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Shunryu Suzuki Quotes

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Shunryu Suzuki, born on May 18, 1904, was a renowned Zen master from Japan. He played a significant role in spreading Zen culture in the Western world.

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All Ifs Mind Practice Way Zen Should Trying Moments Ideas Meditation Enlightenment Thinking Activity Accepting Buddhism Self World Beginners Important Teaching

Famous Shunryu Suzuki Quotes

“To express yourself as you are, without any intentional, fancy way of adjusting yourself, is the most important thing.”

Way Important Important Things Fancy Express Yourself Adjusting

Author:Shunryu Suzuki

“When you sit in the full lotus position, your left foot is on your right thigh and your right foot is on your left thigh. When we cross our legs like this, even though we have a right leg and a left leg, they become one. The position expresses the oneness of duality: not two and not one. This is the most important teaching: not two, and not one. Our body and mind are not two and not one. 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.”

Ifs Thinking Mind Two Important Body Left Feet Teaching Position Crosses Legs Your Body Oneness Mind And Body Duality Thighs Lotuses

Author:Shunryu Suzuki

“If you want to enjoy the movie, you should know that it is the combination of film and light and white screen, and that the most important thing is to have a plain, white screen.”

Ifs Knows Want Should Important Light Film Enjoy White Important Things Screens Combination

Author:Shunryu Suzuki

“The most important point is to accept yourself and stand on your two feet.”

Two Important Accepting Feet Accepting Yourself Zen Proverb Zen Life

Author:Shunryu Suzuki

“While you are continuing this practice, week after week, year after year, your experience will become deeper and deeper, and your experience will cover everything you do in your everyday life. The most important thing is to forget all gain ing ideas, all dualistic ideas. In other words, just practice zazen in a certain posture. Do not think about anything. Just remain on your cushion without expecting anything. Then eventually you will resume your own true nature. That is to say, your own true nature resumes itself.”

Source: Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind

“Our tendency is to be interested in something that is growing in the garden, not in the bare soil itself. But if you want to have a good harvest, the most important thing is to make the soil rich and cultivate it well.”

Ifs Want Wells Important Rich Growing Garden Important Things Tendencies Soil Harvest

Author:Shunryu Suzuki

“So it is not a matter of whether it is possible to attain Buddhahood, or if it is possible to make a tile a jewel. But just to work, just to live in this world with this understanding is the most important point, and that is our practice. That is true zazen.”

Ifs World Important Matter Understanding Practice This World Jewels Tiles

Author:Shunryu Suzuki

“In the beginner's mind there is no thought, "I have attained something." All self-centered thoughts limit our vast mind. When we have no thought of achievement, no thought of self, we are true beginners. Then we can really learn something. The beginner's mind is the mind of compassion. When our mind is compassionate, it is boundless. Dogen-zenji, the founder of our school, always emphasized how important it is to resume our boundless original mind. Then we are always true to ourselves, in sympathy with all beings, and can actually practice.”

Mind Important Self School Compassion Practice Limits Achievement Originals Compassionate Founders Self Centered Boundless Resumes Beginners

Book:Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind

Source: Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind

“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.”

Important Ideas Moments Effort Practice Enlightenment Important Things

Book:Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice

Source: Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice

“The teaching which is written on paper is not the true teaching. Written teaching is a kind of food for your brain. Of course it is necessary to take some food for your brain, but it is more important to be yourself by practicing the right way of life.”

Way Kind Important Courses Brain Learning Written Teaching Paper Being Yourself Right Way Life Learning Written On Paper

Book:Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind

Source: Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind

About the Author

Born: May 18, 1904
Died: December 4, 1971
Known for: Author
Quotes: 245

Books & Sources

Zen Mind, Beginner's MindRelated source material

Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and PracticeRelated source material

Branching Streams Flow in the Darkness: Zen Talks on the SandokaiRelated source material

Not Always So: Practicing the True Spirit of Zen – The Final Teachings of Shunryu Suzuki to Empower Your FreedomRelated source material

Zen Mind, Beginners MindRelated source material

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