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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

In the spring, hundreds of flowers; in autumn, a harvest moon; in the summer, a refreshing breeze; in winter, snow will accompany you. If useless things do not hang in your mind, any season is a good season for you.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

Waking up this morning, I smile. Twenty-four brand new hours are before me. I vow to live fully in each moment.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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