Takuan Soho Born : 1573 Died : 1645 Browse All Authors Top 13 quotes by Takuan Soho Preoccupied with a single leaf, you won't see the tree. Takuan Soho missing forests tree Presumably, as a Martial artist, I do not fight for gain or loss, am not concerned with strength or weakness, and neither advance a step nor retreat a step. The enemy does not see me. I do not see the enemy. Penetrating to a place where heaven and earth have not yet divided, where yin and yang have not yet arrived, I quickly and necessarily gain effect. Takuan Soho fighting artist loss When a person does not think, "Where shall I put it?" the mind will extend throughout the entire body and move to any place at all. . . . The effort not to stop the mind in just one place - this is discipline. Not stopping the mind is object and essence. Put it nowhere and it will be everywhere. Even in moving the mind outside the body, if it is sent in one direction, it will be lacking in nine others. If the mind is not restricted to just one direction, it will be in all ten. Takuan Soho one-direction moving thinking It is the very mind itself that leads the mind astray - of the mind, do not be mindless Takuan Soho mindless samurai mind One is not likely to achieve understanding from the explanation of another. Takuan Soho achievement achieve understanding When one practices discipline and moves from the beginner's territory to immovable wisdom, one makes a return and falls back to the level of the beginner. Takuan Soho practice fall moving Consider the core of the mind to be a wagon, with willpower to be carried about in it. Push it to a place where there can be failure, and there will be failure. Push it to a place where there can be success, and there will be success. But whether there is success or failure, if one entrusts himself to the straightness of this wagon of the core of the mind, he will attain right-mindedness in either case. Severing oneself from desire and being like a rock or tree, nothing will ever be achieved. Not departing from desire, but realizing a desireless right-mindedness - "this is the Way". Takuan Soho rocks failure tree When this No-Mind has been well developed, the mind does not stop with one thing nor does it lack any one thing. It appears appropriately when facing a time of need. Takuan Soho mind doe time Sever the edge between before and after. Takuan Soho before-and-after edges Zen is to have the heart and soul of a little child. Takuan Soho soul heart children One does not divine this by impressions or knowledge. What this means is that no matter how much you try to figure or calculate by means of impressions or knowledge, it will not prove the least bit useful. Therefore, separate yourself from the discrimination of figuring things out. Takuan Soho doe trying mean The Buddha and all sentient beings are not two. Takuan Soho sentient-beings two Shonin: I have composed a poem. Kokushi: Let's hear it. Shonin: When I chant, Both Buddha and self Cease to exist. There is only the voice that says, Namu Amida Butsu. Kokushi: Something's wrong with the last couple of lines, don't you think? (after a lapse of time) Shonin: This is how I've written it: When I chant, Both Buddha and self Cease to exist. Namu Amida Butsu. Kokushi: There! You got it! Takuan Soho couple time thinking
