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In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, in the expert's mind there are few.

Shunryu Suzuki

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Shunryu Suzuki
Age: 67 †
Born: 1904
Born: May 18
Died: 1971
Died: December 4
Bhikkhu
Leader
Missionary
Philosopher
Writer
Atlanta
Georgia
Teaching
Beginner
Vision
Beginners
Imagination
Expert
Inspirational
Possibilities
Many
Experts
Mind
Innovation
Meditation
Possibility

More quotes by Shunryu Suzuki

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If you want to study Zen, you should forget all your previous ideas and just practice zazen and see what kind of experience you have in your practice. That is naturalness.
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After you have practiced for a while, you will realize that it is not possible to make rapid, extraordinary progress. Even though you try very hard, the progress you make is always little by little.
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When you are fooled by something else, the damage will not be so big. But when you are fooled by yourself, it is fatal. No more medicine.
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If you want to read a letter from the Buddha's world, it is necessary to understand Buddha's world.
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True communication depends upon our being straightforward with one another... But the best way to communicate may be just to sit without saying anything.
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Things are always changing, so nothing can be yours.
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When you do something, if you fix your mind on the activity with some confidence, the quality of your state of mind is the activity itself. When you are concentrated on the quality of your being, you are prepared for the activity.
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There are, strictly speaking, no enlightened people, there is only enlightened activity.
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From True Emptiness The Wondrous Being Appears
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If you want to enjoy the movie, you should know that it is the combination of film and light and white screen, and that the most important thing is to have a plain, white screen.
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The secret of zen is just two words: not... always... so.
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If you continue this simple practice every day, you will obtain some wonderful power. Before you attain it, it is something wonderful, but after you attain it, it is nothing special.
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In your everyday life you always have opportunities for enlightenment. If you go to the rest room, there is a chance to attain enlightenment. When you cook, there is a chance to attain enlightenment. When you clean the floor, there is a chance to attain enlightenment.
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Discipline is creating the situation.
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Moment after moment everything comes out of nothingness. This is the true joy of life.
Shunryu Suzuki
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To have some deep feeling about Buddhism is not the point we just do what we should do, like eating supper and going to bed. This is Buddhism.
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To accept some idea of truth without experiencing it is like a painting of a cake on paper which you cannot eat.
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It is wisdom that is seeking for wisdom.
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Our way is to practice one step at a time, one breath at a time, with no gaining idea.
Shunryu Suzuki
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The highest truth is daiji, translated as dai jiki in Chinese scriptures. This is the subject of the question the emperor asked Bodhidharma: What is the First Principle? Bodhidharma said, I don't know. I don't know is the First Principle.
Shunryu Suzuki