Life always gives us exactly the teacher we need at every moment. This includes every mosquito, every misfortune, every red light, every traffic jam, every obnoxious supervisor (or employee), every illness, every loss, every moment of joy or depression, every addiction, every piece of garbage, every breath. Every moment is the guru.

Charlotte Joko Beck (1917–2011) was an American Zen Buddhist teacher known for her innovations in Zen teaching, which included teaching students to work with their psychological states and allowing her students to interpret her teachings and determine their own path for practice. She herself separated her practice of American Zen from more traditional Japanese Zen by not shaving her head, wearing formal robes, or using Japanese titles. Beck was one of the first Western women teachers of Zen and founded the Ordinary Mind Zen School in 1995.