Present Moment

The Zen patriarchs said, “If you are lost in the previous thought, you are a sentient being; but if in the next moment you awaken to your true essence, then you are a Buddha.” So, the mind is the means through which all states of existence are expressed. Once you grasp this concept, you will have great freedom.

The right practice offers no shortcut. You have to face yourself, and you must try to uplift yourself. Use the mind in positive ways. Constantly improve its expression. The past is already past. The past “you” was a creation of the mind. The past “you” is gone. The present “you” is the expression of the mind solely for this moment. Each moment is a separate phenomenon.

~ by Zen Master Miao Tsan