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

When you note effectively, there is no time for defilements to arise. The mind becomes pure through noting.

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

When you note pain, you should not dwell on the thought, "I feel pain." Simply recognize the presence of pain.

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?

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.

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

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

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

The practice of mindfulness is the practice of being alive in the present moment.

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

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.

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.

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.

Mindfulness is not just bare attention but wise attention that leads to understanding and insight.

Every morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.

Don't expect or desire anything. Just keep noting whatever arises in the present moment.

Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.

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

Every moment of mindfulness is a step on the path to liberation. Each step is valuable, no matter how small.

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

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

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

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

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

Mindfulness means keeping one's consciousness alive to the present reality.

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

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

Meditation is not about trying to change ourselves. Meditation is about being aware of what is.

The perfect moment is this one, not the one you're waiting for.

The key to transformation is not to fight with our experience but to open to it with awareness.

When we are mindful, deeply in touch with the present moment, our understanding of what is going on deepens, and we begin to be filled with acceptance, joy, peace and love.

The past is gone, the future is not yet here. Live in the present moment with awareness.

The quality of every moment depends on the state of our minds.

When mindfulness is weak, defilements are strong; when mindfulness is strong, defilements are weak.

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

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

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

When walking, just walk. When sitting, just sit. Above all, don't wobble.

Mindfulness is the key to transformation. It enables us to see our experience as it really is, free from distortion and bias.

Every sensation shares the same characteristic - arising, passing. Arising, passing. Learn to observe objectively.

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

Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.

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

The mind can go in a thousand directions, but on this beautiful path, I walk in peace. With each step, the wind blows. With each step, a flower blooms.

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

Because you are alive, everything is possible.

Our task is to learn to see clearly what is happening in each moment, rather than be lost in our reactions and judgments.

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

The real 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 present moment is the only moment available to us, and it is the door to all moments.

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

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.

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

The future is completely open, and we are writing it moment to moment.

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

Be happy at the moment, that's enough. Each moment is all we need, not more.

Self-awareness is the key to freedom. The more we understand ourselves, the more we understand how to be free.

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

Just know what is happening in your mind - not happy or sad about it, not attached. If you suffer, see it, know it, be empty.