External phenomena are like a dream, whatever appears is not real. Recognize the nature of dream-like phenomena to be dream-like.

We do not "come into" this world; we come out of it, as leaves from a tree.

The nature of mind is clearer than the sky, yet we keep looking elsewhere.

The mind is like water. When it's turbulent, it's difficult to see. When it's calm, everything becomes clear.

Craving and aversion are the roots of suffering. Observe them with equanimity.

When you look deeply into your anger, you will see that the person you call your enemy is also suffering. As soon as you see that, the capacity for accepting and having compassion for them is there.

Problems that remain persistently insoluble should always be suspected as questions asked in the wrong way.

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.

The purpose of meditation is to make our mind calm and peaceful. If our mind is peaceful, we will be free from worries and mental discomfort.

We think that the point is to pass the test or overcome the problem, but the truth is that things don't really get solved. They come together and they fall apart. Then they come together again and fall apart again. It's just like that. The healing comes from letting there be room for all of this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy.

Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.

The defilements of the mind are temporary visitors. Pure awareness is your true home.

The development of wisdom does not occur in isolation but requires the cultivation of the entire Noble Eightfold Path.

When concentration is developed, wisdom arises. When wisdom arises, one becomes disenchanted with the five aggregates.

The entire path is a path of self-responsibility. Nobody else can walk it for you.

Past thoughts are traceless, clear, and empty. Future thoughts are unborn and fresh. The present moment abides naturally and unconstructed.

Meditation is not about stopping thoughts, but recognizing that we are not our thoughts.

Anger or hatred is like a fisherman's hook. It is very important for us to ensure that we are not caught by it.

The person who clings to nothing of the past, present and future, who has no attachment and no aversion, has no conceptual imprints.

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

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

To see the truth, do not be for or against. The struggle between for and against is the mind's worst disease.

Reality is only a Rorschach ink-blot, you know.

The most important point is to accept yourself and stand on your two feet.

The key to meditation is to recognize the nature of your mind rather than trying to change it.

Our emotions are like waves in the ocean. We can't stop the waves, but we can learn to surf.

The mind is like a room with many windows. Open them all and let the fresh air in.

Let go of what has passed. Let go of what may come. Let go of what is happening now. Don't try to figure anything out. Don't try to make anything happen. Relax, right now, and rest.

When you note pain, you should not dwell on the thought, "I feel pain." Simply recognize the presence of pain.

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

Meditation is like a gym in which you develop the powerful mental muscles of calm and insight.

The quality of every moment depends on the state of our minds.

Mindfulness is the key to transformation. It enables us to see our experience as it really is, free from distortion and bias.

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

Life is like a cup of tea. It's all in how you make it.

For things to reveal themselves to us, we need to be ready to abandon our views about them.

The basic idea of Zen is to come in touch with the inner workings of our being, and to do this in the most direct way possible, without resorting to anything external or superadded.

The rising and falling of the abdomen is not the main object. The main object is to develop mindfulness, concentration, and insight.

The root of suffering is resisting the certainty that no matter what the circumstances, uncertainty is all we truly have.

Appearances are mind, mind itself is emptiness, emptiness itself is spontaneous presence.

Choose to be optimistic, it feels better.

The way we look at the world is the way the world looks.

When thoughts arise, recognize them as the display of your own awareness, like recognizing your own children in a crowd.

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

The greatest obstacle to connecting with our joy is resentment.

The reason we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else's highlight reel.

The door of your heart can only be opened from the inside.

As long as our orientation is toward perfection or success, we will never learn about unconditional friendship with ourselves, nor will we find compassion.

When mindfulness is weak, defilements are strong; when mindfulness is strong, defilements are weak.

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.

In a mind clear as still water, even the waves, breaking, are reflecting its light.

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

The root of suffering is not in the world outside us but in our own minds.

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

The mind is intrinsically empty. It's empty of all that we perceive as being intrinsically "me" and "mine."

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

Equanimity is not indifference. It is the balanced mind that sees things clearly without reaction.

The most important factor in achieving happiness is the mind. Happiness and suffering are mental states and therefore depend on the mind.

The noting mind and the object noted appear to occur as a pair. Through concentration they are seen to arise and vanish together.

The nature of mind is not something we need to achieve - it's something we need to recognize.