Concentration is a cornerstone of mindfulness practice. Your mindfulness will only be as robust as your capacity to ground your attention in the present moment.

People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth.

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

The awareness that you are here, right now, is the ultimate fact.

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

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

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?

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

Through our eyes, the universe is perceiving itself. Through our ears, the universe is listening to its harmonies. We are the witnesses through which the universe becomes conscious of its glory, of its magnificence.

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.

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

Mindfulness is being aware of what is happening right now, without wishing it were different.

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.

In the spiritual world there are no time divisions such as the past, present and future; for they have contracted themselves into a single moment of the present where life quivers in its true sense.

Fear keeps us focused on the past or worried about the future. If we can acknowledge our fear, we can realize that right now we are okay.

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

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

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

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

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

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

The five aggregates are not a theoretical model but a description of lived experience to be investigated through mindfulness.

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

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

There are many ways to meditate. But at the heart of them all is mindfulness.

The things that matter most in our lives are not fantastic or grand. They are the moments when we touch one another.

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.

Life is available only in the present moment.

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.

Mindfulness helps you go home to the present. And every time you go there and recognize a condition of happiness that you have, happiness comes.

Awareness is the basis, or what you might call the "support," of the mind. It is steady and unchanging, like the pole to which the flag of ordinary consciousness is attached.

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

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 present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.

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.

Mindfulness is attention to life, and life itself is sacred.

When mindfulness and concentration are strong, insight into the three characteristics naturally unfolds.

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

Smile, breathe, and go slowly.

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

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

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

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

There are only two days in the year that nothing can be done. One is called yesterday and the other is called tomorrow, so today is the right day to love, believe, do and mostly live.

The practice of mindfulness begins in the small, remote cave of your unconscious mind and blossoms with the sunlight of your conscious life.

Awareness is always with us. We don't need to create it or achieve it - we just need to recognize what's already there.

Through continuous mindfulness practice, the true nature of physical and mental phenomena becomes clear.

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

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

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

The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the green earth, dwelling deeply in the present moment and feeling truly alive.

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

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.

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

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

The Buddha's teachings are not about abandoning our lives but about bringing the fullness of our attention to our lives.

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

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

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