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Quote by Shunryu Suzuki

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

This book presents a series of informal talks by Shunryu Suzuki, a prominent Zen Buddhist teacher, focusing on the practice of Zen meditation and its principles. Suzuki's teachings emphasize the importance of mindfulness and the beginner's mind, encouraging readers to approach their practice with openness and simplicity. more

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Shunryu Suzuki
Shunryu Suzuki

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. more

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“Grant that I have enough suffering that my heart really opens to the great compassion of this world, that I be given enough so that I don't wall myself off from the world, that it breaks down the heart and the separation and the ego and the fear, and it lets me touch the nectar, the milk of kindness itself, of something greater.”

“The ends do not justify the means. If our actions will bring harm to others, even in the service of some 'good,' they are almost certainly deluded. If our actions do not come from a kind heart, from loving courage and compassion, they are deluded. If they are based on a distinction between 'us' and 'them,' they stem from delusion. Only to the extent that we act from the wisdom of no separation, understanding how we are woven together, will our intention bring benefit.”

“Real knowing comes up when we stand in the appropriate place. But usually we don’t. First we want to understand something according to individual knowledge, prejudice, customs and habits. This means we are standing up in our individual place, not the universal perspective. This egoistic behavior makes it very difficult to see the overall picture. But buddhas and ancestors recommend that we first stand up in the appropriate place. Just stand up, be present in the Universe itself.”