Why are we so unhappy despite our material affluence? [...] [T]he modern world has lost the art of "ordinary magic" - the art of transforming our ordinary, mundane, and perhaps humdrum existence into a life of beauty and joy.

Just as a biologist cannot find life by dissecting it, an artist cannot find beauty by analyzing it.

A scientist may be able to measure coolness in terms of the temperature on registered on a thermometer; but no matter how accurate that measurement is, it still cannot capture the delight of a summer breeze.

More than anything else, Zen represents a soulful approach to life in which one remains completely vulnerable and open to life, without God as a security blanket. There is no attempt to eliminate the basic insecurity or unpredictability of life or to solve the mysteries of existence.

Life is overcome, not by finding a strong ally (God), but through the soul's ability to develop a fresh perspective that enables the transformation of harsh realities into songs.

In a nutshell, Zen is a poetization of life and a vivid expression of the human soul, albeit without the formality, rigidity, and superficiality associated with organized religions.