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Nothing we see or hear is perfect. But right there in the imperfection is perfect reality.

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
Perfect
Reality
Nothing
Right
Imperfection
Hear

More quotes by Shunryu Suzuki

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If it is raining out, do not walk fast, because it is raining everywhere.
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Our mind should be free from traces of the past, just like the flowers of spring.
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Life and death are the same thing. When we realize this fact, we have no fear of death anymore, nor actual difficulty in our life.
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If you were not born in this world, there would be no need to die. To be born in this world is to die, to disappear [laughing].
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If you think your body and mind are two, that is wrong if you think that they are one, that is also wrong. Our body and mind are both two and one.
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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.
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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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There should not be any particular teaching. Teaching is in each moment.
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Take care of things, and they will take care of you.
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You see something or hear a sound, and there you have everything just as it is. [...] Whatever you do, it should be an expression of the same deep activity. We should appreciate what we are doing. There is no preparation for something else.
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When you say, Wait a moment, you are bound by your karma when you say Yes I will, you are free.
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If you cannot bow to Buddha, you cannot be a Buddha. It is arrogance.
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A tiger does not ignore or slight any small animal. The way he catches a mouse and catches and devours a cow are the same.
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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.
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There is no connection between I myself yesterday and I myself in this moment
Shunryu Suzuki
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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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Moment after moment, completely devote yourself to listening to your inner voice.
Shunryu Suzuki
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Meditation opens the mind to the greatest mystery that takes place daily and hourly it widens the heart so that it may feel the eternity of time and infinity of space in every throb it gives us a life within the world as if we were moving about in paradise.
Shunryu Suzuki
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There are, strictly speaking, no enlightened people, there is only enlightened activity.
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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