Quote

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.

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
Everything
Purely
Time
Dependent
Door
Independent
Truly
Doors
Upon
Become
Swinging

More quotes by Shunryu Suzuki

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Each of you is perfect the way you are ... and you can use a little improvement.
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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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Instead of criticizing, find out how to help.
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Although we have no actual written communications from the world of emptiness, we have some hints or suggestions about what is going on in that world, and that is, you might say, enlightenment. When you see plum blossoms or hear the sound of a small stone hitting bamboo, that is a letter from the world of emptiness.
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Our mind should be free from traces of the past, just like the flowers of spring.
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A Master who cannot bow to a disciple cannot bow to Buddha.
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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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Religion is not any particular teaching. Religion is everywhere.
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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 sit, everything sits with you.
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If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything it is open to everything.
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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.
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You will always exist in the universe in one form or another.
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We try, and we try, and we fail and then we go deeper.
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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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Whereever you are, you are one with the clouds and one with the sun and the stars you see. You are one with everything. That is more true than I can say, and more true than you can hear.
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The purpose of our practice is just to be yourself.
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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 do something, you should burn yourself up completely, like a good bonfire, leaving no trace of yourself.
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Time goes from present to past.
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