Quote

Life without zazen is like winding your clock without setting it. It runs perfectly well, but it dosen't tell time.

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
Life
Clock
Like
Setting
Running
Tell
Wells
Winding
Without
Runs
Well
Settings
Time
Perfectly

More quotes by Shunryu Suzuki

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The more you practice zazen, the more you will be able to accept something as your own, whatever it is.
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When you try to understand everything, you will not understand anything. The best way is to understand yourself, and then you will understand everything.
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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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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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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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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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When you sit, everything sits with you.
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If you cannot bow to Buddha, you cannot be a Buddha. It is arrogance.
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How much 'ego' do you need? Just enough so that you don't step in front of a bus.
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Each one of us must make his own true way, and when we do, that way will express the universal way.
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Nothing we see or hear is perfect. But right there in the imperfection is perfect reality.
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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.
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There should not be any particular teaching. Teaching is in each moment.
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A Master who cannot bow to a disciple cannot bow to Buddha.
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A tiger does not ignore or slight any small animal. The way he catches a mouse and catches and devours a cow are the same.
Shunryu Suzuki
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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 your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything it is open to everything.
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We do not slight the idea of enlightenment, but the most important thing is this moment, not some day in the future. We have to make our effort in this moment. This is the most important thing for our practice.
Shunryu Suzuki
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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