When we let go of all our prejudices, there is no other possible reality than the one that exists right now. […] This undeniable reality is the reality of life, which is radically connected to everything in the universe. Therefore, the exact now is what matters the most.

Staying in the here and now, in the very reality, letting go of all the things that randomly appear in our minds, is what I mean by "opening the hand of thought”.

Very few texts delve deeply into the philosophy and practice of Zen as this one does. This book conveys the essence of Zen practice and zazen – seated meditation – with incomparable clarity and power, stemming from the lived experience of a unique contemporary teacher.