Without suffering there cannot be happiness. Without mud there cannot be any lotus flowers.

There is no distinction between means and ends. There is no way to happiness, happiness is the way. There is no way to enlightenment, enlightenment is the way.

Letting go takes a lot of courage sometimes. But once you let go, happiness comes very quickly. You won't have to go around search for it.

The person who suffers most in this world is the person who has many wrong perceptions, and most of our perceptions are erroneous.

Happiness isn't possible without freedom.

Suppose you want something very much. You think that if you don’t get that something, happiness won’t be possible. You get caught in that idea. But, in reality, there are people who have that thing who are miserable, and there people who don’t have that thing who are perfectly happy.

That is why I don't believe much in what Mr. Descartes said: "I think, therefore I am." I think, therefore I'm lost in my thinking. I'm not there.

When you begin to practice mindfulness, you begin as a part-time Buddha. Slowly you become a full-time Buddha. Sometimes you are a Buddha; sometimes you fall back; and then, with steady practice, you become a Buddha once again. Buddhahood is within reach because, like the Buddha, you’re a human being. You can become a Buddha whenever you like. Buddha is available in the here and now, anytime, anywhere.

We can't wait to be happy until we remove one hundred percent of suffering. That moment will never exist.