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When you do something, you should burn yourself up completely, like a good bonfire, leaving no trace of yourself.

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
Something
Good
Like
Bonfire
Trace
Burn
Leaving
Completely
Effort

More quotes by Shunryu Suzuki

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Instead of respecting things, we want to use them for ourselves and if it is difficult to use them, we want to conquer them.
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Zazen practice is the direct expression of our true nature. Strictly speaking, for a human being, there is no other practice than this practice there is no other way of life than this way of life.
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If it is raining out, do not walk fast, because it is raining everywhere.
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In the Lotus Sutra, Buddha says to light up one corner - not the whole world. Just make it clear where you are.
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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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How much 'ego' do you need? Just enough so that you don't step in front of a bus.
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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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Each of you is perfect the way you are ... and you can use a little improvement.
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We do not exist for the sake of something else. We exist for the sake of ourselves.
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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.
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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.
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Moment after moment everything comes out of nothingness. This is the true joy of life.
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Christopher McCandless:I will miss you too, but you are wrong if you think that the joy of life comes principally from the joy of human relationships. God's place is all around us, it is in everything and in anything we can experience. People just need to change the way they look at things.
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When we become truly ourselves, we just become a swinging door, and we are purely independent of, and at the same time, dependent upon everything.
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In the mind of the beginner, there are many possibilities. In the mind of the expert there are few.
Shunryu Suzuki
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No matter what god or doctrine you believe in, if you become attached to it, your belief will be based more or less on a self-centered idea.
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We try, and we try, and we fail and then we go deeper.
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It is only by practicing through a continual succession of agreeable and disagreeable situations that we acquire true strengths. To accept that pain is inherent and to live our lives from this understanding is to create the causes and conditions for happiness.
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Instead of criticizing, find out how to help.
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Zen is not some fancy, special art of living. Our teaching is just to live, always in reality, in its exact sense. To make our effort, moment after moment, is our way.
Shunryu Suzuki