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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].

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
Need
Needs
Would
World
Disappear
Laughing
Dies
Born

More quotes by Shunryu Suzuki

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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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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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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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We must exist right here, right now!
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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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To give your sheep or cow a large, spacious meadow is the way to control him.
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Instead of respecting things, we want to use them for ourselves and if it is difficult to use them, we want to conquer them.
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Happiness is sorrow sorrow is happiness. There is happiness in difficulty difficulty in happiness. Even though the ways we feel are different, they are not really different, in essence they are the same. This is the true understanding transmitted from Buddha to us.
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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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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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