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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.
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
Self
God
Believe
Based
Belief
Less
Idea
Become
Centered
Ideas
Attached
Matter
Doctrine
More quotes by Shunryu Suzuki
How much 'ego' do you need? Just enough so that you don't step in front of a bus.
Shunryu Suzuki
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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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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An enlightened person does not ignore things and does not stick to things, not even to the truth.
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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.
Shunryu Suzuki
Concentration comes not from trying hard to focus on something, but from keeping your mind open and directing it at nothing.
Shunryu Suzuki
In the zazen posture, your mind and body have, great power to accept things as they are, whether agreeable or disagreeable.
Shunryu Suzuki
Moment after moment everything comes out of nothingness. This is the true joy of life.
Shunryu Suzuki
All descriptions of reality are limited expressions of the world of emptiness. Yet we attach to the descriptions and think they are reality. That is a mistake.
Shunryu Suzuki
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.
Shunryu Suzuki
Instead of criticizing, find out how to help.
Shunryu Suzuki
When you do something, you should burn yourself up completely, like a good bonfire, leaving no trace of yourself.
Shunryu Suzuki
It is easy to have calmness in inactivity, it is hard to have calmness in activity, but calmness in activity is true calmness.
Shunryu Suzuki
There are, strictly speaking, no enlightened people, there is only enlightened activity.
Shunryu Suzuki
In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, in the expert's mind there are few.
Shunryu Suzuki
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.
Shunryu Suzuki
When the restrictions you have do not limit you, this is what we mean by practice.
Shunryu Suzuki
There should not be any particular teaching. Teaching is in each moment.
Shunryu Suzuki
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.
Shunryu Suzuki
