Nothing we see or hear is perfect. But right there in the imperfection is perfect reality. Shunryu Suzuki More Quotes by Shunryu Suzuki More Quotes From Shunryu Suzuki If I tell you something, you will stick to it and limit your own capacity to find out for yourself. Shunryu Suzuki limitsstickscapacity We should not be just a fan of dragons; we should always be the dragon himself. Then we will not be afraid of any dragon. Shunryu Suzuki dragonsfansshould When he bowed to all those buddhas, the buddhas he bowed to were beyond his own understanding. Again and again he did it. Shunryu Suzuki again-and-againunderstanding As long as you seek for something, you will get the shadow of reality and not reality itself. Shunryu Suzuki shadowlongreality 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 selfgodbelieve The practice of Zen mind is beginner's mind. The innocence of the first inquiry—what am I?—is needed throughout Zen practice. The mind of the beginner is empty, free of the habits of the expert, ready to accept, to doubt, and open to all the possibilities. It is the kind of mind which can see things as they are, which step by step and in a flash can realize the original nature of everything. Shunryu Suzuki naturepracticedoubt From True Emptiness The Wondrous Being Appears Shunryu Suzuki wondrousemptiness Bowing is a very serious practice. You should be prepared to bow, even in your last moment. even though it is impossible to get rid of our self-centered desires, we have to do it. Our true nature wants us to. Shunryu Suzuki practiceselfdesire The secret of Soto Zen is just two words: not always so.... In Japanese, it's two words, three words in English. That is the secret of our practice. Shunryu Suzuki practicesecrettwo So when you try hard to make your own way, you will help others...before you make your own way you cannot help anyone, and no one can help you. Shunryu Suzuki helping-otherstryingway In the mind of the beginner, there are many possibilities. In the mind of the expert there are few. Shunryu Suzuki beginnersexpertsmind Because we cannot accept the truth of transience, we suffer. Shunryu Suzuki changemanagementsuffering If you want to study Zen, you should forget all your previous ideas and just practice zazen and see what kind of experience you have in your practice. That is naturalness. Shunryu Suzuki practicewantideas Our mind should be free from traces of the past, just like the flowers of spring. Shunryu Suzuki flowerspringpast If you were not born in this world, there would be no need to die. To be born in this world is to die, to disappear [laughing]. Shunryu Suzuki would-belaughingneeds If your practice is good, you may become proud of it. What you do is good, but something more is added to it. Pride is extra. Right effort is to get rid of something extra. Shunryu Suzuki effortpridepractice To give your sheep or cow a large, spacious meadow is the way to control him. Shunryu Suzuki cowssheepgiving Those who sit perfectly physically usually take more time to obtain the true way of Zen. Shunryu Suzuki more-timemeditationway If you continue this simple practice every day, you will obtain some wonderful power. Before you attain it, it is something wonderful, but after you attain it, it is nothing special. Shunryu Suzuki simplepracticespecial Instead of respecting things, we want to use them for ourselves and if it is difficult to use them, we want to conquer them. Shunryu Suzuki conquerusewant
