The Buddha taught us to leave alone the things that don't lead to awakening.

The path is not about moving from one place to another. It's about recognizing where we already are.

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

Just observe whatever arises. Don't try to create anything, and don't reject anything.

The path of practice moves from faith through understanding to direct realization.

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

Meditation is the road to happiness.

Concentration and insight are like two wings of a bird: both are necessary for the flight to liberation.

Forgiveness is letting go of the hope that the past could have been any different.

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

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

The seed of suffering in you may be strong, but don't wait until you have no more suffering before allowing yourself to be happy.

In the moment of love, awareness is very strong. Use that awareness, that strength of consciousness, to look into yourself.

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

Waking up this morning, I smile. Twenty-four brand new hours are before me. I vow to live fully in each moment.

Study the Buddha's teaching which is present in every moment.

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.

Life and death are of supreme importance. Time swiftly passes by and opportunity is lost. Each of us should strive to awaken. Awaken! Take heed, do not squander your life.

The true understanding is that the practice itself is enlightenment.

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.

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

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

Every thought, every word, and every action leaves an imprint on our mind.

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

Forgiveness means giving up all hope for a better past.

The practice of mindfulness begins in the small, remote cave of your unconscious mind and blossoms with the sunlight of your conscious life.

The law of nature is the law of cause and effect. As you sow, so shall you reap.

It is under the greatest adversity that there exists the greatest potential for doing good, both for oneself and others.

We practice to learn how to let go, not how to increase our holding on to things.

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

Study how water flows in a valley stream, smoothly and freely between the rocks.

The practice of Zen mind is beginner's mind. In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities; in the expert's mind there are few.

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

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

The practice of mindfulness leads naturally to concentration. Concentration leads naturally to wisdom.

Meditation is not about trying to change ourselves. Meditation is about being aware of what is.

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

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

Compassion is a verb.

Faith is the firm foundation, diligence the supporting pillar, and wisdom the roof of the house of practice.

Wisdom and compassion must be developed equally and harmoniously.

Mindfulness isn't difficult, we just need to remember to do it.

To be fully alive, fully human, and completely awake is to be continually thrown out of the nest.

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.

Treat every moment as your last. It is not preparation for something else.

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

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

Live in joy, in love, even among those who hate. Live in joy, in health, even among the afflicted. Live in joy, in peace, even among the troubled. Look within, be still.

Liberation is not found by running away from our experience but by looking deeply into it.

We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.

Zen does not confuse spirituality with thinking about God while one is peeling potatoes. Zen spirituality is just to peel the potatoes.

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

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

Know the rules well, so you can break them effectively.

Insight knowledge comes from direct experience, not from intellectual understanding.

The art of living... is neither careless drifting on the one hand nor fearful clinging to the past on the other. It consists in being sensitive to each moment, in regarding it as utterly new and unique, in having the mind open and wholly receptive.

Meditation is like catching a fish. If you try to catch it quickly, you'll miss it. If you have patience and know how to wait, the fish will come.

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

The master's introduction is direct recognition of one's own nature. Meditation is maintaining the continuity of this recognition.

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