Gassho! (I bow to you)

The word "Buddha" comes from the root buddh, which means to wake up. A Buddha is someone who is awake. When Buddhists greet one another, we hold our palms together like a lotus flower, breathe in and out mindfully, bow, and say silently, "A lotus for you, a Buddha to be." This kind of greeting produces two Buddhas as the same time. We acknowledge the seeds of awakening, Buddhahood, that are within the other person, whatever his or her age or status. And we practice mindful breathing to touch the seed of Buddhahood within ourselves....

Our true home is in the present moment...The miracle is to walk on the green earth in the present moment. Peace is all around us---in the world and in nature--and within us--in our bodies and our spirits. Once we learn to touch this peace, we will be healed and transformed...We need only to bring our body and mind into the present moment, and we will touch what is refreshing, healing, and wondrous.

--Thich Nhat Hanh