“Sometimes it seems that we initiate a scene and sometimes it seems that we’re just taking part in the scene. Actually, we’re initiating them all.”

“Sometimes when we think we’re protecting ourselves, we’re really hurting ourselves. And sometimes the people around us too.”

“A man descending is propelled by inertia; the only initiative left him is whether or not he decides to enjoy the passing scene.”

“We’re so used to just glancing at the environment through the eyes of the past that we’re frequently not certain if we are in fact paying attention or if we merely think that we’re paying attention. Dynamic meditation in everyday existence involves the act of truthfully seeing.Many of us have changed some aspect of our appearance only to have this go unnoticed by friends. Perhaps you’ve shaved off a mustache, added a tattoo, or altered your hairstyle, but your acquaintances failed to initially notice. In such a case, your friends were looking at their environment through the eyes of the past instead of actually seeing what was taking place in the present.”

“Check out the magic crap.” He shot me a look. “Oh, is that what we’re supposed to be doing? Because I’ve just been drawing hearts and our initials in the dirt.”

“In America, my initial impression was that death or the possibility of it always seemed to come as a surprise, as if we took it for granted that we were immortal, and that death was just an option.”