By understanding emptiness, one understands all phenomena. Without understanding emptiness, one understands nothing.

The Buddha's teaching is not a philosophy or a religion; it is a method of practice.

Our basic nature is pure awareness that simply cognizes experience. Everything else is temporary and adventitious.

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.

Conquer anger with non-anger. Conquer evil with good. Conquer stinginess with giving. Conquer deceit with truth.

The mind that sees its own nature becomes free from all extremes.

True love is not for the faint-hearted.

The true mark of a spiritual practitioner is that your own behavior is better, not that you can criticize others well.

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

The more you understand, the more you love; the more you love, the more you understand.

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

The best way to control people is to encourage them to be mischievous. Then they will be in control in a wider sense.

The difference between being caught in thoughts and being mindful of thoughts is like the difference between being in a movie and watching a movie.

Not knowing how near the truth is, we seek it far away.

When you walk in the mist, you get wet.

Emptiness is not nothingness. Emptiness is the space of possibility.

The goal of the Buddhist path is not to add something to our existence but to discover something that has been there all along.

The greatest obstacle to connecting with our joy is resentment.

In the spring, hundreds of flowers; in autumn, a harvest moon; in the summer, a refreshing breeze; in winter, snow will accompany you. If useless things do not hang in your mind, any season is a good season for you.

The Buddha's teachings are not about abandoning our lives but about bringing the fullness of our attention to our lives.

The path of practice requires both faith and wisdom, both devotion and understanding.

Just to be alive is enough.

Love is not a feeling. It's a capability.

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

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

Be happy at the moment, that's enough. Each moment is all we need, not more.

The Buddha's teaching is not about belief but about investigation, not about accepting but about examining.

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

The more clearly you see the arising and passing of phenomena, the less you will be attached to them.

Trees, mountains, and vines all exist in nature according to their own truth. They are born and die following their nature. They remain this way because that's what they are. They don't practice meditation or do anything special.

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

All worldly pursuits have but one unavoidable and inevitable end, which is sorrow; acquisitions end in dispersion; buildings in destruction; meetings in separation; births in death.

Your own treasure house contains everything you need; why search outside?

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.

Awareness is like the sun. When it shines on things, they are transformed.

Just as true humor is laughter at oneself, true humanity is knowledge of oneself.

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

When we meet real tragedy in life, we can react in two ways - either by losing hope and falling into self-destructive habits, or by using the challenge to find our inner strength.

Mindfulness is being aware of what's going on, not trying to control what's going on.

In the gap between thoughts, nonconceptual wisdom shines continuously.

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

Wisdom and compassion must be developed equally and harmoniously.

The real meaning of enlightenment is to gaze with undimmed eyes on all darkness.

A good friend who points out mistakes and imperfections and rebukes evil is to be respected as if he reveals a secret of hidden treasure.

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

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

The true person is not anyone in particular. But like the deep blue color of the limitless sky, it is everyone, everywhere in the world.

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

Our own life has to be our message.

Compassion is the radicalism of our time.

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

Zen is not necessarily against words, but it is well aware of their limitations.

Work diligently. Diligently. Work patiently and persistently. Patiently and persistently. And you're bound to be successful. Bound to be successful.

True happiness is not about getting rid of all our problems, but about changing our relationship to them.

Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.

The path to enlightenment is not a path at all. It is a realization that where you are is where you have always been.

Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck.

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

If you want to know your past life, look at your present condition. If you want to know your future life, look at your present actions.

The path of insight is a path of discovery, not a path of creation. We are discovering what is already there.