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Quote by Frederick Lenz

“Old Zen was the reduction of concepts to absurdity.”

Quote by Frederick Lenz

Author

Frederick Lenz was an American author known for his profound understanding and unique insights into Zen Buddhism. His works blended Zen philosophy with modern life, resonating with readers worldwide. more

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“Different schools of Zen have evolved, principally the Rinzai and Soto orders. A whole hierarchy has developed for the teaching and practice of Zen. Zen has become, to a certain degree, institutionalized.”

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“If you're very, very conservative and you like that sort of practice, go find a very conservative Zen master and just do traditional Japanese practice, which is not that traditional actually.”

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“It is only in the last 800 years that the rules have come into being and conservative Zen has surfaced. It is not particularly popular in Japan at all. Hardly anybody practices Zen any more because it's just too strict; there are too many rules.”

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“If you're very liberal, then you should go and find a very liberal Zen teacher, a liberal interpretation of the doctrines of the Soto or Rinzai schools.”

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“Zen is a study. It's a discipline. It involves the active use of will to make things happen or not happen. These are the secrets of power.”

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“The path of Zen is not easy. It's wonderful. It's beautiful beyond compare. You will experience more ecstasy and beauty than most people will in a thousand lifetimes.”

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“Meditation is the way the mind is. That's why in Zen they call it the natural state, which means you don't have to go and do anything to meditate.”

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“The light is already there. In Zen Buddhism there's a little speck of dust on the mirror, and that's us.”

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“The sense of self is one of the obscurations that prevents us from seeing clearly, the idea that there is a self or that we are anyone in particular.”

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“To have the illusion of selfhood simply means that when you look in the mirror, you see somebody.”

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