Shunryu Suzuki Quotes - Page 4

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It is wisdom that is seeking for wisdom.

Shunryu Suzuki

Seeking

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Zen is not some kind of excitement, but concentration on our usual everyday routine.

Shunryu Suzuki

Buddhist, Kindness, Freedom

Shunryu Suzuki (2010). “Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind”, p.42, Shambhala Publications

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Life without zazen is like winding your clock without setting it. It runs perfectly well, but it dosen't tell time.

Shunryu Suzuki

Running, Clock, Wells

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Enlightenment is not a complete remedy.

Shunryu Suzuki

Enlightenment, Remedy

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In the zazen posture, your mind and body have, great power to accept things as they are, whether agreeable or disagreeable.

Shunryu Suzuki

Mind, Body, Accepting

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If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything; it is open to everything.

Shunryu Suzuki

Meditation, Mind, Empty

Shunryu Suzuki (2010). “Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind”, p.2, Shambhala Publications

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When you understand one thing through and through, you understand everything.

Shunryu Suzuki

One Thing

Shunryu Suzuki (2018). “Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice”, p.66, House of Majied Publications via PublishDrive

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When we do not expect anything we can be ourselves. That is our way, to live fully in each moment of time.

Shunryu Suzuki

Way To Live, Way, Moments

"Not Always So: Practicing the True Spirit of Zen". Book by Shunryū Suzuki. Chapter: "Shikantaza: Living Fully In Each Moment", p. 4, 2002.

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Although we have no actual written communications from the world of emptiness, we have some hints or suggestions about what is going on in that world, and that is, you might say, enlightenment. When you see plum blossoms or hear the sound of a small stone hitting bamboo, that is a letter from the world of emptiness.

Shunryu Suzuki

Communication, Enlightenment, Sound

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Big mind is something to express, not something to figure out. Big mind is something you have, not something to seek for.

Shunryu Suzuki

Mind, Figures, Bigs

Shunryū Suzuki, Trudy Dixon, Richard Baker (2006). “Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind”, p.109, Shambhala Publications

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Everything you do is right, nothing you do is wrong, yet you must still make ceaseless effort.

Shunryu Suzuki

Perfection, Effort, Stills

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The purpose of our practice is just to be yourself.

Shunryu Suzuki

Being Yourself, Practice, Purpose

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No teaching could be more direct than just to sit down.

Shunryu Suzuki

Teaching, Direct

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For Zen students a weed is a treasure. With this attitude, whatever you do, life becomes an art.

Shunryu Suzuki

Weed, Art, Attitude

Shunryu Suzuki (2010). “Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind”, p.113, Shambhala Publications

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Our practice should be based on the ideal of selflessness. Selflessness is very difficult to understand. If you try to be selfless, that is already a selfish idea. Selflessness will be there when you do not try anything.

Shunryu Suzuki

Selfish, Practice, Ideas

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While you are continuing this practice, week after week, year after year, your experience will become deeper and deeper, and your experience will cover everything you do in your everyday life. The most important thing is to forget all gain ing ideas, all dualistic ideas. In other words, just practice zazen in a certain posture. Do not think about anything. Just remain on your cushion without expecting anything. Then eventually you will resume your own true nature. That is to say, your own true nature resumes itself.

Shunryu Suzuki

Thinking, Years, Practice

Shunryu Suzuki (2010). “Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind”, p.34, Shambhala Publications

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As long as you seek for something, you will get the shadow of reality and not reality itself.

Shunryu Suzuki

Reality, Long, Shadow

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The seed has no idea of being some particular plant, but it has its own form and is in perfect harmony with the ground, with its surroundings ... and there is no trouble. This is what we mean by naturalness.

Shunryu Suzuki

Mean, Cutting, Ideas

Shunryu Suzuki (2010). “Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind”, p.97, Shambhala Publications

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In the beginner's mind there is no thought, "I have attained something." All self-centered thoughts limit our vast mind. When we have no thought of achievement, no thought of self, we are true beginners. Then we can really learn something. The beginner's mind is the mind of compassion. When our mind is compassionate, it is boundless. Dogen-zenji, the founder of our school, always emphasized how important it is to resume our boundless original mind. Then we are always true to ourselves, in sympathy with all beings, and can actually practice.

Shunryu Suzuki

School, Compassion, Self

Shunryu Suzuki (2010). “Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind”, p.2, Shambhala Publications

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To cook is not just to prepare food for someone or to cook for yourself; it is to express your sincerity. So when you cook you should express yourself in your activity in the kitchen. You should allow yourself plenty of time.

Shunryu Suzuki

Cooking, Kitchen, Sincerity

Shunryū Suzuki, Trudy Dixon, Richard Baker (2006). “Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind”, p.50, Shambhala Publications

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If you cannot bow to Buddha, you cannot be a Buddha. It is arrogance.

Shunryu Suzuki

Arrogance, Bows, Ifs

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We must exist right here, right now!

Shunryu Suzuki

Right Now

Shunryū Suzuki, Trudy Dixon, Richard Baker (2006). “Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind”, p.10, Shambhala Publications

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A garden is never finished.

Shunryu Suzuki

Garden, Finished

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So when you try hard to make your own way, you will help others...before you make your own way you cannot help anyone, and no one can help you.

Shunryu Suzuki

Helping Others, Trying, Way

Shunryu Suzuki (2018). “Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice”, p.66, House of Majied Publications via PublishDrive

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The mind of the beginner is empty, free of the habits of the experts, ready to accept, to doubt, and open to all possibilities.

Shunryu Suzuki

Doubt, Mind, Experts

Shunryu Suzuki (2010). “Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind”, p.14, Shambhala Publications

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Born: May 18, 1904
Died: December 4, 1971
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