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Things are always changing, so nothing can be yours.

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
Changing
Nothing
Always
Things

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Instead of criticizing, find out how to help.
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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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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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If you take pride in your attainment or become discouraged because of your idealistic effort, your practice will confine you by a thick wall.
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Only when you understand people, they may understand you. So even though you do not say anything, if you understand people there is some communication.
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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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When you sit, everything sits with you.
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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 the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, in the expert's mind there are few.
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If it is raining out, do not walk fast, because it is raining everywhere.
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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 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.
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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.
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Nothing we see or hear is perfect. But right there in the imperfection is perfect reality.
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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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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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To be different is to have value. In this sense all things have equal, absolute value. Each thing has absolute value and thus is equal to everything else.
Shunryu Suzuki
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We try, and we try, and we fail and then we go deeper.
Shunryu Suzuki
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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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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