Quotes from Charlotte J. Beck

D?gen Zenji said, "To look for the Buddha dharma outside of yourself is like putting a devil on top of yourself." Master Rinzai said, "Place no head above your own." That is, to look outside of ourselves for true peace and satisfaction is hopeless.

Who is there?" asks God. "It is I." "Go away," God says… Later… "Who is there?" asks God. "It is Thou." "Enter," replies God.

If we cease looking, searching, what are we left with? We're left with what's been right there at the center all the time. Underneath all that searching there is distress. There is unease. The minute that we realize that, we see that the point isn't the search, but rather the distress and unease which motivate the search. That's the magic moment—when we realize that searching outside of ourselves is not the way.