“You should sit and meditate for 20 minutes, unless you’re too busy, then you should sit and meditate for an hour.”
-Zen Proverb
Self-Mastery
“Be master of mind rather than mastered by mind.”
-Zen Proverb
Individuality
“A lily or a rose never pretends, and its beauty is that it is what it is.”
-Jiddu Krishnamurti
Serenity
“You are the sky. Everything else – it’s just the weather.”
-Pema Chödrön
Mindfulness
“Life always gives us exactly the teacher we need at every moment. This includes every mosquito, every misfortune, every red light, every traffic jam, every obnoxious supervisor (or employee), every illness, every loss, every moment of joy or depression, every addiction, every piece of garbage, every breath. Every moment is the guru.”
-Joko Beck
Liberation
“Breath by breath, let go of fear, expectation, anger, regret, cravings, frustration, fatigue. Let go of the need for approval. Let go of old judgments and opinions. Die to all that, and fly free.”
-Lama Surya Das
Perception
“We are not disturbed by what happens to us, but by our thoughts about what happens to us.”
-Epictetus
Self-Reflection
“Attack the evil that is within yourself, rather than attacking the evil that is in others.”
-Confucius
Attachment
“Letting go takes a lot of courage sometimes. But once you let go, happiness comes very quickly. You won’t have to go around searching for it.”
-Thich Nhat Hanh
Ego
“A fool sees himself as another, but a wise man sees others as himself.”
-Dogen
Pride
“The man who asks a question is a fool for a minute, the man who does not ask is a fool for life.”
-Confucius
Happiness
“When we start to feel anxious or depressed, instead of asking, ‘What do I need to get to be happy?’ The question becomes, ‘What am I doing to disturb the inner peace that I already have?’.”
-D.T. Suzuki
Character
“A great man is hard on himself; a small man is hard on others.”
-Confucius
Expansiveness
“To be truly ignorant, be content with your own knowledge.”
-Zhuangzi
Perseverance
“A man is great not because he hasn’t failed; a man is great because failure hasn’t stopped him.”
-Confucius
Right Action
“As a bee gathering nectar does not harm or disturb the color and fragrance of the flower; so do the wise move through the world.”
-Buddha
Religion
“There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.”
-Dalai Lama
Action
“Don’t curse the darkness, light a candle.”
-Confucius
Courage
“Life begins where fear ends.”
-Osho
Determination
“All know the way, but few actually walk it.”
-Bodhidharma
