Quotes from Shunryu Suzuki

Wherever you go you will find your teacher, as long as you have the eyes to see and the ears to hear.

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.

When we do not expect anything we can be ourselves. That is our way, to live fully in each moment of time.

If your mind is empty, it is ready for anything. In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities; in the expert's mind there are few.

When you live completely in each moment, without expecting anything, you have no idea of time.

When we become truly ourselves, we just become a swinging door, and we are purely independent of, and at the same time, dependent upon everything.

Time goes from present to past.

Those who sit perfectly physically usually take more time to obtain the true way of Zen.

Treat every moment as your last. It is not preparation for something else.

If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything, it is open to everything. In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's mind there are few.

A student, filled with emotion and crying, implored, Why is there so much suffering? Suzuki Roshi replied, No reason.

Whereever you are, you are one with the clouds and one with the sun and the stars you see. You are one with everything. That is more true than I can say, and more true than you can hear.

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.

Nothing we see or hear is perfect. But right there in the imperfection is perfect reality.

Each of you is perfect the way you are ... and you can use a little improvement.

enjoy your problems

To have some deep feeling about Buddhism is not the point; we just do what we should do, like eating supper and going to bed. This is Buddhism.

What we call I is just a swinging door which moves when we inhale and when we exhale.

Life is like stepping onto a boat which is about to sail out to sea and sink.

The most important point is to accept yourself and stand on your two feet.

Calmness of mind does not mean you should stop your activity. Real calmness should be found in activity itself. We say, It is easy to have calmness in inactivity, it is hard to have calmness in activity, but calmness in activity is true calmness.

We do not exist for the sake of something else. We exist for the sake of ourselves.

The best way is to understand yourself, and then you will understand everything. So when you try hard to make your own way, you will help others, and you will be helped by others. Before you make your own way you cannot help anyone, and no one can help you.

When something dies is the greatest teaching.