As soon as you raise a thought and begin to form an idea of it, you ruin the reality itself, because you then attach yourself to form. D.T. Suzuki More Quotes by D.T. Suzuki More Quotes From D.T. Suzuki To point at the moon a finger is needed, but woe to those who take the finger for the moon. D.T. Suzuki woe moon thinking Though perhaps less universally known than such figures as Einstein or Gandhi (who became symbols of our time) Daisetz Suzuki was no less remarkable a man than these. And though his work may not have had such resounding and public effect, he contributed no little to the spiritual and intellectual revolution of our time. D.T. Suzuki intellectual spiritual men The mind has first to be attuned to the Unconscious. D.T. Suzuki unconscious mind firsts Zen abhors repetition or imitation of any kind, for it kills. For the same reason Zen never explains, but only affirms. Life is fact and no explanation is necessary or pertinent. To explain is to apologize, and why should we apologize for living? To live—is that not enough? Let us then live, let us affirm! Herein lies Zen in all its purity and in all its nudity as well. D.T. Suzuki life lying facts I raise my hand; I take a book from the other side of this desk; I hear the boys playing ball outside my window; I see the clouds blown away beyond the neighboring woods:-in all these I am practicing Zen, I am living Zen. No worldly discussion is necessary, or any explanation. D.T. Suzuki boys book hands One has not understood until one has forgotten it. D.T. Suzuki understood understanding forgotten The intuitive recognition of the instant, thus reality is the highest act of wisdom. D.T. Suzuki instant recognition reality If I am asked If I am asked, then, what Zen teaches, I would answer, Zen teaches nothing. Whatever teachings there are in Zen, they come out of one's own mind. We teach ourselves; Zen merely points the way. D.T. Suzuki teaching answers mind The ego-shell in which we live is the hardest thing to outgrow. D.T. Suzuki shells hardest ego The waters are in motion, but the moon retains its serenity. D.T. Suzuki heart inspiring moving Until we recognize the SELF that exists apart from who we think we are - we cannot know the Ch'an ( ZEN ) MIND D.T. Suzuki self mind thinking Implicity, there should be something mysterious in every day. D.T. Suzuki mysterious mystery should Zen Makes use, to a great extent, of poetical expressions; Zen is wedded to poetry. D.T. Suzuki poetry expression use Unless we die to ourselves, we can never be alive again. D.T. Suzuki dies alive Not to be bound by rules, but to be creating one's own rules-this is the kind of life which Zen is trying to have us live. D.T. Suzuki creating kind trying Zen, in its essence is the art of seeing into the nature of one's own being, and it points the way from bondage to freedom. By making us drink right from the fountain of life it liberates us from all the yokes under which we finite beings are usually suffering in this world. D.T. Suzuki essence suffering art Zen purposes to discipline the mind itself, to make it its own master, through an insight into its proper nature. This getting into the real nature of one's own mind or soul is the fundamental object of Zen Buddhism. Zen, therefore, is more than meditation and Dhyana in its ordinary sense. The discipline of Zen consists in opening the mental eye in order to look into the very reason of existence. D.T. Suzuki nature eye real Because since the beginningless past we are running after objects, not knowing where our Self is, we lose track of the Original Mind and are tormented all the time by the threatening objective world, regarding it as good or bad, true or false, agreeable or disagreeable. We are thus slaves of things and circumstances. D.T. Suzuki time running past The fighter is to be always single-minded with one object in view: to fight, looking neither backward nor sidewise. To go straight forward in order to crush the enemy is all that is necessary for him. D.T. Suzuki warrior crush fighting Dhyana is retaining one's tranquil state of mind in any circumstance, unfavorable as well as favorable, and not being disturbed or frustrated even when adverse conditions present themselves one after another. D.T. Suzuki frustrated anger mind
