"Zen Buddhism is about awareness. Not awareness of something in particular, but awareness itself—being awake, alert, in touch with what is actually happening. It's about examining and exploring the most basic questions of life. It's about relying on the immediate experience of this present moment. It's about freedom of mind. It's not about belief, doctrine, formula, or tradition. The observations and insights of the Buddha are plain, practical, and eminently down-to-earth. They deal exclusively with here and now—not with theory, speculation, or belief in some far-off time or place. Because these teachings remain focused in this moment, they remain relevant, and of profound value, to every culture and every person who investigates them seriously."