"Practice does not mean that whatever you do, even lying down, is zazen. When the restrictions you have do not limit you, this is what we mean by practice…. When you sit, you will sit. When you eat, you will eat…. If you say,”It doesn’t matter,” it means that you are making some excuse to do something in your own way with your small mind. It means that you are to some particular thing or way. That is not what we mean when we say, “Just to sit is enough,” or “Whatever you do is zazen.” Of course, everything you do is zazen, but if so, there is no need to say it."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
Bowing
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Shunryu_Suzuki
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
Shunryu Suzuki
Shunryu Suzuki (鈴木 俊隆 Suzuki Shunryū, dharma name Shogaku Shunryu) (18 May 1904 – 4 December 1971) was a Sōtō Zen monk and teacher who helped popularize Zen Buddhism in the United States, and is renowned for founding the first Zen Buddhist monastery outside Asia (Tassajara Zen Mountain Center). Suzuki founded San Francisco Zen Center which, along with its affiliate temples, comprises one of the most influential Zen organizations in the United States. A book of his teachings, Zen Mind, Beginner's
30 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by Shunryu Suzuki →
Related Quotes
"So it is not a matter of whether it is possible to attain Buddhahood, or if it is possible to make a tile a jewel. Bu…"
"So I say, ‘Oh, I am sorry but soon you will see the bright sunrise every morning and beautiful sunset in the evening,…"
"The highest truth is daiji, translated as dai jiki in Chinese scriptures. This is the subject of the question the emp…"
"Communication is — start by understanding — your own understanding about people. Even though you want them to underst…"
"When you do something, you should burn yourself completely, like a good bonfire, leaving no trace of yourself."
"You may say you attained some stage in your practice. But that is just a trivial event in your long life. It is like …"
"There are, strictly speaking, no enlightened people, there is only enlightened activity."
"In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, in the expert's there are few."
"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 g…"
"What is true zazen? What do you mean by Zen becomes Zen and you become you? You become you is a very important point.…"