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

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

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

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

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

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.

Every experience is an opportunity to practice awareness.

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

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

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

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

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

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

What you are is what you have been. What you'll be is what you do now.

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

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 past is for learning from, not for living in.

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

No valid plans for the future can be made by those who have no capacity for living now.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

Because you are alive, everything is possible.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

Breathing in, I calm body and mind. Breathing out, I smile.

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

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

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 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.

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

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

Our basic nature is pure awareness that simply cognizes experience. Everything else is temporary and adventitious.

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

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

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

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

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

The color of the mountains is Buddha's body; the sound of running water is his great speech.

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.

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

Life is available only in the present moment.

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

The signs of practice are not in extraordinary experiences but in extraordinary awareness of ordinary experiences.

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

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.