“We do not exist for the sake of something else. We exist for the sake of ourselves.”

“I discovered that it is necessary, absolutely necessary, to believe in nothing. That is, we have to believe in something which has no form and no color--something which exists before all forms and colors appear... No matter what god or doctrine you believe in, if you become attached to it, your belief will be based more or less on a self-centered idea.”

“To have some deep feeling about Buddhism is not the point; we just do what we should do, like eating supper and going to bed. This is Buddhism.”

“Treat every moment as your last. It is not preparation for something else.”

“What we call "I" is just a swinging door which moves when we inhale and when we exhale.”

“Nothing we see or hear is perfect. But right there in the imperfection is perfect reality.”

“When something dies is the greatest teaching.”