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

Whatever is happening is the path to enlightenment.

Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it.

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

Wisdom and compassion must be developed equally and harmoniously.

Better to have one moment of genuine meditation than to perform religious activities for a thousand years.

Every experience is an opportunity to practice awareness.

The great gift of meditation is that it returns us to the simplicity of our own being.

The three characteristics - impermanence, suffering, and non-self - are not philosophical concepts but aspects of experience to be directly observed.

Concentration is a cornerstone of mindfulness practice. Your mindfulness will only be as robust as your capacity to ground your attention in the present moment.

The best way to solve a problem is to help someone else solve their problem.

Zen is a way of life, not a theory or a piece of knowledge to be stored away in our minds.

The root of all mind is your own present pure awareness. Rest in that essence without seeking elsewhere.

Where is the place that your original face has not yet emerged?

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

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

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

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.

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

The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness.

The way to change the world is to change your own mind.

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

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

When mindfulness and concentration are strong, insight into the three characteristics naturally unfolds.

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

The practice of mindfulness is simple: whatever you experience, you observe and note it.

The superior person is like water, bringing benefit to all without competing.

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

Compassion is not mere sentiment but a powerful force that can transform both ourselves and others.

Sticking with uncertainty, getting the knack of relaxing in the midst of chaos, learning not to panic—this is the spiritual path.

The practitioner and practice are like fire and wood. The more you practice, the more you burn.

The dharma is not in the books. If you want to find the dharma, look in your mind.

The mind is like a wild monkey, jumping here and there. But through meditation, we learn to see whatever arises in our mind with more spaciousness and clarity.

True happiness comes from a sense of inner peace and contentment, which in turn must be achieved through cultivation of altruism, of love, of compassion.

Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is relax.

The force of the kindness of others is so strong, we can't possibly measure it.

The more you meditate, the more you understand yourself and the better friend you become to yourself.

Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.

When you generate negativity, you are the first victim of your negativity.

Your work is to discover your work and then with all your heart to give yourself to it.

In meditation, we're not trying to get rid of thoughts but to recognize their true nature.

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

Mindfulness is the quality and power of mind that is aware of what's happening—without judgment and without interference.

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

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

The practice of meditation is like tuning an instrument. Too tight, and the strings break. Too loose, and they won't play.

The practice of meditation requires both energy and patience, both effort and relaxation.

Compassion is the radicalism of our time.

To have faith is to trust yourself to the water. When you swim you don't grab hold of the water, because if you do you will sink and drown. Instead you relax, and float.

Rejoicing in ordinary things is not sentimental or trite. It actually takes guts.

As surely as there is a voyage away, there is a journey home.

The Buddha's path is not about becoming somebody different but about becoming more and more who you really are.

The role of Zen is neither to stand above life nor to run away from it, but to face it with a spirit of determination.

Observe the reality as it is, not as you wish it to be.

You are your own teacher. Looking for teachers can't solve your own doubts. Investigate yourself to find the truth - inside, not outside.

Meditation is not an escape from life but a way to fully engage with life.

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

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

Every moment of mindfulness is a step on the path to liberation. Each step is valuable, no matter how small.

The first step toward faith is to admit that we don't know everything.