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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.

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
True
Strictly
Nature
Mindfulness
Human
Excellence
Humans
Speaking
Way
Direct
Life
Expression
Growth
Practice

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To express yourself as you are, without any intentional, fancy way of adjusting yourself, is the most important thing.
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To give your sheep or cow a large, spacious meadow is the way to control him.
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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 big mind, everything has the same value...In your practice you should accept everything as it is, giving to each thing the same respect given to a Buddha. Here there is Buddhahood
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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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An enlightened person does not ignore things and does not stick to things, not even to the truth.
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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.
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People say that practicing Zen is difficult, but there is a misunderstanding as to why. It is not difficult because it is hard to sit in the cross- legged position, or to attain enlightenment. It is difficult because it is hard to keep our mind pure and our practice pure in its fundamental sense.
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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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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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When you do something, you should burn yourself up completely, like a good bonfire, leaving no trace of yourself.
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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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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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Moment after moment, completely devote yourself to listening to your inner voice.
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The true practice to meditation is to sit as if you where drinking water when you are thirsty.
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It is a big mistake to think that the best way to express yourself is to do whatever you want, acting as you please. This is not expressing yourself. If you know what to do exactly, and you do it, then you can express yourself fully.
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Zazen practice and everyday activity are one thing. We call zazen everyday life, and everyday life zazen.
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People who know the state of emptiness will always be able to dissolve their problems by constancy.
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