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

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.

Smile, breathe, and go slowly.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Life is available only in the present moment.

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

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

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.

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

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

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 is simple: whatever you experience, you observe and note it.

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

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

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

Mindfulness is being aware of what's going on, not trying to control what's going on.

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.

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

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

Because you are alive, everything is possible.

Life is nothing but a continuous chain of sensations. Pleasant or unpleasant, observe them objectively.

The past is for learning from, not for living in.

The four foundations of mindfulness are not separate practices but different aspects of the same practice of clear awareness.

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

When we get too caught up in the busyness of the world, we lose connection with one another – and ourselves.

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.

Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves - slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future.

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

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

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.

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

When you see forms or hear sounds fully engaging body-and-mind, you intuit dharma intimately.

Each moment of mindfulness is a moment of purification.

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

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

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

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.

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

Just observe whatever arises. Don't try to create anything, and don't reject anything.

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

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

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

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

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