The essence of meditation is not something complicated or exotic. It is simply taking a break from our habitual patterns.

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

Maintain the state of undistractedness and distractions will fly away.

The purpose of a spiritual discipline is to give us a way to stop the war, not by our force of will, but through understanding and through letting go.

My actions are my only true belongings. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. My actions are the ground upon which I stand.

Misery ceases to exist when we stop reacting to sensations.

Compassion is not just about being kind to others. It's about being kind to ourselves as well.

Meditation is not an escape from reality but a way to understand reality as it truly is.

Each decision we make, each action we take, is born out of an intention.

Wisdom is not something we have to strive to acquire. Rather, wisdom arises naturally as we open our hearts to the truth of what is.

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

The truth of Zen is the truth of life, and life means to live, to move, to act, not merely to reflect.

Right practice is steady practice. Whether you feel lazy or diligent, just keep practicing.

The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

The Noble Eightfold Path is a path of training: training in ethical conduct, training in mental discipline, and training in wisdom.

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

The essence of Buddhist practice is to bring everything onto the path. Every experience becomes an opportunity for awakening.

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.

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

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.

Wisdom is not about accumulating knowledge, but about seeing through all knowledge.

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

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

The goal is not to be better than the other man, but your previous self.

When you talk, you are only repeating what you already know. But if you listen, you may learn something new.

When we develop patience, we find that we develop a reserve of calm and tranquility.

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

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

The movement of love is what creates the beauty in our lives.

Our practice cannot be perfect, but without being discouraged by this, we should continue it. This is the secret of practice.

There is no need to have a deep understanding of Zen. Even though you read much Zen literature, you must read each sentence with a fresh mind.

Meditation in the midst of activity is a thousand times superior to meditation in stillness.

Equanimity is not indifference. It is the balanced state of mind.

Mind training is based on the idea that two opposite mental factors cannot happen at the same time.

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

Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality.

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.

The ultimate purpose of Buddhism is to serve and benefit humanity.

Every moment is a fresh beginning. Every breath is a new chance.

Our true nature is like a diamond - pure, brilliant, and indestructible. No matter how much dirt covers it, its essential nature remains unchanged.

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

Whatever we do, we should see ourselves. Reading books doesn't show us our defilements. Watch yourself. Watch your mind.

Personal experience is everything in Zen. No ideas are intelligible to those who have no backing of experience.

The practice of Zen is forgetting the self in the act of uniting with something.

Wisdom and compassion must be developed equally and harmoniously.

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

Let none find fault with others; let none see the omissions and commissions of others. But let one see one's own acts, done and undone.

May all beings be happy, be peaceful, be liberated.

Hope and fear come from feeling that we lack something; they come from a sense of poverty. We can't simply relax with ourselves. We hold on to hope, and hope robs us of the present moment.

Compassion is a verb.

When we recognize that our thoughts are just thoughts, we can choose whether or not to follow them.

Mindfulness means keeping one's consciousness alive to the present reality.

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

Metta (loving-kindness) becomes truly effective only when it arises from a peaceful mind, a pure mind, a balanced mind.

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

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 practice of mindfulness transforms the mind from a place of suffering into an instrument of enlightenment.

Be a lamp unto yourself. Work out your liberation with diligence.

Meditation is the road to happiness.

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.