As long as you seek for something, you will get the shadow of reality and not reality itself. Shunryu Suzuki More Quotes by Shunryu Suzuki More Quotes From Shunryu Suzuki The true purpose of Zen is to see things as they are, to observe things as they are, and to let everything go as it goes. Zen practice is to open up our small mind. Shunryu Suzuki purposepracticemind Discipline is creating the situation. Shunryu Suzuki creatingsituationdiscipline For Zen students, a weed is a treasure. Shunryu Suzuki treasureweedstudents And we should forget, day by day, what we have done; this is true non-attachment. And we should do something new. To do something new, of course we must know our past, and this is alright. But we should not keep holding onto anything we have done; we should only reflect on it. And we must have some idea of what we should do in the future. But the future is the future, the past is the past; now we should work on something new. Shunryu Suzuki attachmentpastideas Without accepting the fact that everything changes, we cannot find perfect composure. But unfortunately, although it is true, it is difficult for us to accept it. Because we cannot accept the truth of transience, we suffer. Shunryu Suzuki changeperfectworry So for a period of time each day, try to sit, without moving, without expecting anything, as if you were in your last moment. Moment after moment you feel your last instant. In each inhalation and each exhalation there are countless instants of time. Your intention is to live in each instant. Shunryu Suzuki timetryingmoving Zazen practice is the direct expression of our true nature. Strictly speaking, for a human being, there is no other practice than this practice; there is no other way of life than this way of life. Shunryu Suzuki growthexpressionpractice Preparing food is not just about yourself and others. It is about everything! Shunryu Suzuki preparingpreparing-foodabout-yourself Take care of things, and they will take care of you. Shunryu Suzuki take-carecare When we do not expect anything we can be ourselves. That is our way, to live fully in each moment of time. Shunryu Suzuki way-to-livemomentsway So the secret is just to say 'Yes!' and jump off from here. Then there is no problem. It means to be yourself, always yourself, without sticking to an old self. Shunryu Suzuki being-yourselfsecretmean 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. Shunryu Suzuki practiceyearsthinking To renounce things is not to give them up. It is to acknowledge that all things go away. Shunryu Suzuki renouncegoing-awaygiving The person who can freely acknowledge that life is full of difficulties can be free, because they are acknowledging the nature of life - that it can't be much else. Shunryu Suzuki difficultyacknowledgelife-is I discovered that it is necessary, absolutely necessary, to believe in nothing. That is, we have to believe in something which has no form and no color--something which exists before all forms and colors appear... No matter what god or doctrine you believe in, if you become attached to it, your belief will be based more or less on a self-centered idea. Shunryu Suzuki colorselfbelieve When you do something, you should burn yourself up completely, like a good bonfire, leaving no trace of yourself. Shunryu Suzuki effortleavingshould Zen is everywhere.... But for you, Zen is right here. Shunryu Suzuki To find perfect composure in the midst of change is to find nirvana. Shunryu Suzuki midstspiritualperfect 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 cowsdoeanimal When you are fooled by something else, the damage will not be so big. But when you are fooled by yourself, it is fatal. No more medicine. Shunryu Suzuki damagemedicinebigs
