want to climb a mountain, begin at the top.

Happiness is a skill that can be developed like playing an instrument or learning to read.

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

The real secret of the arts: always be a beginner.

When you do something, you should burn yourself completely, like a good bonfire, leaving no trace of yourself.

When you find your place where you are, practice occurs, actualizing the fundamental point.

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

Mindfulness is not just bare attention but wise attention that leads to understanding and insight.

The Buddha's teaching is not a philosophical system but a practical guide to living.

We can learn the art of fierce compassion - redefining strength, deconstructing isolation and renewing a sense of community, practicing letting go of rigid us-vs.-them thinking.

Smile, breathe, and go slowly.

We don't set out to save the world; we set out to wonder how other people are doing and to reflect on how our actions affect other people's hearts.

The Noble Eightfold Path is not a path of mere intellectual understanding but a path of practice, of inner transformation.

The problem is not the problem; the problem is your attitude about the problem.

The trick is to keep exploring and not bail out, even when we find out that something is not what we thought.

Meditation is not just about sitting quietly, it's about transforming the mind.

Do not mistake understanding for realization, and do not mistake realization for liberation.

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

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

When you see forms or hear sounds fully engaging body-and-mind, you intuit dharma intimately.

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

Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.

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

Don't think that only sitting with the eyes closed is practice. If you do think this way, then quickly change your thinking.

The only way to fail at meditation is to stop doing it.

If you want to understand suffering, you must look into the situation at hand. The teachings say that wherever a problem arises it must be settled right there.

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

The heart is like a garden. It can grow compassion or fear, resentment or love. What seeds will you plant there?

Devotion is the head of meditation, as is often said. When you are inspired by some spiritual teacher, you can have a very strong connection with that person, and thereby the blessings can enter.

When walking, just walk. When sitting, just sit. Above all, don't wobble.

The purpose of meditation is not to create a new state of mind, but to recognize what is already present.

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

The perfect moment is this one, not the one you're waiting for.

The restraint of the senses is not a matter of suppression but of wise attention to our experience.

In meditation, we are continuously discovering who and what we are.

The root of happiness is altruism — the wish to be of service to others.

Through understanding emptiness, one does not become proud of one's virtues, just as one does not become proud of building a castle in the sky.

The silence between the notes is as important as the notes themselves.

Panic, anxiety, and stress are not obstacles to the practice. They are the path to wisdom and compassion.

Your mind is like a garden. Your thoughts are the seeds. You can grow flowers or you can grow weeds.

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

Mindfulness is the key to the present moment. Without it we cannot see the world clearly, and we cannot make the wisest choices in our lives.

The dharma is not outside of you. Looking for it elsewhere is like placing a Buddha on your head while searching for him everywhere else.

The highest truth cannot be taught except through the conventional truth.

The dharma wheel turns from the beginning. There is neither excess nor deficiency. The whole universe is moistened with nectar, and the truth is ready to harvest.

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

The more you are motivated by love, the more fearless and free your actions will be.

Our own life has to be our message.

The path to liberation requires both understanding and practice, both pariyatti and patipatti.

No valid plans for the future can be made by those who have no capacity for living now.