In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's there are few.

The mind is everything. What you think, you become.

In my youth I studied, in my prime I practiced, now all my doubts are cleared.

What we learn about the world is colored by the way we approach it.

Nothing ever goes away until it has taught us what we need to know.

Compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded. It's a relationship between equals.

Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is relax.

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

The essence of bravery is being without self-deception.

There is no way to happiness - happiness is the way.

When you understand one thing through and through, you understand everything. When you try to understand everything, you will not understand anything.

Real happiness lies within. It cannot be found in external objects or achievements.

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

Do not follow the ideas of others, but learn to listen to the voice within yourself.

When you plant lettuce, if it does not grow well, you don't blame the lettuce. You look for reasons it is not doing well. It may need fertilizer, or more water, or less sun. You never blame the lettuce.

Don't be a bodhisatta; don't be an arahant; don't be anything at all. Being something makes you suffer.

Many people think excitement is happiness... But when you are excited you are not peaceful. True happiness is based on peace.

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

Recognize the emptiness of all phenomena, but do not become attached to emptiness itself.

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

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.

The treasure house within you contains everything, and you are free to use it. You don't need to seek outside.

A pure mind is always full of love - real love for all others.

All that appears and exists, all of samsara and nirvana, has one ground, two paths, and two results. This is the magical display of awareness and unawareness.

Anxiety and excitement are the same emotion. The only difference is our attitude toward the experience.

When one sees with wisdom that all phenomena are empty of inherent existence, one is liberated from suffering.

In the beginning, nothing comes, in the middle nothing stays, in the end nothing goes.

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

Trying to define yourself is like trying to bite your own teeth.

The truth of suffering is not to be feared but to be understood through direct observation.

Life is available only in the present moment.

The one who grasps at existence suffers in samsara, while the one who grasps at non-existence will find no liberation.

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.

Change is the nature of every phenomenon. Accept this truth and you will live a happy life.

Silence is sometimes the best answer.

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

Don't take life too seriously. No one gets out alive anyway.

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

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

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

Don't be afraid of the future. The future is good.

When you love someone, you have to have trust and confidence. Love without trust is not yet love.

The practice of patience guards us against losing our presence of mind.

The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.

True freedom is a freedom from the tyranny of our own thoughts and afflictive emotions.

Knowledge must be stabilized by meditation. Without meditation, knowledge is like a child in battle.

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

Wisdom and compassion must be developed equally and harmoniously.

The greatest obstacle to connecting with our joy is resentment.

Through continuous mindfulness practice, the true nature of physical and mental phenomena becomes clear.

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

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

The most difficult times for many of us are the ones we give ourselves.

To think in terms of either pessimism or optimism oversimplifies the truth. The problem is to see reality as it is.

The goal of Buddhist practice is not to escape from the world but to transform our relationship with it.

The mind is the forerunner of all things. Our present life is the result of our past thoughts, and our future life will be the result of our present thoughts.

The past is just a memory. The future is just a dream. Be here now.

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

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

Although all phenomena are empty of inherent existence, they function perfectly well.