Nirvana is the center of things; then there are the outer bandings of attention. The universe is a mind. At the center of its mind is nirvana.

Focusing on an enlightened teacher is a doorway. It is not a person. We are focusing on the light that passes through them. We are moving through them into the planes of light and eventually to nirvana.

It's certainly easy to meditate on top of a mountain, but one should be also able to meditate in the heart of the city.

You identify with your self. You have a personal history. You have commitments. There are things that you want to experience and other things that you want to avoid.

When you go into the planes of light, all of the incorrect ways of seeing and understanding life that you pick up are washed away.

You should be drawing awareness from a deeper part of your being. Your deeper mind has everything already. It knows everything already. It has all the answers.

The way of Zen is to become independent and strong. Don't rely on others for perceptions of life and truth. Do it individually. Go to a teacher of Zen to learn how to do that, not to get answers for individual life situations.