Time passes unhindered. When we make mistakes, we cannot turn the clock back and try again. All we can do is use the present well.

The practice is not about achieving special states but about seeing ordinary experience with extraordinary clarity.

Sensations are not your enemy. They are your teacher. Through observing them, you understand the truth of existence.

In the moment of pure noting, there is no self - only the knowing and the known.

Mindfulness is the quality and power of mind that is aware of what's happening—without judgment and without interference.

The whole path of mindfulness is about letting go. We let go of our attachment to our views, our attachment to our opinions, our attachment to our ideas.

Who would then deny that when I am sipping tea in my tearoom I am swallowing the whole universe with it and that this very moment of my lifting the bowl to my lips is eternity itself transcending time and space?

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.

When we rest in awareness, we discover a peace that is always present, regardless of circumstances.

Each moment of noting is a moment of purification, a moment of cultivating the path.

Every time we become aware of a thought, as opposed to being lost in a thought, we experience that opening of the mind.

Life is available only in the present moment.

The idea of Zen is to catch life as it flows. There is nothing extraordinary or mysterious about Zen. I raise my hand; I take a book from the other side of the desk; I hear the boys playing ball outside my window; I see the clouds blown away beyond the neighboring wood: all these I do in Zen.

Each moment of mindfulness is a moment of purification.

Whatever we do, we should see ourselves. Reading books doesn't show us our defilements. Watch yourself. Watch your mind.

The true purpose of Zen is to see things as they are, to observe things as they are, and to let everything go as it goes.

The difference between misery and happiness depends on what we do with our attention.

The practice of mindfulness is simply to bring awareness to what we are doing, what we are saying, and what we are thinking.

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

Because you are alive, everything is possible.

Past thoughts are traceless, clear, and empty. Future thoughts are unborn and fresh. The present moment abides naturally and unconstructed.

When you note pain, you are not trying to make it go away. You are trying to understand its true nature.

The technique of self-observation is the technique of observing the reality about oneself at the experiential level.

Meditation is not an escape from life but a way to fully engage with life.

The practice of mindfulness transforms the mind from a place of suffering into an instrument of enlightenment.

When you do something, you should burn yourself completely, like a good bonfire, leaving no trace of yourself.

The more precisely you note, the more clearly you understand. The more clearly you understand, the stronger your insight becomes.

Meditation is not about getting away from it all. It's about getting into it all.

Every moment is a fresh beginning. Every breath is a new chance.

Rejoicing in ordinary things is not sentimental or trite. It actually takes guts.

The art of living... is neither careless drifting on the one hand nor fearful clinging to the past on the other. It consists in being sensitive to each moment, in regarding it as utterly new and unique, in having the mind open and wholly receptive.

Ardently do today what must be done. Who knows? Tomorrow, death comes.

Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.

One moment can change a day, one day can change a life, and one life can change the world.

Meditation is the ultimate mobile device; you can use it anywhere, anytime, unobtrusively.

We can learn to be present with whatever is happening in our lives, and in this way, we can begin to transform our relationship to difficulty.

When we look directly at our thoughts, they dissolve like bubbles in water.

Mindfulness is the key to the present moment. Without it we cannot see the world clearly, and we cannot make the wisest choices in our lives.

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

Zen does not confuse spirituality with thinking about God while one is peeling potatoes. Zen spirituality is just to peel the potatoes.

Impermanence, suffering, and non-self are not philosophical concepts but realities to be directly perceived through mindfulness practice.

Mindfulness helps us get better at seeing the difference between what's happening and the stories we tell ourselves about what's happening.

Breathing in, there is only the present moment. Breathing out, it is a wonderful moment.

Each breath is a new beginning, a fresh opportunity to awaken.

The only way to experience truth is to look within, to observe oneself.

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.

The most precious gift we can offer others is our presence. When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers.

Mindfulness isn't difficult, we just need to remember to do it.

If you love someone, the greatest gift you can give them is your presence.

This is the real secret of life -- to be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now. And instead of calling it work, realize it is play.

Moment after moment, completely devote yourself to listening to your inner voice.

Mindfulness is the gentle effort to be continuously present with experience.

Every experience is an opportunity to practice awareness.

Study the Buddha's teaching which is present in every moment.

Each moment of clear seeing is a moment of freedom from the illusion of permanence, satisfaction, and self.

Observe the reality as it is, not as you wish it to be.

When mindfulness becomes continuous, the distinction between the observer and the observed begins to break down.

The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.

Try to be mindful and let things take their natural course. Then your mind will become still in any surroundings, like a clear forest pool.

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